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8 Families Who Choose To Live Very 'Unconventionally' | MY EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY
Dec 22, 2025
00:00 - Introduction
00:53 - Zoe & Brian's Jungle Homestead
08:52 - Living With 200 Snakes
16:27 - Lucy & Raising Kids In A Tent
24:34 - Charlotte & Tandem Feeding
32:12 - Bri & Her Kids' Internet Fame
39:44 - Kip & Carrie's Off-Grid Life
45:28 - Cassyanne & Removing Her Kids From School
53:25 - Yessenia & Surrogacy
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0:00
My kids live with almost 200 snakes
0:02
Our parenting style is unconventional. I like drinking my own urine. Mmm
0:07
Yummy. I live in a tent with two kids and they love it
0:12
I hope. I tandem breastfeed my five and two year old. My dream is to let my children decide when to stop
0:18
We live off the grid on an active volcano. I think school's a prison
0:23
I pulled the girls out of school about four or five months ago now. Say hi, guys. Hi, guys
0:27
People are saying I'm excluding my daughters for views. We chose to quit doing vaccinations for our children
0:33
I've been accused of selling my child. I was paid $50,000 to be a surrogate
0:38
I have got a lot of hate online that I never really expected
0:43
For people that judge me on my parent end, I don't really care
0:47
People have criticized my parenting style. So no regrets? Can I have a fruit cup? Can I have one
0:56
Yeah. My name is Zoe. And I'm Brian. And I am a mom of two, and I'm a homesteader in the jungle on a volcano
1:05
This is my little sister, Rumi. This is Zoe, my mother, and she is sometimes awkward, and she posts videos online
1:14
She is a very smart woman. She is kind to her children
1:18
So how did you two meet? Oh, man. Oh, funny story. It's kind of a story
1:22
I was a door girl at a strip club back in Nevada
1:26
and he came in to apply to get a job. And I was like, oh, well, I hope you're, you know
1:34
going to get the job because you're really cute. When did you move to the big island in here
1:39
So during the pandemic, we kind of had the crazy idea. Let's move to Hawaii
1:45
The whole goal the entire time was to be able to buy some land
1:49
and build our own house and kind of live self-sustainably. Welcome to my farm
1:54
And I would love to give you guys a tour. So come follow me. I've got an abundance of birds, so don't mind them
2:05
We've got an abundance of fruit right now growing around our house. So this is our
2:10
fully 100% off the grid house. We run everything off of solar. We collect our rainwater from our
2:16
roof. We have 3,000 gallons of water in this area. And here is our indoor outdoor kitchen
2:23
beautiful I get to cook outside with the birds chirping and when the rain starts dumping it's
2:30
just really relaxing. We have every appliance that anybody really has in a standard home
2:35
we just don't pay the utility companies. So this is our bunk bed that my partner built it works for
2:42
us because I still co-sleep with my baby. How did you build this house and how long it took and who
2:48
built it. It was just kind of us trying to build with the kids and the dog and it was it was so
2:55
crazy. So pretty much everything was self-taught. I did have some help from friends who are in
3:01
different industries you know with electrical. I'm proud of what we did you know. We do have the
3:07
occasional visitor. They like to lay their eggs in our sawdust bin. We've got our composting toilet
3:14
which is just a bucket and sawdust which here's the eggs that the chickens like to leave me a
3:20
little easter egg in the house whenever we have visitors they kind of look at me like
3:25
oh i have to use a bucket what do the kids think about this lifestyle oh my god um i think it's
3:32
really natural for kids i think living as a kid in the jungle is really fun but they're very wild
3:38
i almost feel embarrassed sometimes when i take them out in public because of how crazy they are
3:42
I'm like obvious that they live in the jungle sometimes because I'm like my kids are the ones that's barefoot
3:48
What is unschooling? Unschooling is let me facilitate what you want to learn
3:54
I'm not necessarily a teacher even though I'm educated, I'm college educated
3:58
I'm a facilitator to my children and their interests. It's all school and life lessons
4:05
I, growing up, you know, learned about, I think, the most impractical things at her age
4:13
And I missed out on this type of learning. You know, I didn't get burned enough times
4:21
I didn't know that meat turned brown. And I know it sounds simple, but, like, even just cooking with your kids is a lesson in itself
4:31
Like, measurements, you can make it math. I mean, it's literally a science project
4:35
She loves making her own food. She can make scrambled eggs, her own peanut butter deli, you know
4:40
You got a shovel? Yeah. You ready to process these bananas? Yeah
4:44
Let's go harvest them, okay? Do you want to stand back for one second
4:48
Can you count how many bananas are on here? Yeah. Okay. One, two, three, four
4:59
Do you think this lifestyle could negatively impact your kids? Absolutely. So you're saying this lifestyle could negatively impact you
5:07
It could. I believe that this lifestyle could negatively impact anybody who is losing sight of the message
5:17
And the sight of the message is sustainability. If they're not raised, you know, in a way that's encouraging them to stay focused on positive things
5:26
they could definitely spiral into the negative parts of this lifestyle, which can be really depressing
5:32
and I want them to have the best foot forward. Give me a high five. Good job
5:39
So living on an active volcano might seem kind of stupid, I guess you would say
5:45
but I feel safer here than I do in the city. We have lava tubes that we have to be aware of
5:51
Basically, I mean, it can be anything from a big crack in the ground that goes to a void
5:56
So these can go down anywhere from five feet to 70 feet
6:01
So this is one of the bigger holes that we have on our property. Even though it looks nice and sturdy
6:07
there could literally be a leg-sized hole that you could slip in. We're trying to either fill
6:13
them in or work with it. All of this here, I mean, it was all holes, deep holes, cracks in the ground
6:21
straight down lava. I mean, it's a miracle I'm able to even just walk so gracefully on top of
6:26
it right now. I started posting online on a whim. I realized what a powerful tool it was. So I have
6:32
kind of had a wide variety of responses. I think people are very opinionated these days on their
6:40
keyboards. Some of the things that I think people have said negatively about my lifestyle has been
6:46
always about my style of parenting. People have said just that I'm neglecting my kids
6:52
which is crazy to me because they have everything that they need
6:56
They're always around us. Motherhood gets people so mad. They're just like, how dare you feed your kid that
7:01
That's not a meal. You can't teach them that way. They're like, you're doing it wrong
7:05
