Dad Films 'Good Old Fashioned Discipline' After Son Kicked Off Bus for Bullying
Ah, parenting. If only there was a handbook that referenced every possible situation or circumstance, including solutions and outcomes.
Unfortunately, no one really knows the “secret” to perfect parenting. We can read all the “how to” books we want, but in the end, parenting boils down to trial and error most of the time.
What works for one child may not necessarily work for another. Then again, there are some punishments that seem to be effective across the board.
One dad from Virginia decided to revert to “old school simple parenting” when it came to teaching his son a lesson.
A viral video originally shared by Bryan Thornhill in March 2018 received quite a bit of attention due to what could be considered “unconventional” in the age of “hands-off” parenting.
But Thornhill calls his method “old school” and stands by a consequence he gave his son Hayden after the 10-year-old was suspended from riding the school bus.
“I was yelling, I was being really obnoxious,” the boy told 8 News Now. Hayden also admitted to bullying other children on the bus.
In the viral video, the young man can be seen through Thornhill’s windshield as he jogs a mile to school in the rain — his 3-day long punishment.
“He was being a little bully, which I do not tolerate,” Thornhill says. “Therefore, he has to now run to school.”
The original live video has since been taken down, but has been shared enough to remain a huge discussion topic even months later.
“I thought it was going to be horrible,” Hayden told 8 News Now. “But when I started to run … it wasn’t too bad.”
As with anything posted on social media, some have shamed Thornhill’s punishment, deeming it “bullying” in and of itself.
“You as a father are a bully!!” one commenter wrote. “Forcing your young son to run in the rain with (a) backpack and to go long distance (mile) is a disgrace.”
Thornhill disagrees. “This right here is old school, simple parenting,” he says. “This ain’t killin’ nobody. This is a healthy way for a child to be punished.”
What do you think? Did this father go too far or did he teach his son a valuable lesson about the consequences that come from bad choices and actions?
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