Bad grades land teen on street corner: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com
After her son came home with a 1.22 GPA, this Florida mom decided to take action to spur her son into making improvements.
What was her decision? Take away his video games? An old-fashioned butt whooping? Ground him until his grades improved?
Nope. This mom put her son on the street corner with a sign around his neck displaying his poor GPA and asking passerby to “honk if I need education.”
The mom says, “If you take the phones, you take things from ’em, and it don’t work. So embarrassment is the best thing.”
Watch the video and tell us: Should we applaud this mom for taking this step, or should she have chosen another route to get her point across?
Each child is different and I could see myself doing this to a couple of my children, I have 5 total. I didn’t watch the video but I did hear the story on the news. If I have a child that is a true A student(always scoring high test scores, state test scores high, etc.) and they brought home a 1.22 they would be on the corner with a megaphone as well.
My nephew got in trouble with the police and taking away his phone and xbox did nothing but make him complain. I’m telling my sister about this lol
My nephew got in trouble with the police and taking away his phone and xbox did nothing but make him complain. I’m telling my sister about this lol
Spare the rod spoil the child the rod is not always a stick we must do what we have to to train our kids in the way they should go.
I commend this parent!!!!! We work hard to provide them with MORE than the bare necessities and all we ask is that you go to school and get your education!!! I told my 13 year old about this and she said I wouldn’t stand on the corner and I told her yes you would if I said to do so. She said mom you would do that to me and I said hell yeah because I know that you are capable of doing well in school!
“MORE than the bare necessities” I think that may be the problem, there is too much emphasis placed on “giving my child everything I didn’t have”, purchasing designer this and that, cell phones, cars @ 16, $200 shoes etc. What’s love? Providing a roof, heat, light, water, food, and clothing, not all that extra stuff. Standing on a corner with a sign is not the answer either!
Here is my issue with that, punishment. It really wont bring his grades up, because the the information he clearly doesnt have to pull the grades up wont come from passerby’s honking. Did her sons grade just happen over night or is this clear indication he has no clue what is going on in class.. We need to pay an active role in our children education and take a look at their work during the semester and not just wait till the report card comes home and act surprise. Teachers are in the class room to go through a syllabus, it is not their responsibility to ensure the children gets it. We need to look at the root of the problem, and fix it before it manifests itself in to 1.22 GPA. Even if we take the Xbox and phones which we should when the grades are so bad, the time gained should be used for focus on homework and review, we should ensure we are spending time with our children reviewing, instead of blaming them for bad grades when they make a childish decision not to review. Sometimes these kids have genuine issues with concepts and the more we don’t pay attention the more they plunge into failure..
I am from NY city I can tell you how I made it through..My dad would go to work on you if you were not doing right. If you did not want to go by his rules you can leave his home or he would put you out. My brother got put out.. Use any means to get your child where they need to go. We have become too soft on children these days. I have never known a time where calling the cops on my parents was an option..My dad made it clear call the cops on me dont be here when i get back. Your leaving here naked not one piece of fabric that he brought was leaving with you.
I have mixed emotions on this one. Living in Florida, I believe the mother stated no males in her family has graduated. Not only was his GPA a 1.22 he CHOSE to only answer 4 questions on the F-CAT {Florida’s Standardized Test}. A Psychologist was interviewed but of course she didn’t say let me evaluate the child to see if perhaps there is a learning disability, she went on to criticize the parent. I do not believe that this parent just decided on a whim to put him on the corner. She stated NOTHING was working, I don’t know what that nothing consists of but A LOT of kids in the now generation just don’t care, about education about their lives, NOTHING!
I agree with you on this!!!!! 1,000% But just as you say, kids don’t care, but guess what. If the teachers and parents don’t care, neither do the kids. I bet this woman doesn’t have the academic skill to even help her son with his homework. Her embarrassing her child, could not have in anyway been of help to his self esteem. I just can’t believe he purposely refused to take the test. I believe he did not understand what was being asked and simply gave up. He probably felt like a failure, and his mom only made matters worse!