It's not safe. It's like, okay. The data says different. The data says your city is unsafe
7:11
Have you had criticism about living on an active volcano? I think a lot of people are very animated when they think about volcanoes
7:20
and they think that like oh there must be lava everywhere It a beautiful feature when the lava is erupting When Mauna Loa just went off it was like let get the kids in the car and let go drive to go see it Let make it a homeschool lesson you know Like people will buy a beachfront property
7:37
and not bat an eye, even though tsunamis are a massive threat
7:43
Have you been criticized for your decisions regarding healthcare? I was a full-time patient for over a year
7:51
trying to beat cancer. I had to go to radiation every single day for months
7:55
I had to go, you know, in for chemo infusions. And a lot of people are like, gosh, why didn't you do it the holistic natural way
8:03
You're doing everything else the natural way. And it's like, when you are stage four, literally dying
8:10
I don't find myself to be hypocritical for choosing the Western route to save my life
8:16
It's part of why you don't like me on social media and why you don't want to be a part of it
8:20
I don't like the confrontation, you know? And how it made me feel
8:24
I know in my heart, deep down in there, that it doesn't matter what people say
8:30
The big message here is being true to yourself. And so as the kids get older
8:35
like embracing who they want to be and directing them towards positive things in life
8:41
I feel really good about this life. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love you
8:45
I love you too. Thanks for doing this crazy life with me. Thanks for talking me into it
8:50
Want some watermelon too? My name is Maximus. Where's Ari? Should we go see her? Yeah
9:00
Alright, let's go. Hi. Got some fruit for you. Oh, thank you
9:04
My name is Socrates Christoforo and I own about 200 snakes. My wife's name is Jane Christoforo
9:11
We've been together coming up almost close to 10 years. I have two kids
9:15
My son's name is Maximus. five years old and my daughter's name is Ariana and she is nine years old. If I
9:22
were to describe our family I would say we are extraordinary. These girls are
9:28
literally best friends I can tell. This was the second snake that Ari got was a
9:32
ball python. Ariana how many snakes do you have? So in my room I have 18 snakes
9:37
Ariana was one years old when she first held her first snake which was Snowflake
9:43
the corn snake. What's your favorite part about the snakes? Everything. They're like so pretty
9:49
Your face is so cute. That's what you always say. I first got into snakes when I was around
9:53
six years old and I caught my very first snakes. It was a copperhead. So my parents
10:00
come from Cyprus and in Cyprus there was there's huge snakes and there's venomous snakes and they
10:08
I always taught them that snakes can kill you. My family made me very scared of snakes after that
10:17
And then I fell back in love with snakes. Because his friend had a snake
10:22
and he was like, whoa, can I hold this? What first started as a fear of mine
10:26
actually became a passion. Everyone put all the snakes on me and then you can take your snakes back
10:32
Our parenting style is unconventional. We definitely do a lot of things that are not by the book
10:40
I'm actually giving my kids options and choices instead of me telling my kids what to do
10:47
Kittos, are you hungry? No. Yeah. Yeah? No. No, I don't know
10:53
This is his girlfriend, Fancy. One, two, girlfriend. His future girlfriend. So I'll tell you a little about..
11:02
No, let me! I'll tell you... Let him be a bullet! Ari, you only can eat this
11:09
Sit up. Oh, I love Maggie. He's so sweet. He's bigger than the size of him
11:15
I know. How many feet he's now? I don't know. He's probably seven and a half
11:20
Is it normal to have the snakes in your living area like this
11:24
At this point, it is very normal for us to hang out with the snakes. Yeah, absolutely
11:29
They're so chill, though. You can literally watch a movie with them with no problem
11:33
People think snakes are slimy and mean, but they're not. When people come over, most of them freak out
11:41
but when they get to touch them and hang out with them, they're very comfortable with them
11:45
Is Maximus comfortable with the snakes or is he still adjusting? Maximus, at the beginning
11:53
he wasn't very comfortable with the snakes, but then he adjusted pretty quickly
11:57
He loves them now. You never forced it on him. Which is your favorite snake? Megatron
12:04
I think it's safe for my kids to interact with snakes like this. I trust my husband
12:08
He knows his animals, and I think it's totally safe. How do you ensure it's safe
12:14
So I really don't ensure that it's safe because these are wild animals
12:18
and yes, they can bite, but I don't have a snake in here
12:23
that has a capability of eating my children. Is there any snake you would never have or would be very cautious to have
12:32
No, because I really love venomous snakes. I wouldn't keep those venomous snakes here because I have kids
12:38
That would be a totally different story if I kept cobras. And even then, you needed licenses
12:44
You have people coming to check that you have to have a lock and you have to have a door
12:49
with another lock. There are certain guidelines. Yeah, it's a totally different story
12:53
If you had venomous snakes, I mean, I don't think anyone would trust a kid going in there
12:57
I have a venomous snake, but I have a lock on my door. I have a sign that says venomous and it's locked
13:03
And they come every year and they check. Oh, really? Absolutely. Absolutely
13:07
All right. So this is the snake room. We have the individual enclosures
13:16
Each of them has a plant, helps with humidity, but also with oxygen
13:22
These up here are Amazon basins. They have the largest teeth of any non-venomous snake, so they can get up to two inches
13:30
There have been any incidents with the snakes in your children? Ari's been bit a couple times by baby snakes, but it happens, you know
13:42
I've never had a snake escape. When I was little, I was very nosy
13:46
Baby Amazon basin that was sick, and then I opened the cage and I was mimicking it
13:53
and then I decided to go bite my tongue, and then there's blood all over my tongue
13:58
But babies don't hurt when a baby bites you. And I didn't cry, though
14:02
Just getting bit by a dog, like a pit bull, or even a little dog, they will cause more damage
14:07
than the snakes that I have here. These are all green tree pythons
14:11
All these are snakes that I've created over the years. So when we breed, the great thing about green tree pythons
14:18
is that they are all, it's almost like a box of chocolate
14:22
that you never know what you're gonna get. So I've probably spent around $300,000 on snakes
14:29
but this room also costs about 100K. I started sharing my story online
14:34
because I just think that these snakes are absolutely breathtaking. I've had negative comments
14:41
