Dad's tough note for kids to 'repair the damage' after they made their mother 'feel disrespected'

One of the toughest aspects of parenting is to teach kids to respect others and communicate with dignity. At a young age, children may not understand the value of this behavior but if not imbibed, it can become a toxic habit. Therefore, parents must stick together and try to instill this feeling in kids. A dad named Josiah Hawthorne (@JosiahHawthorne) had to take a tough but much-needed action when his kids mistreated and disrespected their mother.

Hawthorne called out his kids for disrespecting their mother and he had a consequence lined up for them. He printed the same on a sheet of paper for his kids to understand and be weary of. The note read in an extremely bold font, “There is no TV watching, tablet playing, or Nintendo playing until the kids and daddy have a conversation about how mommy was treated yesterday and what the proper consequences for that should be.” The dad clearly and strictly noted that the kids were to engage in simple activities to keep themselves busy and all forms of entertainment, presumably which they much loved, were to be discontinued until they sorted the matter.

The note added, "We will have a family meeting at 8 AM to discuss this and to plan our day. Until then, read books and play quietly on non-electronic things." The dad further signed off the note with the words, “The management (Dad).” Hawthorne immediately decided to be responsible for what unfolded and also declared his role as a dad and authoritative member of the family. While the note wasn’t meant to be a threat, it was intended to make the kids understand that misbehavior is incorrect and intolerable.

In another comment, the dad explained, “I’m trying to phrase this less like punishment and more like reparations. They made their mother feel disrespected and unloved, so as a consequence, they must repair that damage by making her feel loved (via apology letters and cleaning the house).” In yet another comment, Hawthorne mentioned how he was trying not to go too easy or too hard on his kids and also hoped to break a cycle of generational trauma. “Tomorrow is going to be a day,” the dad exclaimed in the caption of his post.

While the dad didn’t share much about how things unfolded, he did mention that he was able to reason with the kids and do his best to handle things genuinely. Several parents and other people applauded the dad for taking the harsh decision and standing by his wife's side. @returnofthegoth remarked, “Actions have consequences that only get more severe (if that’s the right word) as an adult.” @ozymomdias added, “Tough but I applaud you for standing up for your wife and demanding the kids treat her well.” @returnofthegoth wrote, “Dude, way to go. I’ve revoked (or promised to revoke) screen time (and cell phone privileges for the older two) over their behavior and treatment of their mom. Stay strong, you’re doing great. This shit is hard.”

You can follow Josiah Hawthorne (@JosiahHawthorne) on X for more updates on his family and lifestyle. 

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.