I want this mother to know that I applaud her for her courage in doin somthing even of this nature, even if she may suffer ridicule from all she knows. I believe “LOVE” was the motivation behind her actions. I say: “Keep Lovin Your Son To Death”. Just remember to continue to Pray for him Okay?
Prayer and humiliation is not the answer! Finding the root of his academic obstacles, and getting him the extra help he needs to make him CONFIDENT AND SUCCESSFUL, not EMBARRASSED AND HUMILIATED!
You must live in a fantasy world. All kids are not alike. This mom knows her son more than you do. Apparently, she cares because she was trying to make a point to him so he can get it through his thick head. Sometime embarrassment is to key to get through to kids. I always did my best in school because I didnt want my parents to come up to the school and embarrass me in front of my peers. Apparently, he doesnt care about his education, because he didn’t attempt to finish the test. This generation is not scared of anything and they do not care about life. You can’t teach someone you doesnt want to be taught.
Humiliation is not a good motivator.
yes it is. the problem with most troubled kids is that there’s nobody holding them accountable == making them feel that their performance is bad == humiliation.
I am not going to judge her cause in her heart she felt she was doing the right thing I would like to know did his grades just change if so has something recently changed in his life get him some help first before punishing a child after you have did everthing you can and he is not showing any effort then do whats needed to do
I am not going to judge her cause in her heart she felt she was doing the right thing I would like to know did his grades just change if so has something recently changed in his life get him some help first before punishing a child after you have did everthing you can and he is not showing any effort then do whats needed to do
We need go back to the old school, because the new school’s not working. Time out is for parents, not kids. And all that counting doesn’t work when you have a 15 year old who stands a full 12 inches taller and weighs 100 pounds more than Mama. And just because a teenager acts out doesn’t mean the parents have been neglectful up to that point. Kids will be kids, so parents need to be parents. And when the child gets out of place, they need to be put back in it…by any means necessary. Otherwise, you have kids bludgeoning their parents to death for taking their PlayStation away or shooting up schools because society says that everybody else is to blame for their behavior, no matter how pampered and privileged they are.
Let the church say ‘AMEN’! Humiliation is an EXCELLENT motivator. Because we haven taken away the shame of so much, we have allowed a TON of stuff these kids do now to be ok’d.
I threaten my son that I will go up to his school in a robe and pink foam rollers. My Grandma did it to my aunt and NEVER had to do it for the other three girls. Some kids are hard-headed and ungrateful. Would we rather talk about her now or when her son becomes a 30-year-old high school dropout?
I hear you, and I follow 99.9% of what you say, but I know you didn’t really mean by any means necessary. I know one parent who thinks she’s doing the right thing and says her son is out of control. Go to youtube and put in “Wednesday November 17 on the Dr. Phil Show: Mommy Confessions”, and tell me if you think her “Any means necessary is appropriate!
I am all for this, when he is older and productive in life he will love and appreciate you for what you have done. Comedians want to be on stage at any cost right? Therefore if you cut up in school, why not advertise it. KUDOS Mom and I am almost certain your young one will get it together now.
My love is a teacher and she comes home frustrated every night! She spends hours trying to come up with creative ways to capture the attention of her classes. Many kids are simply unmotivated and do not care about academic achievement. As for the posts, asking if the mother was monitoring his school work, most teachers will call the parent when their students are failing, so this is nothing new to her.
Many young black males have visions of raps lyrics and fame or dramatic feats of athleticism on the field dancing through their heads. With little comprehension they have a higher shot at being a MD than a QB, yet the hope persists, because pookie nems first cousin played for the Ravens now he has a nice ride and cool gear, but he walks with a limp, and lives back home with his mother….
My mother never helped me with my homework, never! It was made plain my job was to go to school and do well, her job was to provide for us, if i did not understand something I better ask “sumbody!!!†. I graduated with a 3.3 and I am special ed kid! I knew if I eff up in school there would be hell to pay. Many kids of today , have no real immediate consequences for piss poor decisions and lack of initiative
We all need to start holding kids accountable for their actions, because whether the parent does it or not, life will! I applaud this mother for trying something, non violent and definitely has his attention. It is real easy to judge someones walk in life, when you are not on that path.