I personally just don't pay attention to them. So some of the negative things that people say
14:46
because my wife tell me is that I'm not a good father, that I should be put in jail these people are crazy the snakes are sizing the kids up to eat them as you can see this is not just me keeping a snake in some little tank
15:05
There's a lot of education, a lot of research, a lot of years and hard work that has been put into this
15:12
I put my kids' safety first. I would never put my kids in danger
15:17
Like, it's just, they are my life. So I don't have a favorite snake. I like all of them equally
15:24
So things that we enjoy doing together is obviously hanging out with the snakes
15:30
We are a very active family as well. Who are you at your best in your energy, in your work, and in your love
15:37
For my energy, I am an amazing gymnast, cheerleader, jiu-jitsu person, and crossfitter
15:44
Okay, beautiful. That's a good energy. What about you, Maximus? And boxing
15:49
Yep, and you're a lion, right? and soccer and traditional practice. Ready
16:00
Whoa! I know what type of father I am. I know how I want to push my kids
16:05
I want them to be leaders. What I hope the future holds for my family is just positivity and us educating
16:13
not just about snakes, but about living an extraordinary life, living to your fullest potentials
16:18
live your life, no one else's. do what makes you happy, not what other people makes you happy, right
16:24
Yeah. So this is where we live. This is our tent home
16:32
This is my son Asa, and Asa is five, and my daughter Alana, and Alana is seven
16:40
Okay, you guys want to go sit back there then? Because he's going to ask me a few more questions
16:45
Thank you, Asa. We've been living in this way for about a year
16:49
we first started living in a tent because of the rental crisis
16:53
I didn't want a small unit, and that's pretty much all we could afford with the state of the rental market at the moment
16:58
I was also working as a marine biologist, and I realised I was not happy
17:02
I didn't have the energy that I really wanted and the capacity to spend with my children
17:09
Hey! And so we moved into a tent, and I really love this way of life
17:16
And a fruitcake! Group kiss. I love being connected to nature. I love having the trees as my walls
17:27
Just be gentle. So this is Acer and Alana's room. They've got all their toys
17:33
So my kids sleep in the same room here and I just sleep right next to them
17:38
I think it's really important for good attachment for us to be together and to feel safe
17:43
It's how we've always been living in tribe. I don't have lots and lots of rooms to clean
17:50
I used to live in a four-bedroom house with a swimming pool. You know, I spend so much of my time sweeping leaves out of the swimming pool
17:58
This is literally all that I own in the world now. And I feel really grateful to have this simple existence
18:07
My two children started the year at the Steiner together. My son started there and hasn't really been enjoying it
18:16
It scared me. Okay. And then put it straight onto those fire lighters
18:28
And so I've taken him out and we're now, I guess you would call it unschooling for the moment
18:34
It's nice to be outside a lot, isn't it? Do you like being outside? Yeah
18:38
You like collecting bugs? Yeah. Yeah. And so I'm kind of exploring that with Asa at the moment, just following what he wants
18:45
to do and it seems like a lot of the time he just really enjoys just chilling out, reading
18:50
books, listening to music. He just really likes to kind of relax. What do you like the
18:57
most to do with the family? What do you like most doing with me and Lani? Being together
19:04
Aww. You want to come in? Do you love living in a tent, Lani? Yeah. What do you like about
19:10
being barefoot Lenny? So then I can feel the grass. Yeah. Does it feel nice under your feet? Yes. Yeah
19:17
Me and my kids are usually barefoot all the time apart from in the wet season when it got really
19:23
really muddy we got a staph infection so you have to have a respect for nature. So this is my zen
19:30
meditation medicine plant garden and the kids love the space too. Yay! To be surrounded by nature
19:38
in nature bare feet is the most important thing for our health and for our happiness. I don't take
19:44
my children to the doctors for small things it would have to be something really major
19:49
I believe what doctors can do is they can diagnose from a physical perspective and that's really
19:54
helpful some of the time. We've got the lucky bamboo to bring us good luck and then what's
20:01
What's this, Lani? It's wild raspberry. And wild raspberry is... For kindness
20:06
It's for kindness and it's also for motherhood. And I do urine therapy
20:14
The whole idea of the urine therapy for me, it's a self-love practice
20:18
This is a fresh urine. So I loop my urine, which means whenever I need the toilet
20:24
I'll pee into a jar and I'll drink it. There should be no part of us that disgusts us
20:31
Mmm, yummy. I started off just putting it on my face. It's really good for acne, any skin conditions
20:37
any eczemas and things like that. When I first started doing the urine therapy
20:41
my kids found it absolutely hilarious that mommy was drinking her own wee
20:46
But my kids, you know, they're pretty light and they're pretty funny
20:50
And so now it's become very much more normalized to them. They just see me doing it
20:55
and they don't really question it anymore. Okay, so hey guys, it's a really beautiful time of the day
21:02
So I've been working on social media for probably the last five years
21:07
TikTok really just kind of took off when I moved into the tent. I think people were just really interested in living an alternative lifestyle
21:16
Horse, cow, sheep, pig and cockerel. I love the cockerel. I put up a video of us in the tent
21:24
somebody commented oh it looks lovely but I would be so scared that someone would come and snatch my
21:30
children out of the tent and I literally commented underneath wow I that thought never entered my
21:35
mind you know what about the snakes well I feel blessed if I see a snake can you recall some of
21:41
the negative comments I've had lots of people say how disgusting it is that I'm drinking my own urine
21:46
I've just woken up I collected my first pee I've had lots of people just calling me crazy mad
21:52
saying that it's really extreme. I can see from the responses and the reactions
21:58
how people are feeling this fear within themselves of choosing another way of being able to live in nature
22:06
Well, the day that I met Lucy and she told me that she had been living in a tent
22:11
at a local place here. So my first thought was, well, if you've got two children
22:17
you better come here because I'll help you and I'll keep you safe
22:20
The threat of being kicked out was you know hanging over us in quite a few places so and it happened three times Right there you go We really grateful to you Hooray Hooray for me How the community supported Lucy through the judgment she received about her parenting
22:38
