A Mother Gains Online Attention For The Shirt She Compelled Her Son To Wear To School

A Texas mother made a choice to impart a crucial lesson to her son after uncovering an important aspect of his personality. It came to her attention that the boy was causing disruptions at school. School administrators approached her, informing her that he was exhibiting bullying behavior towards fellow students.

The Texas mother expressed concern that her son had veered off course, resorting to calling other students “idiots” and “stupid.” This prompted her to take action by having her son wear a T-shirt boldly stating, “I am a BULLY.” She aimed for her son to acknowledge his behavior and its impact, making it visible to the community at Greenleaf Elementary School.

Aware that her son's negative behavior was known among fellow students, the mother aimed to validate their experiences. To emphasize her stance, she made her son wear a T-shirt publicly denouncing his actions, ensuring the message reached not only the school but also thousands online through her social media post. See the image of the shirt below: 

"He was calling other boys stupid (and) calling them idiots," shared Star, the Texas mom, who preferred to be identified only by her first name, with KTRK-TV. "I'm a very old-school parent. I don't coddle my children. I don't sugarcoat the world to them."

Star aimed to ensure that her son's bullying behavior was widely acknowledged, so she shared a photo of him wearing the T-shirt on her Facebook account. In her post, she expressed, "I posted it to reach out to the parents of any of the kids my son may have bullied so that each one of them could get a personal apology."

While some criticized Star for her strict approach in disciplining her son, she remained steadfast in her decision and defended her actions against online critics. "I wanted to know what he learned from it, and he said, 'I learned that I didn't like the way that that felt, and I don't want anybody else to feel that way because of me,'" Star explained. "That's exactly what I wanted him to take from it." Despite her intentions, professionals in child development do not endorse Star's method of punishment.

Despite her son's bullying behavior, a child psychiatrist at Baylor College of Medicine criticized Star's approach to disciplining her child. "Not a good idea to embarrass your child and solidify a negative identity in an elementary school child," the psychiatrist remarked. "She needs to find somebody to help her, and I think the school is one resource." While Star faced criticism on social media and online platforms, she claimed that her son's school district supported her decision. Splendora ISD stated, "Parents have the right to make important decisions and take certain actions on behalf of their child." What are your thoughts on this mother's choice to discipline her bullying son?