Frustrated Dad Nails his Kids’ Xbox to a Tree
A dad who was frustrated about the behavior of his three boys while they were playing Xbox, decided he couldn’t take it anymore and nailed their system to a tree. The mother was so proud of her husbands work, she posted it on iReport that ended up on cnn.com
Here is the description her picture:
My husband had repeatedly warned our 3 boys about their behavior while playing the XBOX. Tuesday, after I arrived home from work, our oldest son told me to look in the backyard at “Dad’s artwork”. Well, I wasn’t surprised to see the XBOX proudly displayed on the nearest tree… way to go Honey!!!!!
The parents should have realized that the punishment was the fact their kids were forced to play the original Xbox, and not an next-gen console. I have no problem seeing parents not allowing their kids to play games because of a punishment. But seeing the father overreact the way he did, might give us a better understanding why the children acted the way they do. I mean come on – couldn’t he have been a little more mature and gave the system to charity?
August 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Dad just turned his hard earned cash into a fairly nice albeit expensive bird house. Although his kids will just be bigger jerks now. Way to Go pops!!!
August 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
The effect of the punishment is most definitely worth the loss of cash investment. Actions have consequences, and boy, what a consequence!
Kudos to those parents. I wonder how many times the kids will disobey their parents from now on. Perhaps we’ll see new additions to the artistic display? I can’t wait.
I say go for the iPods and cell phones next. Any parent that gives their kid a cell phone ought to have their head examined.
As a side thought… Had these parents been stricter and more responsible in the first place, I doubt this would ever have been a problem in the first place.
August 18th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
“Any parent that gives their kid a cell phone ought to have their head examined.”
Then how do you keep track of them obnoxiously? Just don’t give them texts, web, bluetooth, or enough minutes to actually do anything other than talk to Mom or Dad. Also, put a GPS in it.
Cell phones are a good way to keep track of your kids. Any parent who gives their kid an *expensive* cell phone with features that include more than a phone need to have their heads examined.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I think buying his troublesome little boys an Xbox was his first mistake. It wasn’t the console he wasted his money on–the kids were.
This more than makes up for it, though. But next time, think of what you’re really paying for when you take your kids to the video game store. Buy them a paper cup and some string.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Both Garret and SuperSparky are complete idiots. You obviously don’t understand how kids think. Your children probably hate your guts, but that’s probably “okay with you as long as they behave”. I feel bad for your (future) children
August 18th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
can i have the power supply? i need one for my own modded xbox…
August 19th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Next time I need some advice on parenting I’ll be sure to come here and read the comments on this blog, idiots.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Sparky- These parents should have had better control over their kids to begin with, and nailing such an expensive piece of equipment to a tree rather than say selling it or giving it away (actions that would make the point without the kids seeing their father as an idiotic piece of shit) are much preferable over displays of such huge amounts of anger that would be required to do things like this. That dad should not be praised, he should be sent to anger management.
Garret- By giving your kids crappy cellphones that can only be used to track the location of your kid (waaaaaay overprotective much?) and to call a few people before running out of minutes simply forces your kids to hate you and later on will lead to huge confrontations and possibly then disowning you forever, simply because you decided you wanted to be an asshole and keep complete tabs over every little thing that they do. Sure they may behave well, but inside they simmer with resentment.
Kieter- Are you like 80? “Paper cups and string” wouldn’t occupy the minds of children today, especially not since probably all of their friends have video games. The kids would see that and automatically assume (and rightfully so) that their parents are idiotic cheapskates who couldn’t care if their kid was playing in traffic or in a park. Again, more resentment
If parents today listened to the advice you three gave, their would be a giant outbreak of runaway kids and violence towards others. Way to go.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 am
In all likelihood, the kids are scared of dad’s tempers. It was such a great idea to show the kids how to get revenge when other people don’t do as asked. /sarcasm.
This type of thing doesn’t work long term.
Also, kids still do play with paper cups and string. And boxes. And they don’t need cell phones of any sort if you teach them to be responsible. That involves having them run away from unmarked vans and knowing how to scream for help.
I’ve met plenty of kids who do quite well without video game stimulation. All it takes is a little imagination (cue rainbow).
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Go Dad!
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Dear obviously retarded father: Kids are going to be unruly. That is excusable. Fathers being psychopaths and ruining expensive electronics to prove a point are not excusable. I hope your kids put you in a nursing home in south central, you dumb prick! Learn to discipline your children properly, maybe put time limits on the game, make them earn points by doing chores, but don’t act like a six year old to make other six year olds impressed! You could probably be reported for child abuse and a drunk and disorderly (because nobody will believe you did that sober). Someone oughta nail you to a tree.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
wow now that is the best parenting I have seen in a long time!
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
To the people saying he shouldn’t have destroyed it and should have donated or sold the xbox. I have to disagree.
As a Parent I have a saying. “Out of sight out of mind” If a Child can’t see something they tend to forget about it. By nailing it to the tree in the backyard the kids have a constant reminder of what happened. Thus they are less likely to have it happen again.
Now I don’t have enough information to know if this drastic action was justified but if it was I say way to go!
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I think it’s a good thing, giving it to charity would have been nice, but the shock the kids got from it being nailed to a tree is better. The little jerks deserved it if they were acting like, well, jerks.
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I hope to God that some of the people here who have posted comments saying that the father acted correctly don’t have children of their own. It’s horrible enough to think there is one group of siblings with a father like that, let alone more.
