Dealing with a rebellious teenager isn’t easy. Most of us will remember ourselves what it was like to be young and frustrated with having to follow our parents’ rules.
But teens can overstep the mark on occasion, and sometimes even cross legal boundaries. When this happens, it’s important for a parent to show some tough love and make it clear that their child has behaved wrongly.
One family in Phoenix, Arizona, used their own unique form of punishment when their 14-year-old son stole their car for a joyride while they were on vacation.
According to Angel Martinez via WJ News, his excuse for joyriding his mom’s Range Rover while they were in Las Vegas was that he had washed the car, then had nothing to dry it with – so naturally, he thought that driving it would air-dry it in no time.
Unfortunately for Angel, this excuse didn’t sit well with his parents. To discipline him, they instructed their son to pack up his belongings and put them in the family’s front yard. They were giving them away for free.
Speaking to Fox 10, the 14-year-old explained,
“I wanted to drive, but I didn’t have a licence, so I just took it.”
Sounds logical to us.
Angel might have got away with his quick “spin around the block”, but his speeding disturbed his neighbors, and the cops became involved. His parents, who had been enjoying their anniversary until that point, received an unwelcome phone call about the incident.
As Angel had been in trouble a few times before, his parents knew it was time to take serious action. The biggest and most creative punishment they could think of was to sell all of his belongings, from the furniture in his bedroom to his clothes and shoes.
Ramon Martinez, Angel’s father, explained:
“Well, we got back to the house today, and we got all his stuff out. His room is 100 percent empty. And we’re just giving all his stuff away.”
Angel had no choice but to sit for hours on his parents’ front yard on his bed, which was also a free giveaway item. A sign propped up in front of it read, “Sorry I stole my parents car and was ‘SPEEDING'”.
Though he was probably pretty upset about the thought that he might never see his belongings again, Angel was most likely dealing with embarrassment more than anything else. He said:
“It’s kind of weird but, like, I think it’s a fair punishment.”
Lesson learned, perhaps? Ramon certainly hopes so. He said that only time will tell whether this particular punishment will deter his son from getting into trouble in the future, adding,
“For now, you know, we’re just trying to do our best to keep him out of trouble, make sure he understands that, you know, things like this will not be tolerated.”
While his parents’ punishment may seem a little harsh, Angel himself understands why they chose to do it. He’s fast approaching adulthood, and they’re simply preparing their child for a future of responsibility.
Angel’s belongings really were collected by total strangers, even his bed, which was brand-new, according to Ramon. Perhaps a tough few weeks of sleeping in the couch will force him to see who’s really boss in his home.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
