The reality star has had her say on the backlash.
Love Island star Montana Brown has sparked a major parenting debate after revealing two things she won’t allow her son to have.
The reality star, who is mum to three-year-old Jude and eight-month-old daughter Miley with fiancé Mark O’Connor, shared her rules for her eldest child when he starts school.
Montana said she doesn’t want Jude to “watch a screen at all” or have any sugary treats while at school.
Her stance has drawn criticism from other parents, who labelled her rules “unrealistic.”
In a video, Montana explained: “The most important things for me are nutrition, quality of teaching, and limiting screen time. When I send him to school, I don’t want him watching a screen at all. At a lot of open days, they mention using Chromebooks for homework as children get older.”
She added: “Another thing I really dislike is how much sugar kids are given at school. We know it’s bad for them and affects their concentration, so why give it to them during break times? I’m fine with it occasionally, but if Jude has sugar, I want it to be as a weekend treat.”
Her comments drew criticism from other parents. One said: “As a teacher, her post really bothered me. We do NOT have time to feed children treats and watch films, nor the budget for schools to have Chromebooks all day. It’s tone-deaf.”
Another added: “Not all laptop time is negative screen time. As a teacher, children learn valuable life skills through technology.”
This person chimed in: “As someone who works in a primary school this is an incredibly high expectation when schools are struggling enough as it is!
“Your opinions are valid but until you work in a school and see it for what it actually is – you shouldn’t get to criticise!
“You only see/hear small snippets of a long day and let me tell you it’s absolutely not how you think!
“As for snacks, in my school – fruit is provided everyday!”
Montana has now addressed the backlash with a social media clip.
“I’ve caused quite a stir,” she said. “In the video about schools, I mentioned that the most important things to me are nutrition, screen time limits, and quality of teaching. I never said the schools I’m looking at show movies all day. I just want Jude to have less screen time at school so I feel better about letting him watch a film with me on the weekend. The messages I’ve received about this are actually hilarious.”
She added: “At the end of the day, I don’t let Jude have any screen time at his age. I don’t know any health professional who encourages lots of screen time. I’m simply explaining why these things matter to me. I was surprised by how early children start using screens at schools; I hadn’t expected that.”
Still searching for a school that fits her criteria, Montana said: “We’re visiting more schools this week. I’m really excited can’t wait.”