Proper way to teach a child about respect and the use of firearms?

[Tucker's Mom]

I have a little bit of mixed up emotions about the whole thing...I believe the girl did something stupid but shooting a laptop he perhaps paid for? The girl certainly have to have her rights taken away from her but shoot the laptop? That will go to me for my personal use. As of now, it is useless to both of them. I pity the laptop...

[Phillip Gain]

No way. Totally out of line.

What the girl did was wrong, but what the dad did was completely off track.

First, listen to his tone, his breathing, and look at his face. He is angry. And I don't mean parental angry, I mean ready to beat some guy in a bar brawl angry. He's the adult, and he needs to get a grip.

Second, if what the girl said about her chores is true, she's right to be angry. Kids need chores to learn responsibility and to learn how to take care of themselves. Gardening (growing your own food), doing your own laundry, washing your dishes daily or the whole family's dishes two or three times a week is fine. Making and pouring your parents coffee isn't. No, it's not hard, but it reeks of servanthood. So does having to make everyone's beds every day. If you treat your children like servants, they will come to resent you. In a family, everyone needs to pitch in. Everyone needs to pull their own weight, and at times pull someone else's weight, but not every day.

Facebook is the new social arena. In times past, this girl would have visited or called a friend to complain. Today, you air your grievances on Facebook. And yeah, it was a little too much. But she ought to be punished for her inappropriate language, not because she was upset with her life.

As for the firearm, obviously it was meant to illustrate a point, but the entire video and the father's actions reek of intimidation. He needs to take a breath, think things through for a day, then respond.

I can only imagine there are some serious underlying issues in this family, and a professional counselor might be in order.

This is why I like you so much. You just said pretty much exactly what I was trying to say.

"Intimidation" is the key word. This guy is letting his (bruised) ego drive his actions.

[localgirl]

Heh. Where's the blushing icon?

[FN1910]

What the dad did was way over the top and out of line. However there are a lot of good things to take away from what he did. Now the daughter's post was unfortunately the exact way a lot of teens are thinking these days and she just posted the thoughts of thousands of other teens. I don't know what all she was/is being "forced" to do at home but I doubt that is is anything close to what she was trying to make out like it is. The fact that they had someone to come in and do some cleaning says that it is nowhere close to what the daughter is claiming.

It does show a lack of communication between parents and children these days and probably the attitude and way it is handled between the parents and children. As for the coffee deal that is almost laughable. My children are now grown and I was the only one in my house the drank coffee but it I needed a cup my daughters would almost fight over who got to get it for me. In all I think there are at least a thousand different ways the dad could have handled this and I doubt that this is going to come close to solving their conflict but if they can calm down (the entire family) and realize what has happened, get over their anger, think about how stupid the whole thing was it can be a success and move on.

[nogods]

That video is evidence that there are way to many children who have children, and they are obviously neither mature enough nor intelligent enough to be parents.

[Tucker's Mom]

Before anyone of you condemn the father, walk a mile in his shoes first. The guy was interviewed on Fox News. For you who were not able to watch it, he said that this is not the first time it happened. He had warned his daughter that the next time he will do something really drastic -- and he did. I always feel that if a child (anyone's child) cannot be overcome by a parent's loving persuasion, it is time to get some action done the fast and furious way. This last sentence is a sort of an Asian saying my elders always says to us before (in another language but I cannot translate it to English very well. Sorry.) Suffice to say, that is why his position is that HE IS the father, not her child.

[jahwarrior72]

I think the father is an ******* with anger management issues. The daughter may be a spoiled little ****, but I think the apple falleth not too far from the tree.