My love is a teacher and she comes home frustrated every night! She spends hours trying to come up with creative ways to capture the attention of her classes. Many kids are simply unmotivated and do not care about academic achievement. As for the posts, asking if the mother was monitoring his school work, most teachers will call the parent when their students are failing, so this is nothing new to her.
Many young black males have visions of raps lyrics and fame or dramatic feats of athleticism on the field dancing through their heads. With little comprehension they have a higher shot at being a MD than a QB, yet the hope persists, because pookie nems first cousin played for the Ravens now he has a nice ride and cool gear, but he walks with a limp, and lives back home with his mother….
My mother never helped me with my homework, never! It was made plain my job was to go to school and do well, her job was to provide for us, if i did not understand something I better ask “sumbody!!!†. I graduated with a 3.3 and I am special ed kid! I knew if I eff up in school there would be hell to pay. Many kids of today , have no real immediate consequences for piss poor decisions and lack of initiative
We all need to start holding kids accountable for their actions, because whether the parent does it or not, life will! I applaud this mother for trying something, non violent and definitely has his attention. It is real easy to judge someones walk in life, when you are not on that path.
NO HIGH FIVES HERE! There is NOTHING COMMENDABLE HERE! Absolutely nothing! If anyone has watched, “Waiting for Superman”, then you know our schools are failing our children. Most students who are failing don’t know how to study. I was in High School before I figured out tricks to study and memorize things, in order to pass my tests, and that doing my homework was part of my grade! I thought just my tests, were what made up my grade.
How would she like it if her boss, put her on the corner with a sign, because she showed up late for work every day, or couldn’t get something right! Clearly her boss could do and say the same. If she doesn’t get her work right, and or show up on time, this corner is where she will end up on, so if this is where she wants to be, SHE TOO, CAN GET AN EARLY START! Humiliation and embarrassment, is not the way to go. There are plenty of ways to discipline a child without doing this. Not only is he now struggling in school, he’s probably fighting because other students are making fun of his mother’s poor decision. She did what she thought was right, but you can’t do better until you know better. A better solution would be to FIND A SOLUTION, NOT PUBLICALLY EMBARRASS HIM.
As his mother, as his mentor and as her protege, she should have found out what subject(s) is he struggling in, make his stay after school with the teachers that are failing him (to hold the teachers accountable as well), and have them provide him the help he needs or hire a tutor; ask the school to partner an “A” student with this child who is failing. Tell him if he wants to keep his dreadz, he’ll have to improve in his grades, or his hair will be cut. My sons cherished their cornrows, and did what they needed to do to NOT have to part with them. I also told them, I would be buying their clothes, and they would wear, what I told them to wear to school, if they were not “A” and “B” students. That young man would also have to wear a suit and tie to school until his grades picked up. There is a young man (who happens to be black) at my daughter’s school (which is 90% white) who comes to school in a suit and tie EVERYDAY! White people ride by the school every morning, and blow their horn at him, wave to him and encourage him, while other kids are walking around in booty shorts and blue hair! She too could also use a wardrobe update, as I wasn’t sure, if she had a shirt on or not. I digress….Humiliation should not be mixed with discipline, although, I did threaten my 5 kids, and told them if I ever left my job because they were cutting up in school, I’d whip their behinds in front of their classmates, I guess that was enough for them (AT TIMES). But when me and Dad had to get the belt out and play “tag team”, it was in the privacy of our home. The spanking was bad enough, no one needed to serve as voyeur to our correcting our children. What’s even worse, is when I see parents yelling and correcting their children in public. I don’t want to hear your kids yelling and screaming , let alone an adult yelling and correcting their kids. If the parents are loud, it just let’s me know, they are not doing what they should be doing behind closed doors, and now they are in public, they want people to believe that they are some how doing the right things inside and outside of the home. When you spend time at home talking to your children/disciplining them, you don’t need to do it in public, because they know what’s up! When my kids would attempt to act up in public, I would get a death grip on their arm, pull them close to me and whisper in their ear my intentions for them. I won’t repeat the things I said, this is a family channel. But my point is when I had to correct my children, no one except me, them and GOD knew what was going on. That death grip left a pretty cool mark on their arm too! 😉 Parents who yell and embarrass their children in public aren’t doing anything, but embarrassing themselves and their children. I can almost guarantee you they don’t say two words to them at home.
