At one point or another, most of us have heard someone say that all so-and-so needs is a "kick in the pants" to get him to do something. Yeah, not so effective when the person you're trying to motivate is 6 years old AND you deliver him an actual swift kick in the pants.
One Florida dad clearly doesn't agree. The man, whose name has not been released, was caught on video pushing his young son down a skateboard ramp in an effort to -- I'm guessing -- force the child to face his fears. His actions angered families at the park and he has been temporarily banned from visiting the skateboarding facility. On a more serious note, the Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating to determine whether there's more to this story.
Is dad simply administering some good, old-fashioned tough love, or did he take things too far?
In the video, you can see that the young boy is not entirely sure he wants to skateboard down what honestly looks like a pretty frightening vertical drop. Dad waits a few seconds and then appears to lose his patience. He kicks his son down the ramp and turns around to leave.
An angry child who had witnessed the incident reportedly confronted the dad and asked why he pushed him. Dad told him that his son needed to learn. Thankfully, the child was not hurt -- physically, at least -- though I'm betting he has lost all desire to descend that ramp ever again.
I've heard of parents who are utterly confused when it comes to what it takes to motivate their children. I believe that, deep down, this dad -- and most parents who act in a similarly aggressive manner when they're trying to teach or coach their kids -- thinks he's doing what's best. He wants his son to be successful and probably believes the only way a person learns how to swim is by being thrown in the water and forced to flap his arms.
The thing this dad is forgetting is that he is taking the joy out of skateboarding. He's not allowing his child to face his own fears naturally and according to his own personal timeline. It's not up to dad to push his boy -- it's up to the boy to decide when he feels comfortable enough to push himself.
Check out the video and let us know what you think:
Image via Instagram