A Stepdad's Controversial Workout Punishment For His Son Has 40 Million Views
How do you discipline your children?
It's a debate that will likely continue forever. Some parents choose to be more strict, while others choose to be more loose. There's probably no 100 percent correct answer. It's a case by case basis for everyone.
But one stepdad has gone viral on social media for choosing a fitness-themed punishment for his son, who had talked back to his mom.
A young kid wasn't happy with his mom. He told her to "chill out." Unfortunately for the kid, his stepdad was right there and heard the whole thing.
"Did you just tell your mom to chill out?" the stepdad asks. "That was a question..."
"Did you just tell your mom to...come right here."
The stepdad told his son to get ready for a punishment workout. His punishment: pushups and squats.
After the young kid completed his pushups and squats, his stepdad explained to him why he was wrong for disrespecting his mom. The stepdad and his son then hugged. The stepdad reassured his son that he was loved, too.
While some have disagreed with fitness as a form of punishment, for the most part, Americans seem to be in agreement: this was good parenting.
"I think this is great parenting! Respect is disappearing rapidly among many…reinforcing its importance at a young age is fantastic," one person wrote.
"Good for that Father! Teaching his son 'we do not disrespect our Mom, or any woman.' WTG Dad!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🫶🏻," one added.
"That's an awesome punishment. Good job on the stepdad!" one added.
"There is no debate. Its called active parenting, you have to be present in your child's life to do that," another wrote.
"This dad did a good job. He defined the boundaries (disrespecting Mom), took corrective action (push-ups), and reassured the child he is still loved. There was no demeaning, yelling, nor was the child hurt in any way," another person shared.
"LOVE the approach, discipline, & love shown by the dad (clearly he's earned the respect of his son to drop the 'step' part). Absolutely HATE that they felt the need to post this for attention. There's no other reason," another person shared.
Where do you stand on the fitness-themed punishment?
A Stepdad's Controversial Workout Punishment For His Son Has 40 Million Views first appeared on The Spun on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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