People say that I'm a bad parent. I think living in a tent has been quite confronting for a lot
22:43
of people who want to project onto me that I'm homeless, who want to project their fear onto me
22:49
I don't have children. I don't know what I'd do if I had children. I'd be homeschooling them
22:53
I wouldn't have them in the system at all. Well, that's how I feel as well now
22:58
but I'm also listening to my children and following what they want
23:03
So they seem happy and they seem a good family and I applaud Lucy's mothering techniques
23:08
I feel like, for me, because I think I haven't really lived
23:12
with people who are so aligned with me, so it's really nice to come here and feel like I'm a good mother
23:20
Well, I think you are. I kind of knew that I was, but I had all these people telling me that I wasn't
23:24
No, you're fine. Hi. Hello. So putting it out there and just being really kind of comfortable with my own choices and saying
23:35
hey, I'm a single mom living in a tent. You might call me homeless, but I'm at home within myself
23:42
What's Ace's destiny? Climbing trees. I'm going to be like a fish
23:49
But you're not a fish. I want them! You're a human being
23:53
Yeah! You're right! I would love to teach my children similar values to what I have
23:59
and feeling like you are free to live the life that you choose
24:04
If you want to go off and live in the woods, you can go off and live in the woods. There's no limits
24:10
So no regrets? No, I feel... I could always go back to living in a house if I wanted to
24:18
Clearly I don't want to at this time. I'm just really enjoying living in this little kind of fairy land space that we've created
24:28
That's going to make me sound really crazy. You want to crack the eggs
24:35
My name is Charlotte and I tandem breastfeed my five and two-year-old. Would you like me to help you
24:41
You want to break it? Can I do another one? You sure can
24:45
We can control whether or not we have positive or negative thoughts, right
24:49
I am a certified health and wellness coach. How many times you smile today, you can control that
24:55
Give it a good whack. There you go. You want to crack one, buddy? Help
25:01
My oldest is Racine and my youngest is Malachi. Let's keep it in there
25:08
In a cup? How old are you? I'm five. Malachi is two
25:18
I love you so much. I love you too. Who's better at cooking
25:23
Me. Is it mommy or daddy? Um. You still? Yeah. Tell me about a typical morning in the home
25:32
Um. Well, a typical morning for us is we let our bodies wake us up
25:36
We're blessed to work from home. We don't have alarms, which is a beautiful thing. Daddy
25:43
Vegetables go to numbers. We can adjust our times to be able to sleep in
25:48
So we both sleep with our kids and we wake up around the same time
25:52
A typical morning starts off nursing together, getting breast milk, and then going to the kitchen to cook
25:59
Are you ready? Slow mornings are our favorite. I always knew that I wanted to breastfeed
26:06
My experience with breastfeeding my daughter was not the easiest. She had something called torticollis, which is the shortening of the muscle in your neck
26:14
We struggled a lot, and we overcame that together. After the first four months, I was doing really well, and then just kept going from there
26:24
This child does not sleep. Therefore, mama doesn't sleep. How did you decide to do extended breastfeeding
26:31
I had this dream of doing full-term breastfeeding where she would stop when she's ready
26:35
And I know that if the time comes where I'm ready, then we'll, of course, adjust accordingly
26:42
I really wanted another child. And as soon as I heard that it was possible to breastfeed during pregnancy and even tandem breastfeed afterwards
26:50
it's just like something clicked. I loved it during pregnancy because I didn't have to chase a toddler around
26:56
Tandem breastfeeding is when you breastfeed multiple children, generally two. In my case, my kids are three years apart
27:02
you can either breastfeed them together at the same time or one at a time. My decision to tandem breastfeed was totally a God moment
27:09
because it was placed on my mind and my heart that that's something that I would be doing
27:13
I started tandem breastfeeding the day that I gave birth to my son
27:17
I knew that I wanted to try and to achieve a few months of it at least
27:21
This is like a guaranteed rest every day for a mom. There's another benefit
27:28
I would love to make it more well known that the benefits of breastfeeding
27:31
don't stop at six months or at one year or at two years
27:35
Mom, watch this! There's nutritional benefits, there's behavioral benefits, emotional, social, and cognitive
27:44
I don't believe our kids get as sick as other kids do. I think they have a closer bond because of our decision to tandem breastfeed
27:55
You know, they sit still for a while and stare at each other in the face. At the beginning, they would hold hands while they tandem breastfed
28:00
Man, that's a heartwarming moment for a mother. My dream is to let my children decide when to stop
28:06
At one point, I thought maybe he would wean before she did, which would have been kind of wild
28:11
But I also know that when either party is ready, there needs to become a mutual understanding and agreement
28:17
But it doesn't look like there's any stopping anytime soon. The current parenting style that I identify with most is secure attachment parenting
28:30
Can you hold it up? Hold it up. There you go. Can I hold that
28:36
Watch this! You respond to the needs of the child. I see green and green and green and more glory
28:45
But you also give them space to explore. Am I the umbrella holder
28:49
Yeah. Do I look like an umbrella holder? Yeah. It aligns with my motherly instincts
28:55
It's a balance that maybe not everyone understands or agrees with, but it works for me
29:01
How do you feel about Charlotte's breastfeeding? I find that it works really, really well, in fact
29:06
I trust her judgment. I think there's hardships with everything, but parenting is being there for our kids
29:13
I started sharing my breastfeeding journey online because there was just a lack of support
29:18
and a lack of community out there for breastfeeding moms, not that I could find at the time
29:22
And I also wanted some support as my daughter had such struggles latching
29:28
The majority of my comments and encouragement that I receive is positivity
29:33
But for every positive person, there seems to be a negative person. Not quite a ratio of 50-50, but there is a lot of negativity
29:41
Why do you still let your kids breastfeed at their age? It just seems unhealthy
29:45
Your kids will be too dependent. Oh, if you look up secure attachment, there's a reason why we do what we do
29:52
do if the kids know that their needs are met, you get a sexual pleasure from it
29:58
and justify it with parenting. That's, wow, that's so sad. Sometimes I think mom gets addicted to having her breasts sucked on
30:07
That's lovely. It's a typical, she's doing it for her benefit and not the kids
30:11
