A mum has revealed that she feeds her kids MOULD to keep them healthy!
Diane Hammill, 40, says she does not believe out-of-date or off food does her children any harm – in fact, just the opposite, that it strengthens their immune system.
Diane told Love It magazine that her 14-year-old daughter Maya was outraged when she once found mould on the jam she was about to use - but was in for more of a shock when her mum revealed the scones she was going to put it on were made with off milk.
Diane, who is also mum to Noah, 12, and eight-year-old Mathias says she is not bothered by dirt and germs.
"Some people might think I'm a bad mum," she says.
How could I let my children eat mould? But I believe that germs are good for us. From gone-off milk and mouldy bread to mud and dirty water – I believe it will all make my children healthier.
Diane says that being brought up by her dad and grandad in a household where the kitchen was 'always a mess' led to her raiding the fridge and eating out of date food when she was growing up.
After her daughter developed dermatitis from using too many antibacterial products, Diane decided to expose her kids to the same amount of germs she'd faced as a child.
"I became obsessed with exposing them to germs. I was determined to build up their immune systems so they were better equipped to fight illness," she tells the magazine.
But not every one agreed with her parenting style style – her husband John was horrified she would let the kids eat dirt - so much so, Diane would keep it from him that she had found grit in their babies nappies.
The couple's marriage eventually fell apart shortly after their third child was born.
"When I met my John, we fell madly in love but didn't see eye to eye when it came to cleanliness. He had been brought up to keep himself clean and tidy so I kept up appearances for his family and friends," she says.
"I loved being married and the split was difficult, but I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders."
Now, Diane says, she can do things her own way in the home. "Instead of using cleaning sprays, I began to just wipe the house with a damp cloth. The house was always clutter-free but I didn't mind it not being clean anymore."