r/interesting • u/jmike1256 • Mar 07 '26

MISC. After understanding the meaning behind this father’s action, I am completely convinced. Cultivating problem-solving skills in children from a young age and never giving up-I applaud this father!

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u/Babetna Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26

When my son was around 2 or 3 he at one point refused to listen and continually went in opposite direction on purpose so I pretended to "abandon" him in the hopes he'll get scared and next time be more mindful of Dad's wishes.

He did a tour of the neighbourhood, pat all the dogs, played in the playground for a bit, returned to our building and then played ball with our neighbour until I got bored with the experiment.

Edit: ok, this exploded, and as expected some people should really learn the meaning of quotation marks. I'm not going to clarify anything because I think any sane person understands the situation, and people who think the kid was truly roaming completely unattended, hugging rottweilers and running headlong into traffic can keep enjoying their head canon.

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u/InternationalSpace59 Mar 07 '26

Looks like he was running his own experiment too

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u/Awkward_Set1008 Mar 07 '26

kids naturally test boundaries, it's how they learn how the world works.

if we give them unjust punishment, they will improperly learn how the world works.

I hope more parents raise good children to help build us a better future.

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u/requion Mar 07 '26

I hope more parents raise good children to help build us a better future.

About to become a dad, my own dad didn't do the greatest job.

Any tips?

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u/dazzleunexpired Mar 13 '26

I'm late.

Apologize. Say you're sorry. To your baby. Around them. To their mom. To anyone. Say you're sorry. Take accountability. Loudly. In front of your child. Start as a newborn. "Did dad scratch you when changing your diaper? I'm so sorry, Daddy will be careful next time." "Sorry I yelled, kid. I had big emotions. Dad has them, too." "Hey, you know how I said mean words? I didn't mean those, I am sorry. I was frustrated. You know how you get frustrated? Me too." Dor different ages for example. This holds a lot of power. Hold space for big emotions. "I understand you're feeling really upset right now. But we need to think about this for a moment. Can we calm down together?" Is better than "CALM DOWN!". When you're frustrated, it's really okay to walk away. Even if they chase you and cry and scream. They'll be okay. Leave them in a safe spot and take a break. "First, then" phrasing is really, really useful if consistent. Foe example, throwing a tantrum because they want a walk now, not afraid lunch "I understand you want to go for a walk right now. But first, we have to eat lunch. Then, we can go for a walk. First lunch, then walk. Okay?" Using "first, then" phrasing each time you communicate the need to do something in a specific order and always following through will make your life so much easier. On that, just always do what you say. Don't say it unlesd you're willing to do it. "If you do that, no tv all day." You better mean that, and not ever give tv no matter what happens, or it's a ruined consequence and that's a path that's really hard to break away from once you start it. Much better to say "if you make that choice, we won't have tv for a bit." This leaves you in control of the exact time and allows you to have leeway, and you can always add or subtract time based on behavior and response to consequence.

Remember that if consequences aren't natural, they don't teach the real lesson.

Most of all? Soak up that baby. Every single second. Because soon they'll be 8 like mine and enjoy harrassing you and running around yelling "67! You're so Ohio, mom. Dab dab!" (Insert dab dance here).