Did These Alabama Parents Do The Right Thing?

Sometimes being a good parent means teaching your child when to walk away, and when to stand their ground.

Get our free mobile app

A story circulating online tells of a nine-year-old Alabama boy named Justin who came home with a three-day school suspension after a playground confrontation.

According to his family, another student had cornered him and tried to punch him.

Justin defended himself with a single strike, ending the confrontation.

But under the school's zero-tolerance policy, he was suspended anyway.

His parents saw things differently. Is this good parenting?

They believed their son hadn't gone looking for trouble, and that defending himself wasn't the same as starting a fight.

So instead of punishing him further, his dad took him out for a steak dinner. That’s right a steak dinner to reward the boy for standing up for himself.

Not to celebrate someone getting hurt, but to recognise what the family believed was honesty, courage and restraint.

And Justin's three days away from school?

He's reportedly spending them helping his father at the family business.

The family's message was simple: “We raise sheepdogs, not sheep.”

I think this is impactful, common-sense parenting. We need more of it.

The account hasn't been independently verified, but the parenting lesson behind it is worth considering.

Teach your children kindness. Teach them to avoid violence whenever possible. But also teach them that they deserve to feel safe.

Because raising a good kid isn't about teaching them to win every fight. It's about helping them know which fights never needed to happen.

Teach the children well.