From the archives: This story was last updated in April 2019.
No doubt there'll be different opinions on this mom’s no-nonsense approach to disciplining her children, but you know, tough love can sometimes be the best medicine.Jaime Sullivan took her three children, aged 8, 7, and 5, for ice creams at Dairy Queen after dinner one night in April 2016.
The young lady at the counter handed her kids their ice creams when they were ready.
But mom spotted a problem.
Sullivan, giving them a chance, waited for a thank you from her kids. At least they’ve got to thank Mom, right?
A good 10 seconds passed. Her children had already made a keen start on their tasty desserts, and not an utterance of gratitude was heard.
These kids are gonna cop it...
The kids nonchalantly stroll outside, ice creams in hand, not knowing what’s about to befall them.
“I followed them outside where I calmly collected their ice creams and my kids watched in horror as I deposited them into the nearby garbage can.”
Talk about the shock factor, this is one lesson that'll sink in.
“All 3 launched into mass hysteria,” at least just momentarily.
Mom kept her cool, and her children soon realized she had something to say.
No matter what kind of a hissy fit they exhibited, mom’s quiet and calm temperament in the face of it all calmed them down. It was a calming power in and of itself. They knew they couldn’t prolong their outburst any longer.
It was Mom’s turn.
“I explained that one day, if they were lucky, they would work a job like that young lady,” Sullivan writes, referring to the girl behind the counter, who looked to be around 17.
“And I would hope that people would see them. Really see them. Look them in the eye and say thank you.”
To instill in her children basic human decency, Sullivan felt she had to be “the meanest mom in the world” that evening, she joked of the ice cream incident.
Sullivan’s unconventional lesson may have not been well received by some on Facebook, who deemed the lesson harsh, but the majority commended her for the tough approach.
“As a Dairy Queen employee, I thank you for teaching your kids manners,” writes Aimee Marie McClurg.
McClurg’s comment received much appreciation from others in service roles.
“I also was a ‘mean mom,’” commented Julayne Czyz on Facebook. “I was very loving but I said NO alot, didn’t just let them win while playing a game, called them out and held them responsible, expected their best.
“I didn’t expect perfection, I did expect them to be good, productive, compassionate adults. It was my job to mold them into that. I make no apologies for being strict/mean.....and they thank me for it now. I wasn’t their friend, I was their parent.......and now that they are in their 20’s, I am both. Bravo to you!!”
“You did the right thing in my eyes,” wrote Diane Murphy.
Doug Freeling wrote: “No, you are the best mom in the world and one day your children will grow to know and understand that. More folks should be willing to step up and parent... too many people are afraid of their children today. The roles are reversed and it hurts the child and society in the long run...”
So, what are your thoughts on Sullivan’s approach?
Don’t worry, it’s not like her kids will never enjoy ice cream again. They just won’t forget to say thank you next time.
Don’t they look happy here?
Ice cream is all the more sweeter with gratitude.