The world is materialistic, and as such, children are materialistic. Taking away something that valuable (in terms of its price and what it meant to the kids) is a sure fire way to make sure that the kids hate their father. I should know, my dad did something similar and now I’ve sworn to kill him should I ever meet him again… though that was mainly because he cheated on my mum, not because of the game thing, but still, this’ll turn into a straw that broke the camels back situation. This action, though not to horrible in the long term by itself, suggests that the father has done things like this before, and will do again, and eventually he’s gonna take it to far and actually hurt his children, either physically or emotionally. Not on purpose, I should imagine, but still.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
This is a response to the second coment on this topic. You seem to be a person who has not played a games console or has never had the chance to. If you did you may realise how frustrating gaming can get just like when at work at school or just with your family.
Sincerely Tripfire.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
To the people saying he was stupid to ruin an expensive piece of equipment you might want to realise that an orignal xbox only costs about £15($30) these days, seems easily worth it to get the point across to me.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
goes to show who grew up in which era of time from the comments. You pansy who think it was over the top tells me you grew up some what in the modern day where its more or less illegal to cause harm to your kids. Heres how it works obviously the situation depends on how bad the kids actually were the monetary should not come into account as obviously it was probably the dad’s money so he can do as he will. However it was probably justifiable as it teaches a valuable lesson don’t piss off the person who pays the bills and holds the money. If you decide to hold a grudge to someone years down the line thats your own foolishness as that person especially if its your dad and he does care about you and that you turn out alright no matter what it seems as it is always nice to have someone to turn to in life if things don’t work out that goes double for family members
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Kids act as they are taught by dear old Daddy!
Dad is probably a asshat!
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
If you ask me it was a bit of an immature example to set. Not to mention a waste of money.
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
This was a poor move on the father’s part. Sknight: Its not foolishness, its childish. Because they are children. Sure, taking away a toy is a good punishment, but throwing a tantrum and destroying it? Their kids are gonna remember this, and not as a valuable lesson. they’ll remember it through the skewed view of years of experience, jaded by society and the cruelty of others. They’ll realise nothing they love will last, that others, those they most trust, will destroy what they care about. The obvious resentment will be short lived: a short complaining/screeching session, then silence. but it will simmer, for years it’ll simmer and finally, they’ll do what all those punished in similar ways will invariably do: when it comes time for our parents to rely on us for their care, they’ll get left in the cold for their poor treatment. Because at that point, the control has reversed compeltely, and the stress of that care will bring up the past, it always does. In the end, the father will create children who hate the world and hate him, and they WILL torture him. Because a child doesnt understand what the father did: to them, it was a wanton act of cruelty and malice, as what else could it be through the eyes of a child? Thats what they’ll remember, not a valuable lesson as others claim.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
All you commenters pounding the father, get a grip. Stop being such asshole critics to his method of teaching his kids a lesson. I friend of mine trash talked his dad while playing his Game Boy, next thing he knew, his GB was flying from his father’s hands straight into his backyard fence, which left it and the game in pieces. He never dared talk back to his dad again. I say this is a good way to teach the kids to respect their parents, or the consequence will bite them in the ass.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 pm
This guy nails an X box to a tree and that means his kids are gonna torture him in his old age?!? I don’t believe how many people have been responded to this as some kind of child abuse. It’s a video game, it’s not like he burned the house down. Anyone I knew growing up that was best friends with there parents didn’t end up well when they got older. And if you’re gonna kiss your kids asses and let them do what ever they want just so they will take care of you when you are older, you’re gonna be surprised to find out that they can’t even take care of themselves because you raised them so poorly.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Where is everybody getting the idea that the father was angry? It doesn’t say that anywhere in the article.
Perhaps he just had a weird sense of humor and did it as a practical joke / punishment… I sure know I would have fun nailing an x-box to a tree……
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
thats dum, but hella funny
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I understand the punishment, and the children should have been punished. But he should have either thrown it out or sold it or gave it away. Nailing it to a tree is a poor example on parenting skills and will no way gain the respect of the children.
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Maybe his boys would be more in line if they had the latest generation system. That’s a regular Xbox, not a 360. Why can’t dad afford something better for his boys?
I believe this is fake by the way. I might believe it if it was a newer system.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Well, as someone who is both old enough to be thinking of kids, but young enough to remember the indignities I suffered through at the hands of my elders let me state:
As I first read this article I agreed with many posters that the fathers act seemed like a childish act, destroying the much-loved possession of his children in a fit of rage.
However, some of you said that teaching a lesson for bad behavior would be worth the price of the equipment. Fine.
However, the article never states what the bad behavior of the children is.
Playing Halo, I was constantly reprimanded for my language on-line, because everyone shouts obscenities at everyone else. If this is what the father is punishing, and he has clearly stated in the past that this kind of language/behavior is unacceptable in his house, I can agree that his nailing the x-box outside is justifiable.
(I don’t believe this is the case, because no-one playing on xbl these days is doing so from an original xbox…)
If however this “unacceptable behavior” is whooping or yelling (in a none obscene manner) because they are winning/just won/captured a flag is the crux of the issue, than this man’s children are going to grow up hating him just like many of our parents grew up hating our grandparents for soundly punishing them for caring so little for our small achievements.
P.S. Insulting the people on the other side of a debate is both pointless and damaging to any other (productive/compelling) statements you go on to state later in your posts
August 26th, 2008 at 12:21 am
breaking the xbox as a punishment is a stupid punishment that gets nothing solved. simply removing the power cord is enough to keep the kids from playing. Take it to work with you, it’s not that big to carry, keep it in the car, either way, the kids will realize they wont be able to play their games unless they change something. according to the actual report, this occurred after the kids refused to play w/ a friend b/c they wanted to play games instead. If one doesn’t have enough control over one’s kids to make them simply go outside and play, something’s wrong…
might as well nail the computer to the tree too