Parenting is a roller-coaster ride full of surprises. No matter how many child a parent have, raising each kid is like cruising on uncharted waters.
Because each child is unique from one another, parents have to come up with versatile ways in handling and raising their children.
Some parenting ways may work for others, while some may not. Regardless, at the end of the day, no parent would wish harm to their child. And all of their actions are done out of parental love and concern.
This was the case with Heidi, a loving mother who only wants the best for her son. When her teenage son, Aaron disrespected her house rules, she made sure that her son would learn a valuable lesson he won’t forget.
In a now viral Facebook post she accidentally shared to the public, Heidi narrated how her son lied about his homework and became disrespectful of her.
As a form of punishment, Heidi wrote a letter containing the ‘bill’ that Aaron needs to pay for every month now that he sees himself as a full grown adult despite being 13 years old.
“The child is going to have a rude awakening today after the words he exchanged with me last night. Not only will he find this on the door, but his mattress stripped, and the toys and clothes that I bought confiscated. He will have three options. Buy his own, rent his clothes at $3 a day, or renegotiate his terms of being a child. Mama’s done playing games and being a doormat.”
The letter quickly reached over 100,000 number of shares. Some parents from Facebook commended and praised Heidi for coming up with a brilliant disciplinary repercussion.
“Way to go, Mom. Your son will be an excellent roommate, friend, guest, spouse, employee because you taught him consequences.” A Facebook user said, praising Heidi for teaching Aaron to be a better person.
“Well done!!! That’s how you raise self disciplined, responsible caring human beings to be proud of!!” Another Facebook user exclaimed, supporting Heidi’s parenting style.
While some people agreed with Heidi’s ways, some parents criticized her for Aaron’s punishment. They believe that Heidi went too far and should have chosen a more diplomatic way.
“Basically, you are a bully, who is using her power over her son to force him to do what she wants. Yeah, that works…until they are actually independent.” A Facebook user said, believing that Heidi did not discipline her son but bullied him.
In a follow-up Facebook post, Heidi defended her decision and shared her good intention in forming her son’s values and attitude in life.
“I wrote him a “bill” to make a point. Nothing comes free. Someone is making a sacrifice some where down the line. When I realized he had lied to me about homework, I put time constrictions to his internet access.” Heidi further explained.
At first, Aaron reacted in a negative light during their confrontation. Since he is earning money from his Youtube channel, he believed that despite being 13 years old, he can fend for himself.
In addition, since he is already independent, his mom does not have any right to tell him to tell him what he could or could not do.
“Really? What are you going to do? You can’t take my stuff…” Heidi shared Aaron’s initial reaction towards his punishment.
In the same Facebook post, Heidi shared how she asked Aaron to leave the room and return once he could be respectful, calm, and collected. Once the 13-year-old Aaron cooled his mind, he and Heidi had a fruitful discussion.
“He apologized, and asked what could he do to make things better and start earning items back. He earned his comforter and some clothes right back. I did leave him some clothes to begin with, just not the ones he would want to wear everyday. He also had some pillows and sheets, just not his favorite ones.” Heidi added.
After coming to peaceful terms, Heidi and Aaron agreed with a detailed contract about the guidelines and expectations a 13-year-old Aaron must live up with.
Regardless of the disagreements and criticisms of other parents, it sure is safe to say that Heidi’s parenting and disciplinary way works well with her son. After all, Aaron did realize where he went wrong and apologized for his mistake.
Life is not easy, it is filled with challenges and struggles that could make or break a person. Thus it is important for parents to prepare their children about the reality of life. Kudos to Heidi for coming up with a brilliant idea on how to raise a soon-to-be responsible grown-up!
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