Dad causes controversy asking about 'appropriate punishment' for 8-year-old who cracked a 75 inch TV screen: 'Praise him for reducing family screen time'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Oct 30, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

Becoming a parent opens up a lifetime's worth of difficult decisions, and when you're raising your kids a lot of these relate to behavior management. It's inevitable that children are going to act up at times, or even most of the time. How you respond to that can impact them massively.

This is part of the discussion that was raised when a dad queried the internet on how to proceed after his 8-year-old did something wrong. Revealing how the kid had broken a 75-inch TV screen and that he was searching for an "appropriate punishment", some people were more than ready to open up their opinions on how he should react. However, others felt that now was the time to take a step back and think a little more about the whole incident and the process of getting past it. There are not always easy answers when it comes to parenting.

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  • 01
    JT Follow @Jaberuski What's an appropriate punishment when your 8 year old cracks your 75 inch screen?
    via Jaberuski
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10421991680
    via Jaberuski
  • 03
    Rayder Nayshun @LVBizMan 3d Replying to @Jaberuski Just throw it away & get another one. Hopefully the next one won't break the TV.
    via LVBizMan
  • 04
    Nico @USC_Nico 3d Replying to @Jaberuski 50 years to life, no option of parol
    via USC_Nico
  • 05
    Mj @MunsterLuke. 3d Replying to @Jaberuski Depends on the situation..accidentally or doing something they were told to stop doing?
    via MunsterLuke
  • 06
    Brandon M. @FireUpUmich Replying to @Jaberuski Follow It really depends. There is three different situations that this could of happened. 1. Complete accident 2. Accident but was doing something they shouldn't 3. On purpose out of rage or another reason All three deserve different punishments and conversions At the end of the day TVs are not expensive as they use to be... 1. They feel guilty enough just have a conversation 2. Have them pick up chores to help pay back the tv 3. Full on grounding,
    via FireUpUmich
  • 07
    Martin Wetzko @martinwetzko .3d Replying to @Jaberuski Ok, but what is the punishment of an 8 year old's dad who placed objects in front of a tv that can crack a screen? W :
    via martinwetzko
  • 08
    Woo @woonomic .3d Replying to @Jaberuski Praise him for reducing family screen time and don't replace that TV so you have more time with him.
    via woonomic
  • 09
    $nftdev@fredrovicius 2d Replying to @Jaberuski Accidents happen, teach him how his father was able to maintain a cool demeanor and pass on a lesson in this situation. He'll never forget it.
    via fredrovicius
  • 10
    Peter St Onge, Ph.D. @profstonge 3d : Replying to @Jaberuski Lawn work until he pays it off
    via profstonge
  • 11
    Ikkyū Quinn Fantom... @idlematts SOON Follow Have a conversation with them about how sad you are about what happened. Punishment won't help anything. They're 8.
    via idlematts
  • 12
    antisocial extrovert @MushiSZN - 3d Make him act out anything you would've been watching if the tv was working.
    via MushiSZN
  • 13
    Jesse Hrebinka (Shanah... @Enceladosaurus Follow Jfc the replies to this are depressing. FYI - punishing your children with exercise will just make them hate exercise. Also, punishing them for age-appropriate uncoordination or accidents is absolutely up.
    via Enceladosaurus
  • 14
    bradley @traitorbaby • 1d My parents always taught me that people were more important than things. A TV can be replaced. Them saying they were disappointed in me cut me deeper than any punishment would have. It's something of a running joke these days, but it really helped me grow into a reasonable adult
    via traitorbaby
  • 15
    Bönes @LTBONES_ ·2d Nothing because they are 8. You explain to them that what they have done is wrong and then you properly safeguard your expensive items in the future. As the adult this is your skill issue bro.
    via LTB0NES_
  • 16
    X xwickedX x @X xwickedX. 1d For people who are serious, leave the broken items for a bit if it happened because your child did something they weren't suppose to. Natural consequences help kids learn better because they are able to make the connection from their action to what they broken. So everytime
    via Xwickedx
  • 17
    Née Née @sunnkissedhoney Follow Developmental psychology needs to be a requirement in schools at this point because a lot of people seem to think literal CHILDREN should be developed at the level of an adult.
    via sunnkissedhoney
  • 18
    RAB.7@HOTBOYKUN. 1d if it's not on purpose then nothing lol, no one can control accidents and it's not going to stop more accidents from happening
    via HOTBOYKUN
  • 19
    ven. @bwikoo_ • 1d kenzo has something to say. i raised my kid right - hugo kenzo from my parents, i learned that a child should not be blamed for an accident. if they dropped the glass and broke it, it was just an accident. a parent should not blame a child for an act that if it was done by the parent, they wouldn't be angry at themselves too. say for example, the flower vase slipped from a mother's hand and it was shattered to pieces. in that case, that mother wouldn't be angry at herself, rig
    via bwikoo_
  • 20
    Nesta DOC @jona_webebe_ · 1d Natural consequences of a broken screen = how difficult is it to watch something on a broken screen, how it takes time to buy a new one, go buy a new one with your child >>> punishment
    via jona_webebe_
  • 21
    Danwise Gamgee @PrivacyLawyerD Follow When I was little, I threw a tantrum and broke glass shower doors. My dad didn't yell, didn't hit, didn't ground me. Instead, he took me to the store where we had to go buy a replacement, and I had to watch him reinstall them. He wasn't mean about it, but I learned my lesson.
    via PrivacyLawyerD
  • 22
    Benjamin Hilborn @BenjaminHilborn Follow Punishments are just adults looking for an outlet for their own emotions on their kids. Was it an accident? Then sorry, that's part of the cost of having kids. If it was on purpose, the natural consequence would be to have them pay for it. Work with them, figure it out together.
    via BenjaminHilborn
  • 23
    Queer Bones@booksxbones 18h On purpose? Talk to them because why would your 8yo do this if not as a way to get your attention? Therapy is a good thing. Not on purpose? Discuss with them possible steps to avoid this happening in the future. Help them find a way in which they can help fix this situation.
    via booksxbones

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