And that's absurd because they don't have the understanding or knowledge. Why should we so feed them until they're ready for marriage
30:19
I can't even, I have nothing to say to that. There's been comments where people say, just give her a sippy cup
30:26
and I want to say, are you coming over to wash the sippy cup
30:32
Because this is a lot easier than washing dishes and bottles. A gal said, what's going to happen when these children grow up
30:38
and they look back and see these images that you've shared on your social media
30:43
You know, what are they going to think? And I said, well, they're going to be empowered. That's truly how I feel about that
30:52
I haven't had anybody come up to me and try to scold me, but just some looks here and there
30:59
More shock than disgust. And then I get comments like, you are an amazing mom
31:06
I think it's a wonderful bond you have with your kids. You're doing a great job, mama. Oh yeah, look at mama go
31:14
And if I can help just one person, then that's enough for me. I continue to share my journey because it's ever changing
31:24
I want to knock it over. And I went from feeding just one to two, and it's probably the most important and beautiful
31:32
thing I've done to date. I want to continue my journey, so if a mom wants to continue to breastfeed, I hope that
31:38
my journey inspires them to do so. Look how about that! So you're gonna knock it down
31:44
I've never known a high school kid to still be breastfeeding or a college kid
31:49
so one day my children will stop breastfeeding and maybe go on to have children in a family of their own
31:55
I hope that they can look back on what mom did and be inspired and proud as she shared her journey with integrity
32:02
and love to support other moms. Two, three, go! Hi, guys
32:13
Okay, do some cute stuff. People said I can't be my daughter's mom because I'm black and they're white
32:23
My daughter's name is Ryder. She's five years old. My second daughter is London, and she's two years old
32:30
You're following me every time. You're following me every time. In public, people are always looking at me
32:36
They're always asking, am I babysitting? Especially when they hear the kids calling me mom
32:42
They have a confused look on their face. It's just because they're white and I'm black
32:48
I actually haven't told anyone publicly that they're adopted. That's my mom right here
32:54
This is my kids right here. I got into fostering because I've seen so many kids in the system
33:01
and they don't have their biological parents to be there for them
33:06
And some of them have no hope. London is difficult. That was something I wanted to do, raise a kid to better their life
33:14
Look at that. There was a trend going on. My mom is black. On Thanksgiving of 23, me and Ryder hopped on the trend
33:22
My mom is black. Of course you have food at home. It's basically just different things that we do in our culture
33:29
It would be like, my mom is black. Of course she wear wigs. My mom is black
33:34
Of course we eat soul food. We end up going viral. And then that's kind of how it all started
33:40
This child belongs to her friend. She's doing this for money. Everyone knows this lady is a scam
33:49
I'm not doing this for money. I love my girls. Someone said, you should take this down
33:55
Talking about the picture that I posted with me and Ryder. Why would I take that down when it's me and my daughter
34:01
These kids are not yours. And how would you know? Why are you exploding your child for likes
34:09
This is mad weird. That's not her mom. She has a white mom
34:13
Y'all need to investigate. One of the worst comments I received was someone telling me I did an IVF just to have white kids
34:23
Can mommy put on your hair? Yeah. Once I turned 24 years old, I was discovering what I wanted to do
34:29
And so I ended up going to a class. There was a lady, she was telling me about foster care
34:35
So I went home and I kind of thought about it. And I was like, I wouldn't mind, you know, becoming a mom and fostering over children that needs the care and love and support
34:45
So I ended up getting certified. They asked if I wanted a baby
34:49
I ended up getting Ryder and she was two weeks old. I fostered her for six months
34:55
There was no chance of a biological mom getting her back. So they ended up asking if I wanted to adopt her
35:02
London adoption went pretty fast just because they're siblings. They have the same mom, same dad
35:09
I decided to make their accounts young, really off of when Ryder went viral
35:14
That way, as they grow, they're gaining more followers, more audience. So that way, when they get a certain age to see maybe if they want to make it a career, acting or modeling or something like that
35:27
Once I reveal that they're adopted, there will be negative comments and there will be positive comments
35:33
I feel like the negative will still be like, why are you raising her like that
35:38
Why are you doing her hair like that? Let her find out about her own culture
35:42
So I think it's still be negative on that end. And then you're going to have the positive where people actually view it differently
35:48
Like, wow, like you love someone so much where you took the time to actually adopt her and go through the process
35:54
And you're loving this child. At the end of the day, skin color doesn't define if this is your child or not
36:01
I protect my kids from the comments. I just tell them all the positive comments
36:05
I don't get into the negative. Hi, Ryder. So today, Malaya's going to come over
36:11
Malaya, which is my sister. London, can I have a hug? We're going to talk about the judgment that I've been getting
36:18
It is hot. So what did you think when I started posting the girls and stuff
36:25
Oh, wow. I was actually very shocked. Like, you kind of blew up quickly, too
36:31
I think it was like a week and you just started like gaining followers, which was cool
36:35
But I didn't like the negative comments at the time. She was like four years old and they're like talking about a four year old and how she was like speaking
36:44
And I just feel like that was uncaused for. It's ridiculous. But I like how you kind of open the opportunity for her to like express herself by like, you know, dancing in the videos and you're making content
36:57
Have a surprise. I'm not able to play. Play-doh? I'm about to make you
37:03
It's kind of crazy though. In the beginning it was just like, oh is she black, she black
37:07
But now it's like, are they adopted? People are really concerned and they're like
37:11
wondering like, are they your kids? Are they not your kids? You know, so that's why I said
37:17
I think I'ma just let it be known that they are adopted
37:21
Can mommy play with you? Yeah. Yeah? Do you love mommy Yeah Yeah I love you too girl Lately people have been saying Did I do IVF Did I give birth to these kids Oh a new comment has been crazy
37:35
They've been asking, show the pregnancy pictures. I wonder what they're going to say
37:40
when you do announce that they're adopted. I feel like that's going to be..
