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I guess that I find that level of wastefulness to be foolish and stupid. He's ticked about the $130 he just spent to upgrade her laptop, right? So sell the thing for $150 on Craigslist. Instead, he announced, "You will pay me back for that software." Yeah right. Why not pay yourself back now instead of being a martyr about it? Or take a video of yourself driving to Goodwill, donating the laptop, getting a receipt, and driving away, saying, "Bye, laptop! Enjoy your new home!" Or giving it to cleaning lady/friend or her kid ... if she's trading cleaning their house for something, I bet she could use a free laptop.
I think the message is fairly funny, and I like that he made a scene on his daughter's Facebook profile. However, she's still able to post on Facebook--he can't feasibly stop her, so shooting her laptop didn't solve the problem. Is shooting her laptop going to transform this girl into a respectful, obedient teenager? I bet you a buck it does not.
So what DID it accomplish besides wasting several hundred dollars? Did the video declare unequivocably that Mom and Dad are not to be trifled with? Maybe you got that impression, but I don't. Previous groundings did not work, and according to the Dad's description, she had a cell phone, iPod, and newly upgraded laptop. Maybe she was a spoiled teenager and Dad is just now realizing what he and his wife had wrought.
Somehow, I really don't think it's going to make much difference to her one way or another. If anything, posting that video on a public forum will do more to make him look like a control freak a$$ than anything. She'll stand back, point her finger and say, "See what I have to put up with?" Like I said, I don't agree with using handguns to solve anything....but of course, I don't believe in airing videos of my family issues for the world to see.....OR posting disputes with ANYONE on FB.
I agree. They created the monster and it's like he's angry that it's growling. So it finally sunk in and now dad is having his own tantrum. He can talk about his own level of responsibility at her age, living on his own, etc., but it sounds like he didn't apply his experience to raising his own kid and allowed her fall into line with the many other entitled kids of this generation. So she has chores, big deal, that doesn't make him parent of the year. If previous punishments have been ineffective there is a problem. This dad doesn't seem very mature himself, which is a big issue these days as well. By posting this on FB he is operating at his daughter's level.
He could have lost a lot of her school work on that laptop. I suppose a parent can destroy a minor's property like that but I think it's wrong. If it had been a car I don't think it would have been legal.
No it's illegal actually if she paid for it. But i would gather she didn't pay for it anyway.
Instead of talking to the camera he should be talking to his daughter. Just my opinion, as I am not a fan of theatrics in child rearing.
This.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachmel
Like I said, I don't agree with using handguns to solve anything....but of course, I don't believe in airing videos of my family issues for the world to see.....OR posting disputes with ANYONE on FB.
And this.
__________________________________________________ __________
People keep calling the teen a monster or the dad a monster - honestly, I see two people who are really angry at each other right now. Yes, every teen can complain about their parents to their friends and such - doing it on a relatively public forum is different than private communication between friends. I expect my children will have complaints about me at some point (what kid doesn't? including me when I was one) and to talk to their friends; I will not be ok with them airing dirty family laundry on fb. I extend the same courtesy to them, even now when they are too little to care what I post about them, and I expect it to be reciprocated.
I think the dad's approach was not particularly effective in that it felt very dramatic and more retaliatory than anything (but maybe that was his goal). I think his frustration was justified but destroying a laptop and airing it on YouTube? Probably not the way I would have gone to address it and I doubt it'll do anything in the long run to curb the teen's behavior. Do I think parents should discipline in a situation like this: you bet. Do I think what dad did here was discipline: eh, not so much.
Last edited by eastwesteastagain; 02-10-2012 at 04:18 PM..
Reason: run-on sentences are not my friends
No it's illegal actually if she paid for it. But i would gather she didn't pay for it anyway.
What if it's a gift? The gift becomes the property of the receiver. I can understand witholding children's things for punishment but I don't agree with destroying or stealing kids' stuff. It can turn them into hoarders and can lead to them having little respect for anyone else's property.
I don't think the girl's rant was so awful, I think most of us said bad things about our parents when we were angry at them. Kids that age have awful judgement too so putting it on fb was stupid but dad was stupid too so like daughter like father.
What if it's a gift? The gift becomes the property of the receiver. I can understand witholding children's things for punishment but I don't agree with destroying or stealing kids' stuff. It can turn them into hoarders and can lead to them having little respect for anyone else's property.
I don't think the girl's rant was so awful, I think most of us said bad things about our parents when we were angry at them. Kids that age have awful judgement too so putting it on fb was stupid but dad was stupid too so like daughter like father.
hmmm i don't know, my days a lawyer so i could ask him. I guess technically it would be illegal if that's the case, but i'm not sure.
Wow, such ultra liberal wussies here. Good for this guy. I wouldn't have shot the laptop. I work in a hospital boiler room so I have access to plenty of tools that would render a laptop totally useless. I also have access to highly corrosive chemicals used in boiler treatment.
Wow, such ultra liberal wussies here. Good for this guy. I wouldn't have shot the laptop. I work in a hospital boiler room so I have access to plenty of tools that would render a laptop totally useless. I also have access to highly corrosive chemicals used in boiler treatment.
Blah, blah re: the bolded. I think his frustration is totally justified. But why would you destroy your own property? Keep it for yourself, sell it, let it gather dust until your kid turns 30, but waste it? Seems silly to me.
Blah, blah re: the bolded. I think his frustration is totally justified. But why would you destroy your own property? Keep it for yourself, sell it, let it gather dust until your kid turns 30, but waste it? Seems silly to me.
Wow, such ultra liberal wussies here. Good for this guy. I wouldn't have shot the laptop. I work in a hospital boiler room so I have access to plenty of tools that would render a laptop totally useless. I also have access to highly corrosive chemicals used in boiler treatment.
Yes of course not acting like you are 3 shades of crazy in parenting makes you a liberal wussy :roll eyes:.
I meant why would you - with the corrosive chemicals and special tools and such. Or was that not what you meant?
But yes, he can do whatever he wants with his own property. I can still think it's a silly waste.
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Or was that not what you meant?
