When This Mom Found Out Her Daughter Was a Bully, She Decided to Share Her Discipline Technique with Everyone on Facebook

Some parents try to handle bad behavior quietly, but this mom took a very public route instead. When Amanda Mitchell found out her daughter had been acting out at school, she decided spanking was not the answer, and she shared her punishment plan on Facebook for everyone to see.

The post quickly turned into a lightning rod, with people debating whether she was being firm, embarrassing, or both. What she did next, and how she explained it, made the reaction even bigger.

Here is the full story.

I Don't Usually Do This...

Amanda began her post by warning her friends and family that it was going to be a long one.

Amanda Mitchell

Hannah

Amanda's daughter had been misbehaving well outside the realm of normal for her family.

Amanda Mitchell

Mommy's Little... A**hole?

Hey, most of us parents have at least thought it, but not all of us verbalize it on the Internet.

Amanda Mitchell

Mommy's Juvenile Detention

Here's where it gets... interesting.

Amanda Mitchell

Scoffing

You know it's about to take a turn when the parent doing the social media blasting scoffs at the pushback against positive parenting techniques.

Amanda Mitchell

And Then She Drops the Mom Hammer...

50 times!

Amanda Mitchell

"...We Do Not Act Like A**holes."

Write it out, kiddo!

Amanda Mitchell

Amanda Also Shared Photos of Her Daughter's New Digs.

Featuring a bedroom stripped of anything fun.

Amanda Mitchell

Also, check out the AITA mom confronting her sister’s nonstop parenting criticisms.

Bare Closets

No pretty clothes.

Amanda Mitchell

Outfits Pre-Picked Out.

Excuse me, one outfit pre-picked out.

Amanda Mitchell

And Then the Peanut Gallery Chimed In.

Some people were supportive of Amanda's punishment.

Amanda Mitchell

Some people flat out said, "Good job!"

Amanda Mitchell

And some people were outraged at the idea that positive reinforcement could be beneficial.

Amanda Mitchell

"Home is where we learn..."

Amanda Mitchell

Taking back parenting... one social media post at a time.

Amanda Mitchell

But Not Everyone Was So Enthusiastic About Amanda's Tactics.

Peggy Dexler, PhD says:

It's important to recognize that discipline is not the same as punishment. Discipline is necessary. Punishment is not. In most cases, misbehavior among toddlers and young kids isn't something that requires punishment but, instead, some understanding and a frank parent-child discussion.

Going to social media, according to one commentator, is all about the parent and virtual high-fives, and has little to do with correcting undesirable behavior in a child.

Amanda Mitchell

Amanda made it clear, however, that this wasn't the first thing she jumped to. Speaking with Global News, Amanda clarified that the first thing she did was talk to her daughter because this behavior was definitely out of the ordinary!

Amanda Mitchell

Others found a middle ground, where the punishment was not an issue whatsoever, but the bragging on social media? Low-hanging fruit.

Amanda Mitchell

Even more so, a significant number of people found that a few specifics of the punishment pushed this whole situation over the edge of reason.

In an interview with Global News, Mitchell said:

Ninety-nine percent of [the comments] are pretty good. Maybe there were 15 or 20 messages that were sent to me that were nasty and told me I’m a terrible parent, but I’m just not going to entertain that.I know that I’m not doing harm to her. I’m doing everything I can to help her. I told her I’m doing this because I love her and want her to grow up to be a well-rounded individual.Amanda Mitchell

"The point of discipline is to transmit values to children. The purpose of punishment is to coerce compliance and secure control, and failing that, to inflict pain as a form of revenge...."

Mitchell went on to explain that while most of the comments supported her, a few of them also made her rethink her punishment enough that her daughter would not wear the same shirt to school every day. Instead, she would cycle through four different anti-bullying shirts. Additionally, she would only have to write her sentences 25 times instead of 50.

Amanda Mitchell

Mitchell's daughter also quickly earned back a few of her belongings, like some books, a side table, and a lamp. The punishment was not as long-term as a prison sentence would be in the future, either.

I just want people to know that I’m not a terrible parent. I try really hard to be a great mom. I’ve been a single mom for most of their lives, and I’ve worked really hard to provide a good life for them.Amanda Mitchell

Want more parenting blowups, read about a partner conflict over sticking to one discipline style.