As far as spanking kids, I don’t have a problem, as long as it’s not a routine thing. Our spankings were quite MEMORABLE to our three older sons, now 25, 24, 21, so much so, in their entire lives, they’ve been spanked 5 times, collectively. If you are spanking every time they do something wrong, I think that is excessive and after a while that spanking doesn’t mean anything. I am an impatient person, I don’t like repeating myself, and I do go for that “new age” parenting w/ timeouts and go to your room (with your video games, t.v., stereo) mess. My parenting is/was STRONG AND MEANINGFUL!
Finally, T.V. crews don’t show up that easily, she must have called the station and told them what she was about to do. This woman is more concerned with getting attention for herself, then she is about getting academic help for her son, if that is what she really wants, but from the looks of this, the way she was dressed/or not dressed….I DOUBT IT! NO HIGH FIVES HERE!
NO HIGH FIVES HERE! There is NOTHING COMMENDABLE HERE! Absolutely nothing! If anyone has watched, “Waiting for Superman”, then you know our schools are failing our children. Most students who are failing don’t know how to study. I was in High School before I figured out tricks to study and memorize things, in order to pass my tests, and that doing my homework was part of my grade! I thought just my tests, were what made up my grade.
How would she like it if her boss, put her on the corner with a sign, because she showed up late for work every day, or couldn’t get something right! Clearly her boss could do and say the same. If she doesn’t get her work right, and or show up on time, this corner is where she will end up on, so if this is where she wants to be, SHE TOO, CAN GET AN EARLY START! Humiliation and embarrassment, is not the way to go. There are plenty of ways to discipline a child without doing this. Not only is he now struggling in school, he’s probably fighting because other students are making fun of his mother’s poor decision. She did what she thought was right, but you can’t do better until you know better. A better solution would be to FIND A SOLUTION, NOT PUBLICALLY EMBARRASS HIM.
As his mother, as his mentor and as her protege, she should have found out what subject(s) is he struggling in, make his stay after school with the teachers that are failing him (to hold the teachers accountable as well), and have them provide him the help he needs or hire a tutor; ask the school to partner an “A” student with this child who is failing. Tell him if he wants to keep his dreadz, he’ll have to improve in his grades, or his hair will be cut. My sons cherished their cornrows, and did what they needed to do to NOT have to part with them. I also told them, I would be buying their clothes, and they would wear, what I told them to wear to school, if they were not “A” and “B” students. That young man would also have to wear a suit and tie to school until his grades picked up. There is a young man (who happens to be black) at my daughter’s school (which is 90% white) who comes to school in a suit and tie EVERYDAY! White people ride by the school every morning, and blow their horn at him, wave to him and encourage him, while other kids are walking around in booty shorts and blue hair! She too could also use a wardrobe update, as I wasn’t sure, if she had a shirt on or not. I digress….Humiliation should not be mixed with discipline, although, I did threaten my 5 kids, and told them if I ever left my job because they were cutting up in school, I’d whip their behinds in front of their classmates, I guess that was enough for them (AT TIMES). But when me and Dad had to get the belt out and play “tag team”, it was in the privacy of our home. The spanking was bad enough, no one needed to serve as voyeur to our correcting our children. What’s even worse, is when I see parents yelling and correcting their children in public. I don’t want to hear your kids yelling and screaming , let alone an adult yelling and correcting their kids. If the parents are loud, it just let’s me know, they are not doing what they should be doing behind closed doors, and now they are in public, they want people to believe that they are some how doing the right things inside and outside of the home. When you spend time at home talking to your children/disciplining them, you don’t need to do it in public, because they know what’s up! When my kids would attempt to act up in public, I would get a death grip on their arm, pull them close to me and whisper in their ear my intentions for them. I won’t repeat the things I said, this is a family channel. But my point is when I had to correct my children, no one except me, them and GOD knew what was going on. That death grip left a pretty cool mark on their arm too! 😉 Parents who yell and embarrass their children in public aren’t doing anything, but embarrassing themselves and their children. I can almost guarantee you they don’t say two words to them at home.