37:46
I think that's what I'm afraid of. Thank you. You're welcome. No, don't eat it
37:53
We are sisters, and I want to have my sister back, like, regardless
37:57
So when I seen that she was getting, like, backlash from that, like, don't worry about the comments
38:01
I know who you are. Like, you don't have to worry about what other people are saying. I know what you do behind the scenes
38:06
because obviously they can't see that. So I just told her, like, just don't worry about it
38:10
Like, just do you, really. There are so many kids in the system who don't get a chance to be adopted
38:17
I mean, they grow up in there from home to home. They're not being properly loved
38:21
And my message for you, like, if you can do it, go for it
38:28
My hopes for the future of my family is to make sure the girls have a positive path
38:35
support them in going to school, to just be there every step of the way in the girls' life
38:40
and ensuring that I'm giving them a safe, loving, nurturing environment. What do you love about your mom
38:49
I love her. Her loves me. And of course, I love her
38:56
Her give me stuff and her buy me stuff. What do you love about now
39:02
That you get to do that if you want. My daughters have changed my life for this better because before I react to things, I always think about them
39:13
I'm always wanting to better myself for them so that they can see like, oh wow, if mom is doing it, so can I
39:20
for the people who judge me they have their opinion sometimes you're not always right so
39:27
it's just best for you not to judge others and before you start judging find out ask questions
39:34
if you have to don't just judge a book by its cover just because what you see is like oh yeah
39:38
that's what it is because sometimes it's not like that this is the smythe family
39:46
Kip and Carrie and their seven children. It goes from Caleb to Joshua to Nathan to Esther to Joseph to Naomi and to Abigail
39:56
They are all living off-grid on 20 acres in the Ozarks of Missouri
40:02
So how did the Smythes come to live this way? If you look at the culture in America and what's happening in America right now
40:09
the kind of craziness, it's not getting better. Society. It's not that I don't trust people, it's just that I don't trust people
40:17
Because people are people. There's no way around it. I'm pulling my children out of the world as much as possible
40:24
but that's out of the negative things of the world. About ten years ago, I got a real desire in my heart, Kip and I both did
40:32
to begin homesteading, growing our own food, and that led us on a journey that ended up here
40:43
You guys ever eat junk food? Junk food. And it's not just their own food that they grow
40:51
They also grow their own herbal remedy. We do more of a preventative approach
40:57
So we do a lot of herbs, essential oils, and good nutrition
41:02
None of our children have ever had to take antibiotics, which is a big blessing
41:06
We stopped vaccinations after our third child because he had a very severe reaction
41:13
became very ill. My wife started scratching her head saying, hey, this seems to be kind of a consistent thing for our children. We didn't feel it was safe any longer
41:22
to give them the vaccinations. And there's a lot of controversy on that. I understand it's
41:27
it was not an easy decision for us to make, but we feel it was right for us
41:32
And we don't get a flu shot either. Correct. Although Kip and Carrie's decision not to vaccinate
41:36
their children is against U.S. government advice, they have been promoting their way of living
41:41
online. So what are you up to in the garden honey? We are getting this bed that we just cleared of
41:47
sweet potatoes ready for some fall crops. Just down to three years ago we started a YouTube channel
41:52
and showing our journey. Because of living this way of life so different maybe we'd be able to
41:58
encourage others. All of these things make life quite a bit different here. You know our kids get
42:04
up in the morning they do their morning chores. Good morning crew. Y'all raring to go
42:11
And then it's off to the schooling, homeschooling. Most of their time is not at the table, and they're learning in lots of different other ways
42:22
So they could be sitting down with their buddy. The three older children have the three younger children as their buddies, and so they spend
42:29
time doing things together. What are the things that you guys feel maybe other kids aren't getting that you guys are
42:38
A lot of real life facts and problem solving in the real life world
42:45
Instead of just at a desk. Yeah, lots of animal husbandry stuff
42:51
Broken fencing. I think that in the public school system, there are a lot of facts being fed to the children
43:03
A lot of times geared toward testing. There's other things that are more important
43:06
Having the wisdom to take what you know and use it in life in a beneficial way
43:11
I want to give my children all the tools I can give them to pursue their passions
43:16
And public school just doesn't cater to that. But not everyone has the same view as Kip and Carrie when it comes to schooling and bringing up their children
43:24
No matter what lifestyle you live, no matter what beliefs you have, what kind of religion
43:30
you're going to have haters if you put yourself out in the public, no matter what
43:36
They ask a lot of questions about homeschooling. And, well, how are you socializing your children
43:44
You're so removed from the whole rest of society. When I went to school, I was getting into trouble
43:51
encouraging my friends to get into trouble. So do I want my children being influenced by one of me when I was that age
43:57
No, I don't. I really don't. You do realize, like, your parents made a decision to live like this
44:05
What do you think about their decision? I think it's a good one
44:10
It's also how I want them when I grow up. Just teaching them how to do that
44:14
And it gives me a lot of freedom to do what I love. With their children's passions and freedom being one of the main drives
44:20
for Kip and Carrie's way of parenting and living, how would they react if one or all of them
44:25
wanted to make a more conventional lifestyle for themselves? They want to pursue the normal American lifestyle
44:32
go into the city, get the job and all that. I wouldn't force them to stay here
44:39
I would let them do that. I would be hurt in my heart, but I wouldn't force them
44:46
My oldest son, you know, is pursuing web design and things like that
44:52
He didn't get that from me. I'll tell you that for sure. But it something that really interests him He has this creativeness about him I trying to empower him to do that to pursue that
45:06
Well, everyone has a choice to make how they're going to live their life
45:10
And thankfully, we still have the freedom to make those choices. I wouldn't put my way of life on anyone if it wasn't their choice
45:20
but I wouldn't change either. Bug Bunny
45:32
Right, breakfast. They're only 12 months apart, but they're like chalk and cheese
45:37
Hi, I'm Cassian. I work in the health and aesthetic industry and also influencing on social media
45:43
So I've got two babies, Bug and Bunny. They're eight and nine
45:47
And then I have a new one on the way who is called Johnny Blue
45:51
How is an average day for you now compared to when the girls are in school
45:56
