We live in the jungle on an active volcano -our kids are so wild, it’s embarrassing but they’re safer here than the city
A COUPLE have been slammed for choosing to raise their children on an active volcano.
Zoe and Brian moved to the jungle in Hawaii two years ago to build their own house and live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Their house is completely off grid and powered by solar panels, and they collect rainwater from the roof to use for cooking and doing the washing up.
They built the entire home themselves from scratch, including the bunk beds that Zoe and Brian sleep in.
“It works for us because I still co-sleep with my baby”, Zoe told Truly.
The home has a compost toilet, and the family grows their own fruits and vegetables and collect eggs from the abundance of chickens they own.
Zoe said that her kids love this lifestyle as “living as a kid in the jungle is really fun.”
However, she said that their jungle life has lead her two children to become “wild.”
“I almost feel embarrassed to take them out sometimes because of how crazy they are”, she said.
The couple’s children Zaina, 7, and Isla, 3 don’t go to school and Zoe “unschools” them instead, which she said means teaching them anything they want to learn, instead of a set syllabus.
“Growing up I learned about the most impractical things”, Zoe said.
She added that she teaches her kids life skills like cooking and gardening.
Zoe said that she understands that living on an active volcano could be seen as “stupid” but added that she feels safer living there than in a city.
Surrounding their home are lava tubes which can be up to 70 feet deep.
“There could literally be a leg sized hole that you could slip in”, Zoe said.
The family are trying to fill in the holes, to prevent any disasters from occurring, but there are still plenty of cracks the children could fall through.
Zoe uses social media to share an insight into her unusual family life, but her videos have received a barrage of criticism.
How do volcanoes erupt?
- Volcanoes are formed when a hot liquid like substance called magma breaks through the Earth’s crust
- Once the magma reaches the surface and gushes into the air, this is known as a volcanic eruption
- Volcanic eruptions can release lava, rocks, dust, volcanic ash and toxic gases into the atmosphere
- Some eruptions are huge and kill lots of people but other eruptions can be small flows of lava that are easily avoided
- Volcanoes normally give off warning sides before an eruption occurs, such as tremors or gases, and this gives people nearby time to evacuate
“People have said that I’m neglecting my kids, which is crazy”, she said.
Social media users have also questioned whether it is safe for the children to be living on a volcano, but Zoe said that when lava started erupting out of the top, she saw it as a “home-schooling lesson.”
“I know in my heart it doesn’t matter what people say”, Zoe said.
“I feel really good about this life, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”