People become vegetarians for many reasons. Some adopt this diet trying to be healthier or to avoid hormones used in animal foods while others do it for animal rights or environmental concerns. It’s everyone’s choice. So when Redditor u/temptemptemp772’s 15-year-old son told him and his wife that he’s making the shift, the dad was understanding; the family made quite a few changes to their everyday life to help the boy get by.

What u/temptemptemp772 couldn’t get behind, though, was his son sabotaging all the meat supply in the house — on a hot summer’s day, the 15-year-old went rogue and secretly unplugged the fridge that held the family’s livelihood during their financial hardship. The dad was furious. He punished the boy and made him clean up the rotting meat. However, this got him called an a**hole in return. And the word got to u/temptemptemp772’s head: ‘Was it too much?’ he kept wondering. To put these doubts to rest, the dad told the entire story on Reddit and asked other users whether or not he was being a jerk.

Image credits: nyatiman (not the actual photo)

Image credits: temptemptemp772

In our earlier article on misbehaving kids, writer, director, broadcaster, and founder of the parenting blog Honest Mum, Vicki Broadbent told Bored Panda that “discipline and doing as you say, embodying your values as a parent, teach children important life skills such as self-control, self-love, empathy, resilience, motivation, and working hard.”

Broadbent believes the ‘punishment’ should always fit the ‘crime’ but is against physical discipline, though. So are the academics. According to research, raising your kids with violence and harsh words only harms them and doesn’t work at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) advises that parents and caregivers should not spank or hit children. Instead of teaching responsibility and self-control, spanking actually does the opposite: it often increases aggression and anger in children. A study of children born in 20 medium to large U.S. cities discovered that families who used physical punishment got caught in a negative cycle: the more children were spanked, the more they misbehaved later, which prompted more spankings in response. Spanking’s effects may also be felt beyond the parent-child relationship — it sends the message that causing someone pain is OK if you’re frustrated. Even with those you love.

Parents who yell at children and use words to cause them emotional pain or shame are also in the wrong. Harsh verbal discipline, even by moms and dads who are otherwise warm and loving, can lead to serious issues. Research shows that harsh verbal discipline, which becomes more common as children get older, may lead to more behavior problems and symptoms of depression in teens

When it comes to disciplining your child, Vicki thinks the most important thing is to put yourself in their shoes and try to be as understanding as possible. “Children are learning and growing and they can only learn from their mistakes. Try to educate and not berate,” she said.

People pardoned the father

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