Off-grid parents - Matt and Adele Allen - have revealed they were reported to social services following their memorable appearance on This Morning

The nation was astonished last year when Matt and Adele Allen, parents to five-year-old Ulysses and one-year-old Ostara, appeared on This Morning to discuss their 'off-grid' parenting style.

The couple were deemed controversial and irresponsible after revealing their children do not attend school, and they don't discipline them or give them medicine.

At the time, mum Adele explained this controversial philosophy, saying: "I actually believe childhood disease is quite important to experience to build the child's immunity.

"Ulysses has experienced scarlet fever and chicken pox and we treated that naturally… We really believe in supporting the body to self-heal."

Talking about their alternative lifestyle to Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, the couple admitted Adele still breastfed her five-year-old son and would only stop when he was ready. She also admitted she would only send Ulysses to school if he wanted to go.

This Morning viewers were outraged - not least because one-year-old Ostara peed on the studio floor!.

After appearing on the ITV show, the parents hit back at the criticsm and wrote on Facebook: "Well done to Ulysses and poorly Ostara for putting up with the media chaos today…

"And Ostara did have a nappy on today but shock horror sometimes they leak!! #HereComesTheTrolls"

And now the mum-of-two has opened up and revealed that social services paid her a visit after her This Morning appearance,

Talking to That's Life! Magazine, Adele explained: "Viewers were appalled, calling our children 'feral' and 'out of control.'

"They said my daughter wasn't wearing a nappy. It was true we didn't use disposable nappies. But we did use cloth ones."

She continued: "Vindictive trolls reported us to social services… 'Come in', I told the social worked when she made a home visit. 'I've nothing to hide.' She left, satisfied they were happy and healthy,"

Adele also went on to talk about how the families lives have changed since their TV appearance.

Her son Ulysses - now six - has stopped breastfeeding because "he decided it was the right time."

But while other children who were dropped off at the school gates back when the school term began in September, Adele revealed what she and her son Ulysses did instead: "We spent the day foraging in the garden.

"I was delighted when he pulled up a handful of mint and chewed on it happily. I smiled at Matt, 'being out here in the fresh air is much more inspiring than being a stuck in a stuffy classroom.'"

After their This Morning appearance, the couple asked the public to donate £100,000 so they could move to Costa Rica, and fulfil their dream of being self-sufficient.

On their Fund My Travel page (which has since disappeared), they explained: "Our ultimate goal is to become self - sufficient, the way of making that happen is by moving to Costa Rica and buying a big plot of land where we can grow food, and have access to wildlife and nature in its natural state."

Adele told That's Life!: "For us, it's the only way that makes sense."

Matt and Adele are not the only family to do off-grid parenting. Dragons' Den's Sarah Willingham took her children out of school for a year-long-holiday. There was also Paul and Caroline King who revealed their six and four-year-old children are "too advanced" for school and instead have been travelling for 19 months.

What do you think of off-grid parenting? Would you ever try it? Do you know anyone who prefers this style of parenting? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

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