Jenn Brown, a mom from Harrow, Ontario, was compelled to justify her conduct when individuals from all over the world noticed her parenting after she published her boys’ punishment on social media. Jenn felt she had the right answer after the primary school notified her that her children were exhibiting “poor bus conduct.” While some complimented her innovation, others chastised the mother, who faced widespread criticism.
Jenn determined that if her seven- and ten-year-old sons couldn’t behave properly on the bus, they wouldn’t be riding it. They would rather walk, despite the weather. So, to teach them a lesson, she made the kids walk to school one morning. Nobody would have known if the mother hadn’t snapped a photo and shared it on Facebook. But that’s precisely what she did, and it quickly went viral.
Her boys were seen heading to school with a banner that stated, “Being bad and rude to our bus driver. Mom’s making us walk,” as punishment for misbehaving. Jenn had informed her sons that if their conduct didn’t change, they wouldn’t be permitted back on the bus, so she chose to be severe in order to hammer home the point that they deserved to respect the privilege. Sadly, not all agreed with her tactics.
Brown stated, this was her reaction as a parent, what she thought she was going to do to make kids understand the bus is a luxury, not a given right. Is it too far to make them go 7.2 kilometers? Yes. But the mother didn’t have an option if she wanted to teach them a lesson, she said, explaining her display of harsh love. The lads took two hours to walk to school, which was little under 4.5 kilometers. But that wasn’t what enraged the parenting police on Facebook.
According to Brown, it was her buddy’s suggestion to use the placard that received the worst backlash from those who did not agree. She believed it was a good idea since it would discourage others from approaching the boys and offering them a ride. Nevertheless, it was the placard and her choice to publish the photo on social media that sparked the debate, with many calling it “shaming” and chastising the mom.
The mom regretted her choice to upload the photograph, which she had no idea would become viral. Did she imagine so many individuals would be interested in seeing her walk her kids to school? Certainly not. Would she have posted it on Facebook if this was the outcome? No way, Brown responded. Has she learnt anything? Yes, social media has a lot of power, and when someone reads a narrative, they select what they want and construct their own tale, she added.
However, not all agreed. Brown, too, garnered a lot of acclaim. She claimed the two-hour walk provided her sons some quality time together, and she even received a note from the bus driver appreciating her for teaching her boys a lesson.
In response to charges that she “shamed” her kids, Brown stated that she would never willfully do so. But, even if she did instill “shame” in her children, is it necessarily a negative thing? Should harmful actions elicit feelings of regret?
Maybe a little guilt assists people, both adults and kids, acquire valuable things. After all, when enraged social media users chose to slam the mom, they embarrassed her, which had the intended result. She felt guilty and resolved to do things differently the next time. And it appears that the same may be said of her boys following their chastisement.
