If you have a child, you already realize that they are going to get into some mischief on occasion. We don’t really think of them as always being bad kids but it isn’t going to be shocking if we find out they are doing something wrong every once in a while.
As an example, what would you be feeling if you found out your child was bullying others. More than likely, you would try to find a type of punishment that would fit the crime. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do, and you might even hesitate when it comes to doing it.
Since this is such a sensitive topic, it would be important for you to handle the situation in the best way possible. That is what one 39-year-old father from Swanton, Ohio was dealing with. His name is Max Cox and he found out that his 10-year-old daughter, Kirsten had been kicked off the school bus for a second time in a few months. The crime? She was guilty of bullying and he was not happy about it. She was bullying the other student repeatedly to the point where she got a suspension from the bus for three days.
Kirsten then gave her father some type of excuse and he just got more irritated. He wanted to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.
The specific bullying offense was name-calling as well as blocking the student from exiting the bus. The second time, more serious disciplinary matters were taken by the school and he knew something had to be done.
When she gave her father the bus suspension that day, he realized he was dealing with an entitlement issue. He also knew that there was a specific problem, that of her being a bully.
His daughter told him that he would have to take her to school as long as the bus suspension was in effect. It didn’t even faze her.
"I realized she viewed the privilege of riding the bus and our car rides to and from school as a right and not a privilege,” Matt said, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Matt decided to do something different. He wanted his daughter to walk to school those 5 miles for three days. He would drive the car slowly behind her to make sure she was safe along the route.
"Today, my beautiful daughter is going to walk 5 miles to school in 36-degree weather,” Matt Cox, says from behind the camera.”I know a lot of you parents are not going to agree with this, but that is all right. Because I am doing what I feel is right to teach my daughter a lesson and stop her from bullying.”
Parenting experts have chimed in on the situation since the video was posted. Most of them feel that it was not a very good punishment and even consider it to be public humiliation.
Other parents were somewhat supportive of Matt, but even some other parents feel that he went too far.
Sue Scheff, a parenting advocate had the following to say:
‘The internet can be so unforgiving, and your child will watch it over and over again online.
It’s like salt in an emotional wound, and the sting can take a long time to heal – especially when it’s a parent that did the shaming.”
Parents on Facebook were also accusing him of being a bully.
"Matt, do yourself and your daughter a big favor, seek counseling from a qualified family psychologist/psychiatrist who understands bullying as well as the adverse impact/implications when one goes ‘public’ on social media in a big way about their child,” one Facebook user wrote."What are you trying to prove?” Dr. Laura Markham, a parenting expert and the author of "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids,” asked.
The dad did receive pushback but he is standing by his decision. He thinks that children should be held accountable for their actions. If he had to do it over again he said that he would not do one thing differently.
The following was what he wrote in a Facebook post:
"Am I a bully for making my daughter walk to school? No me holding my child accountable for her own actions and giving her a punishment does not mean I am a bully.
"It means I am a being a parent, a father trying to teach his daughter that life has consequences for our actions and that we have to be accountable for them.
"Im a dad trying to teacher his daughter it’s not ok to be mean to others because words and actions can have life long effects and sometimes life-ending effects on others.
"Lastly I’m a father trying to teach his daughter not everything is just a right there are a lot of privileges in life and that we need to be grateful for them. None of that makes me a bully,’ he added.
Interestingly, Kirsten did not have to walk all 5 miles in a single morning. Matt knew that she would be late for school so she only walked a single mile and a half the first morning and he drove her the rest of the way.
He would drop her off where she left off the other two mornings while she was suspended.
Matt hopes that he will be inspirational to other parents who should be taking a firm stand against bullying.
Kirstin now is singing a different tune when she sees bad behavior on TV. She says: "That’s bullying that’s going to hurt somebody’s feelings.”
An apology was given to the other student.