So normally we'd get up and it'd be a rush all morning, trying to get them dressed and waking them up, going to school
46:02
We don't really have a hectic morning as such. So I pulled the girls out of school about four or five months ago now
46:09
I already knew they weren't going to stay in education after year six
46:13
but the way that the schooling system is, I removed them beforehand
46:17
The main reasons were I don't like what's being taught in school
46:22
I believe a child learns more from freedom on the outside of school
46:26
rather than sitting in a classroom for six to eight hours. The girls, they didn't have a say in what I was going to do
46:32
with their future and their education. If they still want to go to school or university, college, they can
46:37
But for now, they go by my rules whilst they live under my house
46:41
Is there anything you miss about school? I miss my friends at school
46:48
What do you miss about school? Like. You don't miss nothing about school
46:52
Nothing at all? No, because I can text my friends. So what's your favourite thing about not going to school
46:57
Can't be just your phone, because you're on a phone ban at the minute. On a Monday, the children have tutoring and education
47:05
and then every single day, set days, that I do things, I work my own hours, and they kind of work around me
47:13
So when I'm not working, we have education and then playtime. They'll do cooking, they'll do cleaning
47:20
and they'll learn about being domestic as well as an education at home
47:25
What else do you like about being at home rather than school? Because we don't have to
47:29
Don't have to what? Work. Do maths or do English or do science
47:34
And what do you learn at home that you don't learn there? Clean up. I do co-parent with the children's dad
47:43
The girl's dad is fine with my decision. I think that pulling the girls out
47:47
especially their background being travellers, they do come out of education early anyway
47:52
so it was going to happen within time. It was just the fact that I pulled them out earlier
48:01
So after chores, the girls come up, they get their outfits, they're always matching
48:06
they get their outfits, they do the hair, do the skincare. They know about designer
48:10
they've known about it for a very, very long time. This is Chanel, this is Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Tom Ford, Dior
48:18
So I like the girls to have nice things purely because, one, I've got it myself and I know what it feels like to have nice things
48:26
And then two, if they've got it from young, they can't be bribed with their old dog
48:31
given gifts and feel like it's everything to them. I'm a millionaire businesswoman and I dropped out of school at 14
48:37
I do believe me coming out of school early has had a big influence on the children
48:42
Reason being, I've had no GCSEs, but yet I've built very, very big successful businesses
48:50
Everything that I've ever wanted in life, I've managed to get myself off my own back
48:55
Already my girls are quite successful, so my bug has started up heatless rollers
49:00
That's well curly. Online she sells them, she does little bits here and there
49:05
I'm very strict as a parent. They don't just get a yes mum 24-7
49:10
My will, there's stages in my will. So, like, they're not allowed to inherit one house
49:15
until they're married with a prenup. Right, go on, sit your bum down
49:24
I get my lashes done every few weeks. I like to get my lashes done, because it gets the vibe
49:32
I've always tinted their eyebrows since they were babies and, like, had their ears pierced young
49:38
I've got very good, well-mannered, polite children that say please thank you, that are very grateful and very appreciative
49:46
So I do spoil them because they deserve it. Slay. For people that judge me on my parenting, I don't really care
49:56
So if they've got something to say, I just take it with a pinch of salt and then it's just a matter of proving them wrong
50:03
So the girls do get a lot of comments that are not the best of comments
50:07
People, like, full-grown adults comment on their appearance, what they're going to be like when they're older
50:12
They call them names. I don't let them see nothing. I put them in a bubble and I would never let them get affected by it
50:19
But, like, grown women are commenting on children. I don't understand it personally. Nugget
50:28
Hello, hello. Hiya. How are we? Mwah. You all right? How are we? Mwah. Good
50:36
Hi, girls. Where's Mummy? Go and get Uncle Sashy a drink. And on me
50:43
And then you can go upstairs and play. She's actually really soft-hearted, Bunny
50:48
She just puts on her front, doesn't she? Yeah, I don't know why. Because she thinks she's a big girl now, having those eyelashes
50:56
It's got nothing to do with her eyelashes. My mum is anti-taking them out of school
51:02
She does not agree with it. But obviously I'm the parent and what I say goes
51:08
Life is about learning the negative things. For children it's important these days, I think
51:15
to learn certain skills you cannot give them at home. What can school give them that I can't
51:21
Education. I believe taking them out of school because of your beliefs is right
51:27
but the timing is wrong. I believe they are too young to be taken out now
51:32
For Bunny, for example, Bunny's creative and she's got a good imagination
51:36
School would be perfect. No, no, school is a box. Yeah, thank you
51:41
She's being told you're not good at maths so you need to do more maths. Why
51:46
If she's not good at it, OK, she's not good at it. But this day, Nase, you've got calculators
51:51
Best thing I'd done was leave school and the thing I wish I'd done before was leave school earlier
51:55
At the time it wasn't out of choice, I wish it was out of choice. I feel like I've got such a head start on everyone
52:00
because, like you said, being around people outside, like, business... You are the five people you surround yourself with the most
52:07
Do you remember when you decided, when you personally decided, enough is enough, I don't want to go to grammar school no more
52:13
You got privately educated with beauty and stuff. Everything was privately done, but you were in education
52:20
The same goes with Johnny when he's born. He go into education until he can read write do maths like basic core things have a social life and then he be pulled out exactly the same He got to go to school I can have a dumb kid He jump on with his dad He go to work
52:37
He'll earn money straight away. Do I ever see Johnny going to university? Absolutely not. If he wanted to, he could
52:43
But what's wrong with that? I'm not saying nothing's wrong with it, but I'd rather him go down his own path
52:48
If he wants to, he can. You are a very loving mum. You always put your children first
52:53
I don't want that you lose yourself of doing too much. Then I feel like I'm in a different limelight where I can do it
53:06
The children are going to have a lovely life and do whatever they want, have whatever they want
53:10
To trolls that have a lot to say, stop scrolling through social media and having something to say about a woman that's pregnant, that's got two children, that is just trying to better their life
53:21
It's just pathetic, really. This is Tamir. He's eight weeks old. We're going to go outside and meet his big brothers and ride
53:33
around. Just how to make your world nice and cuddly first. My name is Yesenia LaTorre and I
