Tough love can be a challenging approach for both the parent and the child involved. Nevertheless, there are times when it becomes necessary.
Haley Hassell shared a post about her six-year-old daughter’s “bratty” behavior and how she addressed it. While some people supported her method, others did not, and her post quickly became viral.
Haley’s story began with her daughter, Presleigh, expressing a desire for a specific pencil box while they were shopping for back-to-school supplies. Haley searched for that pencil box at three different stores before finally locating it. However, when she returned home with it, her daughter had changed her mind.
Says Haley: “When I surprised her with it this afternoon (just knowing she would be ecstatic) she stared at it and threw it in the trash and slammed the bedroom door. She yelled “that’s stupid, everyone in my class has that…I don’t want it anymore!”
Haley was disappointed and frustrated by her daughter’s sudden change of heart. She had gone to great lengths to find that special pencil box for Presleigh, and now her daughter was throwing a tantrum over it. Despite feeling enraged, Haley knew she had to control herself and handle the situation appropriately.
Haley had always been there for her daughter, indulging her every need. However, this time was different. After some reflection, Haley decided to teach her daughter a lesson by giving her a simple plastic ziploc bag to store her pencils, hoping it would serve as a wake-up call for her daughter’s behavior.
Presleigh was appalled at the thought of using a ziploc bag to carry her pencils, so she insisted that the pencil box her mother had purchased was suitable after all. However, Haley had a surprise in store for her daughter. She informed Presleigh that it was too late for that and wrote her name on the ziploc bag, labeling it “Presleigh’s Pencil Bag.” While it was a significant downgrade from the pencil box, Haley was resolute in teaching her daughter an important lesson.
Haley’s post received criticism from some people who believed she should have allowed her daughter to earn back the pencil box. However, Haley was content with her decision and aimed to instill in her daughter the importance of being grateful for the good things in life.
In addition to giving Presleigh the ziploc bag for her pencils, Haley instructed her daughter to retrieve the discarded pencil box from the trash, clean it, and give it to a less fortunate child whose parents cannot afford to purchase nice school supplies. This was another way for Haley to teach her daughter about empathy and the value of giving to those in need.
Says Haley: “I explained to her she’s not entitled to anything special and she is taking for granted how lucky she is… So for now she will be using a ziploc bag & will personally be delivering the nice box to a child that could benefit from it.”
Presleigh will undoubtedly never forget the drastic measure her mother took to teach her a valuable lesson. Someday, she will realize how much her mother loves her because of it.