A South Carolina mom has the internet divided after she went to her 12-year-old daughter’s school to publicly “embarrass” and “discipline” her child for skipping first period. Some netizens thought she did the right thing by holding her daughter accountable, while others felt her methods were extreme and did not like that she had chosen to post it on TikTok.
After learning from a teacher that her daughter had not been present in class for the first period, the woman went to the school to pick up her child. Once they were together outside, she first had the girl hold a wall sit with her knees bent and her arms stretched out in front of her. And while holding the position, the girl was ordered to yell, “I will not skip class,” repeatedly.
Later, the mom instructed her to repeat, “I’m gonna be a leader and not a follower,” before having her get on the ground and do pushups.
The mom said that her daughter, who is a cheerleader at her school, was generally a good kid and that even her teachers spoke highly of her. However, she was disappointed that her daughter had a habit of following other children into behavior she knew would get her into trouble.
After the pushups, the two got into the car for what the mom called their “next adventure.” But while inside, the child tried to explain to her mom why she was absent for the first period. According to the 12-year-old, at the time, she had been speaking with another teacher, Miss B, about her schoolwork because her grades were going down. She also claimed that her first-period teacher was aware that she regularly spoke to Miss B in the mornings.
The mom, however, questioned why she couldn’t have waited until later in the day, when she actually had Miss B’s class. She told her daughter that she knew she was struggling in the class she had missed and had recently done poorly on a test retake.
She warned her daughter not to jeopardize her education by following other students, especially when their choices affected her.
They eventually got to a football track, where the mom made her daughter run a lap. She then concluded the child’s punishment by telling her to perform a little cheer of her own. “B, get your mind right. B, B, B, get your mind right.” The girl obeyed, chanting the words while clapping and stomping along.
Netizens’ Reaction to the South Carolina Mom’s Punishments
In the comments under the TikTok post, some viewers were supportive of the mom’s approach to discipline. One teacher said, “You are a dream parent. Thank you.” Another commenter agreed, “I actually love this. No shaved heads, just parenting!”
“12 years old skipping first period? Oh no baby. It’s way too early for that! Definitely gotta nip that in the bud now. You’re doing right mama!” a third person wrote. “Oh she bouta have perfect attendance the rest of the year,” a fourth joked.
At the same time, some were against it. One netizen thought the mother-daughter relationship would be “changed forever” because of it. Another asked, “Why is public humiliation a thing? Is disciplining them privately not enough?”
Someone else remarked, “I just feel like if this was her first offense this is too much.” Another added, “Love the discipline I just wouldn’t have posted it ….”
After the punishment was over, the mom didn’t give her daughter the rest of the day off. She said she signed the 12-year-old back into school so she could finish out the day.
The mom explained that just because another child’s parent might respond one way didn’t mean she would do the same. She wanted her daughter to understand that she would be held accountable for her own choices.
As of this writing, the TikTok video has racked up more than 2 million views and 300,000 likes.
