A Florida mom is getting criticized online for the way she raises her kids, so she decided to respond with proof of what she says her parenting has helped them achieve. Her response includes report cards, medals, and a long list of family vacations.
The woman behind the viral post is Sally Butan, who runs the TikTok account @thebutanfam. She is a mother of four who lives in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Daily Dot.
Butan said she faced backlash and even accusations of child abuse after sharing that her children read for two hours and practice sports for two hours every day during summer break. She also said they are not allowed to watch TV until 3 p.m.
Instead of backing down, Butan responded by sharing her children’s accomplishments, which she believes are the result of their strict routine. She said her children have earned straight A’s and made the principal’s honor roll. She also said one of her children got into a gifted Lego robotics program, while another won a gold medal in soccer.
These claims have not been independently verified.
Butan then shared a montage of family vacations, including trips to Italy, London, Disneyland, Universal, a Disney cruise, Legoland, Belize, the Grand Canyon and Jamaica. The videos appeared to be aimed at critics who suggested her children were not allowed to have fun.
“The problem is everyone wants to be great and they want their kids to be great but no one wants to put in the hard work and discipline that it takes to get there,” she said.
At the end of the video, Butan added, “I guess I’ll be in a nursing home knowing that I did everything I could to make sure my kids were great.”
Her caption read: “I’m raising my children to be GREAT. Sorry, not sorry, that some of y’all can’t relate.”
Internet Reacts to Florida Mom’s Viral Parenting Defense
The comment section leaned heavily in Butan’s favor. One commenter wrote, “That’s why a lot of ppl kids favorite color is 5, keep going mama,” while another agreed, “This is absolutely the flex you think it is.” A third took a swing at her critics directly, writing, “Yall mad she’s not neglecting her kids is hilarious.”
Several others framed her approach as a return to basics rather than anything extreme. “This is called real parenting,” one person wrote, while another added, “People do realize kids need to be RAISED right?!”
For now, Butan’s video continues to gain views, with many commenters supporting her discipline-first approach rather than agreeing with the critics who started the debate.
