‘I’m UK’s strictest mum – my children watch TV as soon as per week and I throw away toys’

A self-proclaimed “super strict” mum has laid down the law in her household.

Elena Leeming, 39, allows her kids to watch television just once a week, bins any toys left scattered and completely bans sweets.

The mum is a staunch advocate for rigid parenting, convinced it’s the key to “prepare kids for life”. Her little ones, Clive, six, and Violet, five, have been on chore duty since the tender age of three.

READ MORE: Mum with 6 kids shares strict parenting rules – from chores to screen time limit

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The telly is a Sunday-only treat in the Leeming household, and sugary temptations are so scarce that her children “have never eaten a Haribo in their lives”.

The business analyst doesn’t hesitate to chuck out any playthings that aren’t put away properly no matter how shiny or pricey they are.

Hailing from York, Elena boasts that her offspring are “happy and healthy”, and she’s confident her tough-love approach will pay dividends in the future.

She declared: “I like to see the children learning in everything they do. It’s important for them to understand what they need to eat and do. They are healthy, happy, and have a good sleep routine as a result.”

“I think parents become a bit loose and don’t really discipline their children now – but this way I’m preparing them for life.”

Elena, alongside her hubby Darren, 54, didn’t get schooled in essential life skills like rustling up a meal or keeping house when they were nippers.

Determined to ensure her brood wouldn’t be clueless about independence, Elena started schooling them in life’s practicalities from a very young age.

By the age of three, her tots were already tackling laundry and getting their hands dirty in the garden.

Elena shared her son prepares breakfast before she comes downstairs. She stated: “Rather than sitting there screaming waiting for breakfast, they can do it themselves.”

The mum educates them about nutrition, insisting they consume at least five portions of fruit and veg daily and drink a minimum of one litre of water.

She strictly prohibits heavily processed foods or artificially flavoured snacks like sweets and crisps. They are permitted one high-sugar food per day from an approved list, including yoghurt, ice cream, and biscuits.

Fizzy drinks, even sugar-free ones, are off-limits. She revealed: “They’ve never had a Haribo in their lives. They’re not allowed to eat foods with no vitamins or nutritional benefits.

“When they’re given sweets they say ‘no thanks, they’re not good for me’ and they put them in the bin.”

TV viewing is restricted to Sundays only, and tablets are solely for ‘educational games’ such as spelling challenges.

She expressed: “With screen time, it’s like an addiction. I don’t want them to develop that addiction.”

Elena’s kids are not allowed to go upstairs or move onto a different activity before clearing away their first one. If they don’t stick to that, they lose the toys for good – and Elena follows through with her threats.

She said: “One time I was on a call and they turned the house inside out I gave them five minutes to tidy up and they didn’t get it done in time.

“So I put the toys in a black bag and took them to the charity shop the next day regardless of how new or expensive they were.

“For the weeks after, the books were on the shelf and the toys were tidied up – they learnt from it and I never had to do that again.”

Elena is willing to go to any lengths to teach discipline so her kids learn not to do “silly things”.

She said: “My daughter tied a knot on her rucksack that was really hard to untie, so I made her untie it standing outside in the rain so she wouldn’t do it again.

“We have reward charts and they lose stars if they don’t go to the toilet before leaving the house and then need it while we’re out.”

While many parents might see this as overly strict, Elena feels it’s the best thing for her family.

She said: “Everyone is allowed their own opinion and they can raise children how they want.

“But mental health is on the rise, and people have no resilience skills nowadays. I want my children to grow up strong leaders.”

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