As far as spanking kids, I don’t have a problem, as long as it’s not a routine thing. Our spankings were quite MEMORABLE to our three older sons, now 25, 24, 21, so much so, in their entire lives, they’ve been spanked 5 times, collectively. If you are spanking every time they do something wrong, I think that is excessive and after a while that spanking doesn’t mean anything. I am an impatient person, I don’t like repeating myself, and I do go for that “new age” parenting w/ timeouts and go to your room (with your video games, t.v., stereo) mess. My parenting is/was STRONG AND MEANINGFUL!
Finally, T.V. crews don’t show up that easily, she must have called the station and told them what she was about to do. This woman is more concerned with getting attention for herself, then she is about getting academic help for her son, if that is what she really wants, but from the looks of this, the way she was dressed/or not dressed….I DOUBT IT! NO HIGH FIVES HERE!
In my opinion I totally understand what you are saying but as his MOTHER I don’t think that she is wrong. Obviously she knows her child can do better, we don’t know that she did not offer tutoring or any other resources to this boy. When you are PURPOSELY choosing to not do your work then this is what you get. Look like a FOOL because you are acting as one.
desperate times call for desperate measures…this mother is trying everything she can think to do to help her son. whether i agree or not, i must commend her for not quitting on her boy.
I don’t judge her because I think she was at the end of her rope and did what she thought best with whatever resources she had. That being said I don’t think her method of going about it was effective at all. I think everyone is equating grades, an academic and learning issue, with a disciplinary issue and they are not always one in the same. I don’t know enought about the story just to assume that he was trying to be dumb or that his grades were bad because he was acting out. Maybe he only chose to answer 4 questions because he has a legitimate learning issue. If that is the case then making him feel stupid because of it is not the answer.
Making him stand outside with a sign is not necessarily going to change whatever was going on that caused his grades to fail. Just because a child gets bad grades doesn’t mean he’s a bad child.
When I heard this, I initially thought that it is not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. I heard that the State’s department of child services (or whatever it is called down there) was going to investigate [read remove the child from] this woman. I thought that the government should stay out of her business because it wasn’t that bad. After talking to one of the top social workers here in Maryland and reading these comments, I now I think that maybe the government can help her out without simply removing the child which they are all to likely to do in some places.
I think this mom is trying to come up with creative ways to spur this child into action to do better for himself. I can’t fault her for that. It could be a lot worse. If the government can get her and this child some help that would be great. Maybe they can help her find a low cost or no cost tutor for this child if that is what he needs. Who knows.
A little public humiliation is not that bad IMHO. Some people are truly concerned that this is going to scar this kid mentally and would advise against public humiliation. The expert I talked to said that the kid may carry this for the rest of his life and could act out in a negative way. But what if he carries this and does better for himself. Some commenters are suggesting discipline in private that includes shame and intimidation. How is that any better? Is intimidation going to be a good motivator? What about physical violence? Every kid is different.
Now, having said all of that, some kids are determined to just do bad. We don’t know if this mom has tried to get this kid a tutor. We don’t know what else was going on. Some kids just really don’t care. Whose fault is it when the kid just doesn’t care? Some parents go through great lengths to help their children; hiring all of the experts, spankings, tutoring, and all. Sometimes that just does not work. What then? I’m not trying to imagine the worst kid in the world. I was that kid who genuinely didn’t care about school. I knew that I could do the work I just chose not to do it. I got beatings until I was 15 and that really didn’t work. I got stuff taken away and that didn’t work either because I just learned to live with fewer privileges. My parents spent money on the shrinks and I was determined not to talk to them. What is a parent to do with a kid like me?
I liked your slap the kid video