Rachael Finch has revealed what really goes on in her family after being accused of ‘strict’ parenting.
The 35-year-old Australian TV presenter has divided her fans in recent weeks by revealing that she only allows her children an hour and a half of screen time a day and making a “controversial” change to their meals.
She also responded to critics who criticized her behavior at her daughter Violet’s cross-country race, where she was seen shouting words of encouragement and jogging alongside her daughter.
Rachael, who is married to Michael Miziner, has now opened up about her kids’ screen time and provided insight into what life is really like in her household.
On Thursday, she posted a series of passionate posts on Instagram Stories, talking about parenting, her skincare routine and how she gets ready for the day.
Her two children – Violet, eight, and Dominic, five – could be heard laughing and screaming in the background as if they were playing in another room.
She defended herself by saying that she would consider it “bad parenting” if she allowed her children to look at a screen for longer periods of time while she talked about their daily lives.
“I feel like I’m doing bad parenting if I let my kids sit in front of that device for over an hour without moving or doing anything else that’s good for their brains,” she said.
Rachael Finch has revealed what it’s really like in her family after being accused of ‘strict’ parenting
‘It’s actually harder to entertain them without a device, to keep them constantly doing something, to keep them entertained and excited, and to keep them from killing each other!’
“It’s harder work, but you get criticized for it. It just amazes me,” she added.
She compared her own childhood with that of her children, saying that as a youngster she hardly ever watched television and that this was also true of technological changes.
“I remember going into my parents’ room and saying, ‘I’m bored,’ and them saying, ‘It’s okay to be bored’ – the same thing I say to Violet and Dom now,” she continued.
“You walked away and found something to do, like play a game, or clean out your closet, or put on some music, or go outside and build forts.”
As she cared for her skin and got dressed in the videos, her two children could be heard screaming as they played in another room.
After being called ‘strict’ for only allowing her children Violet and Dominic one hour of screen time, Rachael responded to the comments and gave an insight into her family life in a candid video
Her latest comments come after Rachael revealed that she and her husband Michael only allow their children an hour and a half of recreational screen time each day.
The fitness influencer shared her busy daily schedule on Instagram, revealing how her kids are only “allowed technology” while she is in meetings from 11:30am to 1pm.
She also recently received criticism from fans when she shared a video of herself running after Violet and shouting words of encouragement during a cross-country run.
Rachael responded to the critics in a May 30 Instagram video, insisting she was “just motivating her child to do her best.”
“Just a quick note to anyone who wants to criticize or personally attack me for wanting to support, encourage and motivate my child to be the best they can be,” she said.
“A couple more things. One, check your facts. And two, look back in eight years or so when Violet is an adult to see the progress.”
This comes after Rachael was recently criticised by fans when she shared a video of herself jogging behind Violet and shouting words of encouragement during a cross-country race.
Journalists Amy, Kate and Sophie Taeuber criticised the blogger on their Outspoken podcast, describing her approach as ‘next level’ and arguing that it could ‘scare’ other children in the race.
They pointed out that there would have been plenty of kids running behind Rachael, as Violet finished in 12th place out of 100.
Rachael often reacts strongly to comments about her parenting, having previously criticised internet trolls who accused her of ‘underfeeding’ her children with a ‘strict’ diet.
In April, she was branded an “almond mother” and accused of “endangering” her children after sharing a video of herself making them “naked burgers” using lettuce leaves instead of buns.
“Almond mother” is a pejorative term for a mother who forces unhealthy and disordered eating habits on her children. It is often used to refer to parents who are “obsessed” with food.
Rachael was furious, saying the unfounded accusation was downright ‘hilarious’ given she has been critical of critics of her healthy meals.
Rachael shared a photo of herself snuggling up to her two children, writing: ‘Someone officially called me an ‘almond mom’ this week.
Definition according to Google: “A parent who has incredibly restrictive or dangerously unhealthy eating habits and tries to force them on their children.”
‘That was because I made ‘naked’ burgers (a burger with meat and vegetables in a salad bowl) for dinner.
‘While it’s downright mean, it’s also absurdly hilarious. I’ve become a pro at reacting emotionally to these kinds of comments.
‘I’ve had a good laugh with many of you about what kind of mother you would be if you were given a label for a food. Respond what kind of feeding mother would you be?’
Rachael often hits back passionately at comments about her parenting, having previously criticised internet trolls who accused her of ‘underfeeding’ her children with a ‘strict’ diet
Several of Rachel’s followers agreed that the ‘almond mother’ label was unwarranted and joined in droves to support the star.
Her cooking video saw Rachael prepare mini beef burgers with vegetables such as pickles, carrots and arugula, and mashed avocado and tomato sauce for her kids.
She put the ingredients in a salad bowl instead of a sandwich and was widely criticised for allegedly giving her children an “eating disorder” with the healthy meal, in a wild claim.