The cold first days of spring, a dull rain drizzles, a ten-year-old boy runs clumsily along a country road. He has no choice — the road to school stretches for one and a half km, and behind him is a jeep with an inexorable father. The article is about why Brian Thornhill went against the fashionable rule of parenting and what came of it.
Brian Thornhill attracted media attention when he posted a documentary video of his own son being bullied — by modern tolerant standards. He banned 10-year-old Hayden from getting on the school bus and forced him to get to school on foot. More precisely, running, in any weather, for a whole week in a row. And so that the boy does not shirk, the stern father goes after him, records a video and tells about the reasons for such an act.
Hayden Thornhill is a beloved son, but he’s a bully. Not one of those who has an awl in the ass, but a banal ill-mannered boy. And who will bring him up if today it is impossible to raise a hand or raise a voice to a child? Hayden managed to quarrel with the children so much three times in three days that he was thrown off the school bus. And the teachers are complaining, so the «evil folder» Brian made a decision: you can’t curb emotions, control yourself in a crowd — you’ll get to school alone and on foot. Go ahead!
Brian does not feel guilty and dismisses criticism. First of all, look — the kid keeps a good pace, almost 9 km/h! Secondly, after a couple of days of jogging, he realized he was wrong and stopped pestering other children. Teachers also appreciated the positive educational effect. And the fact that you have to run in bad weather — such tests harden men!
Brian Thornhill believes that the modern system of education has driven itself into a dead end. Parents are advised to be «friends» of their children, he insists — I am the father! The one who should educate, be strict, pull and punish for the cause. To be an example and a guarantor of correct behavior, not to give up and not to allow children to show cowardice. Society will teach them to be submissive, unscrupulous. Alas. So, you need to instill the right skills yourself. Like that.
