How far would you go to discipline your child? Well, Michelle Fortin decided to call the cops on her 3-year-old daughter in order to teach her a seat belt lesson.
The Arizona mom told Good Morning America that she called the non-emergency number for Scottsdale police because her daughter Camille unbuckled her seat belt while on a road trip.
Fortin then set up an appointment with two officers to speak to Camille and her brother in person about the importance of buckling up.
“Her safety was at risk,” Fortin said. “It was the first time she’d done it, but it was something that could affect her life and her health and it was not an issue I was going to compromise on and I felt like by me just telling her … it wasn’t quite getting through.”
Clearly, Fortin didn’t intend on scaring Camille. However, she stated that she wanted her daughter to learn the importance of boundaries, respecting authority, and safety.
That said, Fortin thought that getting the police to drive home those points was key in getting through to her.
Fortunately, Camille was very receptive to her Mom’s tactic. However, that’s not the case for everyone.
It was too long ago when Ashley Grimm lost her 4-year-old son because he unfasten his seat belt while traveling. Ashley said she did everything to ensure his safety, including installing a five-point harness seat and various boosters. She also went as far as using zip ties, which she admitted was probably not a safe option.
But for the self-proclaimed pint-size superhero, getting out of any carseat was a challenge he could overcome. Unfortunately, that challenge came with a deadly risk.
As parents, we want to keep our kids safe by any means necessary. I’ve actually been in the exact same situation with my daughter.
When she was a toddler, she’d often unbuckle her seat belt as well. We tried everything to get her to stay buckled in properly, but nothing worked.
One day I finally told her that “Mommy is going to get in serious trouble,” if she didn’t stay buckled in. I was amazed at how powerful of an impact those words had. The thought of something bad happening to me terrified her, and ultimately taught her a lesson.
She never unbuckled her seat belt again. In retrospect, I’m glad that I scared the heck out of her.
As for Camille, Fortin said that she promised to never unbuckle her seat belt again. Kudos to mom for handling it the way she did.
Do you agree with how Fortin handled her daughter refusing to buckle up? Would you call the cops to teach your child a lesson?
CommentsPhotos: Istock
Stacy-Ann Gooden (aka Weather Anchor Mama) can be seen delivering the weather forecast on the news in New York City. But her most important role is being a wife and mom. She writes about balancing career and motherhood in her blog, Weather Anchor Mama. You can also follow her on twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
