AIBU in thinking that this gentleman should win The Parenting Award?

[StealthPenguin]

This video is eight minutes long, so for those that don't have time to watch it, I shall summarize.

Last year, this gentleman, Tommy Jordan, warned his daughter of the consequences if she were to do something stupid and inappropriate on Facebook. At the beginning of this month he was fixing her laptop (and installing $130 worth of software) when he managed to find a post on her Facebook wall that claimed her life was unfair, that she's a slave, and her "lazy-ass parents" make her "do shit for them". Not only this, but she goes on to exaggerate her chores list and curses to high heaven. She then deliberately hid it via her privacy settings so that her parents couldn't see it on her Facebook wall. She did this incorrectly, and the post showed up while Mr. Jordan was fixing her laptop.

He decided to read out this "letter to my parents", and he then addressed some of the issues on it. Firstly, that she refuses to get a part-time job, and only applied to one job because he handed her the application and watched her fill it out. Secondly, that her chores list is not that large. Thirdly, that she expects a new camera, new battery for her laptop, new phone and software upgrades whenever she needs it. She also referred to a woman who couldn't afford to pay Mr. Jordan in conventional terms as their "cleaning lady".

After 6 minutes of discussing how wrong she is, how insulting and upsetting and disrespectful she is being, and how she was warned of the consequences, he proceeds to put eight rounds of ammunition into her laptop. Seven for him, and one on behalf of her mother.

Not only does she now not have a laptop, but she won't get one until she pays for it herself. She also owes him for the ammunition that he used.

Now, I don't know about you, but I think that's perfect. I would never be so disrespectful to my parents, and if I were then I'd probably suffer a similar punishment!

He has explained that his reasons for doing it are a) to teach her of the value of a dollar. If she has everything handed to her, she'll just assume that her parents are going to bankroll her. b) to teach her that what is said on the internet will last a lifetime, if not a good few years. So by being so horrible on a public forum she has humiliated herself and her family. c) That his word is to be taken as gospel, and that there are consequences to her actions.

I think he's very sensible to have done that - it's a dramatic and drastic action, but in his own words "sometimes with teenagers you have to be dramatic".

What do you all think?

Nope. Complete accident. But I was in a committed relationship, had been for almost a year. I didn't have a baby just to "get a house" like my sister has expressed. I went from the injections to the pill, and managed to catch inbetween, even though we'd used condoms. My mother couldn't believe it, but she's recently told me that she has never worried about what kind of mother I'd be, because she knows I do my best.

But this isn't about me. And I'm not sure why people are asking about me.

I just think that, when there's no other course of action, shooting a laptop might come into it!

Shooting the computer was idiotic. Take it away, sell it, but don't shoot it. The rest is fine, shooting stuff is just stupid.

The worst thing my parents ever did was ground me for two weeks. The second worse was disabling the wifi capabilities on my borrowed laptop.

I may have been stroppy at times, sure. But all-in-all, I have turned out pretty damned ok.

And just because a teen doesn't rebel doesn't mean their parents were "good". Just because a teen does rebel doesn't mean that the parents are shit.

I wonder if it had happened over here and the Father took a sledgehammer to the laptop, would the reaction be different?

My point is - I was never like that. And I dismay for all of the parents on here who come on and go "I've reached the end of my tether! I've tried [this] and [this] and even [this], but nothing has worked!"

Answer? Do something seriously drastic. At least then they might sit up and take notice.

Agree Peanut.

I think this family has serious problems and if it happened in this country, I would hope that Social Workers would be heading straight round for a long chat.

Hysterical, unnecessary willy waving.

The man sounds unhinged.

I asked about your situation in order to try and understand why you seem to hate this stranger's daughter so much.

You answered my question. Thank you.

BUT THE DOG STILL HAS A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT.

And just because a teen doesn't rebel doesn't mean their parents were "good". Just because a teen does rebel doesn't mean that the parents are shit.

I think you are contradicting yourself...

Does it matter what the parents do or not?

I think people ate commenting on you as you brought you family issues up stealth

Parents who need to use guns and weapons to discipline their children have clearly totally lost control and are a bit deranged IMHO!

Did you mean for your post to sound so rude, Lueji?

I don't have a job because I was in a probationary period when I managed to conceive. And then, funnily enough, despite me being the best on the team and getting along with everyone, they refused to take me on. I wonder why?

And I've got a full rack of GCSE's and A-Levels, and once DS is old enough I'll be doing some kind of university course, either distance or part-time.

So I'd appreciate it if you didn't look down your nose at me.

Oh, whatever. I thought it was fantastic, but hey, why don't people just shoot me too?

He's a bullying fuckwit.

Is Tis going to make your average 15yo appreciate what he's saying or just alienate and antagonise them further?

That is exactly the right word viva he is most definitely a fuckwit

Most of us think the whole gun use is abhorrent so shan't be shooting you stealth

Is the rumour about the dog have a fb account still going around?

Really? Well I can see where the "mostly nice" comes in...

Having! Grrrrr

So what he shot the laptop - I bet she'll think twice about being all whiny and entitled in the future. And it was kind of funny too. All this hand wringing and talk of social services 'in this country' is a prime example of why 'this country' is going to the fecking dogs.

He is my parenting hero and I hope he gets a book deal/tv show. I'd rather read his tips than myleene klass or tesa fecking daly.

Alistron - He's been offered a show on CBS, but has declined. And I agree with you, rather read his tips than Myleene's any day.

Stealth - at the risk of sounding patronising, I do think you'll see things a bit less balck and white when your DS is a child, rather than a baby and has different opinions and emotional reactions to you. It's really challenging. It requires masses of patience and maturity NOT to do stoopid things in retaliation .

He probably declined the CBS show because he doesn't want the IRS looking at him too closely.

To be honest, I probably will change my mind once DS becomes a teen, but until then I'm going to stick to my guns [arf] and say "if they need a kick up the arse, then give them a kick up the arse".

Well yes, because there are only 3 parenting role models .......

" All this hand wringing and talk of social services 'in this country' is a prime example of why 'this country' is going to the fecking dogs"

Yes, cos America is just THEE best place to bring up your family. I'm perfectly happy your average arsehole in this country can't go waving guns around telling parents to put bullets in their whiny teenage kids asses. Controlling parents in some states in the US are allowed by law to smack their kids with a 'paddle', you can buy them in the shops, a bit like a table tennis bat for hitting your kid more effectively. That'll teach em won't it. Yes, our country's going to the dogs.