Reader: Humiliating Your Kid on Social Media Isn't Good Parenting

We recently shared a video showing mom Jeannie Crutchfield following her allegedly truant daughter into school and threatening to sit beside her in class -- a clip she shared on Facebook as a way of shaming the teen straight, as it were. When we asked if this was an example...

By Michael Roberts

October 3, 2014

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We recently shared a video showing mom Jeannie Crutchfield following her allegedly truant daughter into school and threatening to sit beside her in class -- a clip she shared on Facebook as a way of shaming the teen straight, as it were. When we asked if this was an example of good parenting, a majority of readers answered in the affirmative. But not everyone agreed....

Amanda McGregor writes:

This type of behavior doesn't work. It creates deeper animosity than what already existed. Something is obviously going on in the girl's life that she would be skipping school and instead of addressing it in a way that fosters communication and constructive discussion to solve the issue, the mother decides to use aggressive tactics to deal with it. It's shitty parenting and creates the type of relationship that leads a teen into more trouble.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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