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Brianne and Julius Bailey tell PEOPLE they aren’t trying to reject modern life — they simply want their son to grow up with more freedom, and hands-on learning
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Brianne and Julius Bailey tell PEOPLE they’re intentionally raising their son off the grid with an emphasis on outdoor exploration, hands-on learning and family time
The couple says they don’t see their lifestyle as rejecting modern conveniences, but rather choosing a more intentional way of living
Although their days are busy running their business and maintaining their homestead, they say raising their son this way has always been worth the effort
Most 3-year-olds spend their afternoons bouncing between toys, television and tablets. But for Brianne and Julius Bailey’s son, a typical day is more likely to include wandering through the woods, learning about wild plants and ending the day surrounded by family.
When the couple shared a glimpse of their off-grid life on TikTok, viewers were fascinated by the barefoot childhood unfolding alongside the home they built by hand. But Brianne and Julius tell PEOPLE that for them, the lifestyle has never been about escaping modern life. It’s about being intentional with the one they’re creating for their son.
A typical day begins with faith and family before giving way to the outdoors. “A typical day for our child includes lots of hands-on learning and freedom to experience and grow,” they say.
Bible reading as a family, visits with grandparents, cousins and friends, and hours of intuitive play in the woods surrounding their home are all part of that rhythm. Those experiences naturally become lessons in biology, botany and zoology, giving their son an education they believe extends far beyond a classroom.
“This enables him to blossom in a more independent way,” they say. “We believe that will set him up for strong independence as an adult.”
Although many people assume raising a child off the grid means sacrificing comfort or convenience, the couple says that’s one of the biggest misunderstandings they encounter. In reality, they aren’t opposed to modern technology, they simply choose when and how it fits into their family’s life.
“We don’t find our lifestyle inconvenient,” they explain. Instead, they describe their approach as intentional, pointing to the fact that their son spends far more time outside than the average child and isn’t “glued to an iPad screen or the constant light of a smartphone.”
That philosophy extends to the way they balance parenting with work. Their weeks are often filled with business responsibilities, projects around the property and content creation, but they say there’s always room for family, and every Saturday is reserved as a Sabbath without work or business.
Their faith also remains central to every decision they make as parents. They say observing the Sabbath, celebrating biblical feast days and striving to love their neighbors are all part of the example they hope to set for their son as he grows.
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Though they don’t believe families need to live off the grid to be close to God, they say they feel called to this particular way of life. “Yahuah (God) is the guiding light of our lives and central to all that we do,” they say.
As their son grows older, Brianne and Julius hope he’ll continue developing the same sense of curiosity and independence that’s become part of his childhood. And while they know his future will ultimately be his own, one thing about theirs isn’t changing.
“We have the home and the land and the well,” they say. “Why would we give all that up just to go back to being more reliant on someone else? We are off-grid for keeps.”
Read the original article on People
