Son asks mom to 'chill out' during argument — and his dad's 'push-up' punishment is dividing the internet

A now-viral video posted by Instagram couple Katie & Dustin (@raisingmaletich) has sparked a debate over discipline, parenting roles, and respect at home. In the clip, which was posted on July 23 and gained over 2.7 million likes, Katie's son repeatedly interrupts her while she's trying to send a work email, eventually snapping at her with a dismissive "chill." That's when his father, Dustin, overhears the exchange and decides to step in. 

"You don’t talk to your mom like that," he tells his son before instructing him to get down and start doing push-ups. The boy resists at first, unsure how many he’s supposed to do. "Count them," Dustin says. As he begins, Dustin counts along, refusing to let him quit. When the boy finally slows down, breathless and tired, the dad presses on. "Is this fun?" he asks, to which he replies, "No." "Do we tell our mom to chill out?" he asks next. "Absolutely not," the boy responds. "Would I let anybody else talk to her like that?" Dustin asks, to which the boy shakes his head.

"So you don’t get to talk to her like that either, okay?" Dustin says. Only then does the boy turn to his mom and say softly, "Sorry, Mom." In the caption, Katie explained, "I will never stop being grateful to be raising kids with a real man who knows how to be a father, especially to his boys. This is masculinity." The clip drew mixed reactions from viewers. Some praised the father and saw it as a strong example of respectful parenting done right. 

@brychevere commented, "My favorite part is the mom letting the dad BE A DAD." @heathevans44 added, "Great parenting! Both mom and dad. Your kid might not be able to do a push-up, but every physically mobile kid can do burpees until they’re too tired to smart-mouth Momma!" @primal_fitness said, "Great that he keeps the kid active, but the training should be a daily routine, not a punishment for bad behavior." @tommydpatton praised both parents, writing, "Dad defended his wife. Dad disciplined his son and a future man. Mom allowed Dad space to discipline man-to-man. This needs to be taught to more parents. Men raising men."

Others pushed back on the method, raising concerns about whether discipline should look like this at all. Experts also caution against using exercise as punishment. A 2015 global study including data from the Philippines and seven other countries found that corporal punishment was associated with greater anxiety and aggression in children over time,  even in families described by researchers as warm. Additionally, according to a 2021 report released by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, practices like this can backfire, leading children to avoid physical activity altogether and associate workouts not with health or joy, but with pain and punishment, and many viewers had the same opinion.

@maltastudiollc asked, "Why use a workout as punishment? That just makes the kid hate working out in the future." @mfletchall_3 questioned, "Why not have a grown-up conversation on how you want your child to talk to their mom? What’s the point of telling your son to do push-ups? What’s the big deal about him saying ‘chill’? She wasn’t bothered at all. She’s playing on her damn phone." @attentionseekingkarens said, "That didn’t teach the kid anything. No wonder white kids act up."

You can follow Katie and Dustin (@raisingmaletich) on Instagram for more parenting content.