Dad watched sister-in-law reward her toddler for punching his daughter twice. His response sparked a fight with his own wife
He refused to let the unruly toddler's behavior slide without consequences.
It's natural for children to overstep boundaries, but parents need to keep them in check. A parent who goes by u/significant_cook_848 on Reddit, however, experienced a different side of parenting — thanks to their sister-in-law. It all started when she rewarded her 3-year-old son for punching the author's daughter in the face. The author ignored it until it happened again, prompting them to take strict action against the unruly toddler. However, things went downhill when the author's wife accused them of overreacting. The post, shared on July 25, has received 12,000 upvotes online.
AITAH for taking away a toy from my wife's 3 year old nephew after he punched my 11 month old daughter twice?
by u/Significant_Cook_848 in AITAH
Gentle parenting fail
The author's sister-in-law had come to stay with them for nearly 2 months. She had visited with her husband and her two kids. "Their son is uncontrollable, does whatever he wants, and does not listen to his parents," the author confessed. Moreover, they explained that the toddler was not only uncontrollable but also intimidating. Even though his parents put effort into “talking” to him, he often dismissed them and did what he wanted to. The 3-year-old didn’t understand the rules of action and consequences. Although the author wanted to discipline the child, they decided against it until two separate occasions prompted them to take stringent action.
The first incident occurred the other day when their 11-month-old daughter crawled up to him. As she sat in front of him, he smacked a fist into her face. The author, who was watching the scene, expected the boy’s parents to scold him. Instead, he was rewarded with a book reading session. Even though his parents tried to talk to him, it didn't seem to help him much.
'He should not be rewarded'
On a second occasion, the unruly toddler was playing with the author's 9-year-old daughter’s old toy kitchen set. This time too, their 11-month-old crawled towards him to play along. And, just like the last time, he punched her in the face. The author couldn’t take it anymore. They barged into the room and took away the toy set from the boy. Their wife interrupted them, saying that they were overreacting. But by this time, the author was so flustered by the boy’s behavior that they said, "He should not have been rewarded for this behavior. Instead, he should have been disciplined." Somehow, their words reached the boy’s parents, which created an uncomfortable environment.
Accountibility starts early
A study by Dr. G. Nancy Elizabeth revealed that the ways parents respond to a child’s misbehaviour determine a child's future. When parents give in to their child’s tantrums, as in permissive parenting, children may exhibit impulsivity and struggle to maintain boundaries, as also depicted by the man’s three-year-old nephew. Thankfully, parents now understand the importance of teaching kids accountability from a very young age. For instance, a study by Michael Regalado (and others) found that most respondent parents (65%) take away their kids' favorite toy or treat to discipline them. The study also found that 90% of respondents explain to their kids to correct their wrongdoings.
'They're terrible parents'
Meanwhile, the story evoked an outrage of comments with people blaming the boy’s parents for not disciplining their child. u/Remote_Plankton_2314 said, “It infuriates me when people use that excuse. Of course the kid doesn’t know better! That’s why you have to teach them what’s right and wrong! Kids don’t magically download that information from the universe.” Similarly, u/kaya-jamtastic speculated, “If this story is true, some East Asian households think boys can do no wrong. At least, that’s how it was on my Chinese mom’s side of the family. Wonder if that’s a factor at play here.”
More on Scoop Upworthy
Share on Facebook