53:39
am a mother of three. Tyson is six years old. Trey is five years old and Tamir is eight weeks old
53:49
And something really cool is the surrogate baby was also a boy. So I've only had boys
53:54
In between my pregnancies with Tyson and Trey, I experienced a miscarriage and it changed my life forever
54:02
It ended up leading me to surrogacy so I could help other people have children
54:09
Egg donation was something that I was really interested in. But I kind of did the egg donation because I was too nervous to do surrogacy yet
54:19
I started doing a lot of research about surrogacy. Initially, I was really nervous about talking to my husband about surrogacy
54:30
It was something I really wanted to do, but I know there's a lot of stigma around the subject
54:37
I didn't really have an understanding of surrogacy before the process. I think I was like most people like I've heard the term surrogacy, but I didn't know what all that entailed
54:52
I wasn't that shocked because she was already like an egg donor and she was already into that realm
55:01
I was always supportive from day one because was Jesenia has always supported me and everything I've done. And so naturally, like I support her as
55:12
well. I was a little bit concerned about all of the medical things that she would have to go through
55:16
But at the end of the day, like I was excited. She did all the heavy lifting. You know, she was
55:21
at the appointment. She was taking the medications. I was there for moral support
55:28
I ultimately decided to choose gestational surrogacy because I would be carrying a baby
55:33
that was not related to me. My journey was amazing. Honestly, I met amazing intended parents
55:43
They treated me well. The pregnancy was actually easier than the pregnancy with my children
55:51
What's your favorite thing to do with your parents? Ride with Wendy
55:57
Ride my bike. Riding bikes, yeah. I'm playing basketball. How did you explain your seriously to your children
56:05
Since they were so young when I started the process, I kept it very simple
56:09
So I would always tell them, like, mommy's having a baby, but it is not mommy and daddy's baby
56:15
They had the chance to meet the family, so it made it a lot easier to explain, like, this is his mom and this is his dad
56:23
Who's that? Me. That's not you, silly. I did. You remember him
56:28
No. I don't think you would. Yes, I did remember him. You do
56:34
Yeah. I do not. He was in your surrogate belly. In my surrogate belly
56:40
Yeah. And he lives with his mommy and daddy. Yeah, I saw his cats and dogs
56:46
Were you worried that you being a surrogate could confuse the kids at all
56:50
I personally wasn't really worried, but my husband was worried. Always asking, like, what would the kids think
56:57
Would they be upset? but ultimately they were very nonchalant about it
57:04
Are you guys glad that your mom was able to help someone like that? Yeah
57:09
It's like a superpower that's carrying eggs in your belly. These are some of my maternity clothes that I wore for my surrogacy
57:20
and I just keep them for the future. Do you plan to do it again in the future
57:25
Whenever I'm done breastfeeding, I hope to do it again and change another family's life
57:31
So I initially started to share my surrogacy journey online really because I wanted to help other women going through the process
57:39
Hoping just to help one person, but I've been grateful to help a lot of people on the way
57:47
I have got a lot of hate online that I never really expected from sharing my journey
57:53
things I hate hearing as a surrogate. This is one of my videos. You sold your kid. That's not normal
58:00
A lot of people compare surrogacy to human trafficking and I just don't understand it
58:06
I rented out my womb okay. I was landlord until eviction occurred. I don't like when people talk
58:12
about saying that I rented out my womb. I don't feel as if I rented out my body in any way
58:20
I think egg donation is crazy. You have a whole child out there and don't keep it. It's just mad
58:25
So egg donation is a little bit of a different topic Um, but ultimately I don't see the egg donation child as being my baby
58:35
No matter the amounts of money been paid to you. The baby is still yours
58:40
Never work. Keep selling yourself This is a funny comment because actually most surrogates have full-time jobs
58:47
You must be getting paid a lot. That's what people say to me all the time. They assume I'm
58:52
getting $100,000. So I think a lot of people think surrogacy is a get rich quick scheme
58:58
but it's not that at all. So I was paid $40,000 in base compensation and around $5,000 to $10,000
59:06
in additional benefits. A lot of people think money is the main motivation for surrogacy
59:13
But ultimately, it was 18 months of my life. I had to give birth
59:18
I had to take IVF medications. I tell people all the time, I only got $4 an hour
59:24
All right, take a jibble first. Take a jibble first. What was your understanding of surrogacy before this process started
59:37
Well, when I first heard about it, I mean, I thought it was a great thing to be a part of
59:43
But I think your reaction is probably the best that we could hope for, you know, when you're telling your family about it
59:49
One thing that stood out with me though, with you, I didn't know how that was going to affect, you know, my other grandbabies. Right
59:59
So, internally, I felt a concern. And I also felt a connection
1:00:05
Yeah, I think everybody were concerned about our kids. Just feel like, how would the kids feel
1:00:13
Would the kids be sad? Would they think that it's their sibling
1:00:18
They were very nonchalant about it. And they're just like, okay, mommy's doing this
1:00:22
How did you feel during the pregnancy? Well, I mean, just like any grandfather, you know
1:00:28
I was just hoping the baby would be healthy. How would you describe your relationship with the surrogate baby
1:00:33
Well, I felt an instant connection, you know. That's what I felt, you know
1:00:38
But I didn't allow myself, you know, to become too attached because I knew what the process was going to be
1:00:46
That's not a traditional process. So we're not, you know, conditioned for that
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But now that we're in that age, you know, it's acceptable, you know
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because we understand now that process brings happiness joy and continuation of life Hey guys so welcome to my series I going to be doing a series on all the steps to become a
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surrogate. So I hope you guys stay tuned for all of my videos. A lot of people do respond positively
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to it and it kind of encourages other women to want to take this step. I know for a fact that
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I've helped more than 50 women complete the process and guide them through it as well
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The thing that I loved the most about the process was seeing the baby in his parents' arms for the first time
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I felt so proud of what I did. We're just super happy to come from a loving family and we're looking forward to the future
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Thank you