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Dad Burns Christmas Presents as Punishment

Christmas presents
Christmas presents are set out underneath the tree. | Image credit to gettyimages.com.

Many parents tell their children to behave, or else they will only get a lump of coal in their stocking for Christmas, but one father has gone a step further to create a “surefire” way to encourage good behavior: burning wrapped Christmas presents in front of his children.

A viral video begins with a neatly wrapped red present lying beside a small wood stove, and then the narration kicks in:

“With Christmas approaching, here is a top tip for parents. Wrap up some empty boxes and pretend that they are presents. Then, each time one of those little f–ers misbehaves … Chuck one onto the fire.”

TikTok user @BennyG7070 then grabs the fake present, opens the stove door, and places it onto the fire. In the video description, BennyG7070 describes the technique as “a surefire way to ensure your little darlings are behaving proper.”

The video has received over 24 million views and sparked a firestorm of nearly 28,000 comments from viewers.

Some criticized the incendiary parenting technique.

“Now they will have trust issues,” said one user. Others claimed that BennyG7070’s tactic is “abuse” and will cause “emotional damage” and “trauma” to his children.

The TikTok creator fired back at critics in a comment, stating, “Hi Karens!”

Despite the onslaught of negative feedback, some supported the controversial parenting technique, claiming that deception is commonly used to make children behave throughout the winter season.

Commenters questioned whether the threat of receiving a lump of coal in a stocking is any different from watching a present go up in flames.

Others pointed out the misplaced modifier in BennyG7070’s narration:

“Then, each time one of those little f–ers misbehaves … Chuck one onto the fire.”

“I ran out of kids,” joked several users.

Since the heated discussion on his first video, BennyG7070 released two others offering more unconventional Christmas parenting advice, such as stomping on the empty gifts or running over them in a car while backing out of the driveway, but neither has yet to garner the kind of attention that his original video did.

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12 Comments

  1. Jim

    If parents have to scare their kids into good behavior then I believe they have many other parenting issues. Kids are “good” to please their parents. Burning presents is a fear tactic and will force kids into a shell and hide things from their parents out of the fear. Parents that teach their kids to be good out of fear instead of love shouldn’t have kids.

    Reply
    • Matte

      There is punishment for bad behavior in the real world. When do you expect kids to learn that lesson? Or are you one of those parents who who to be their kids friend?

      Reply
  2. David

    Sick. While some of this might have been done in jest, I agree with Jim. Old fashioned behavior technique, so prevalent today of controlling others through fear. Another stay at home order or save the dangerous environment to the extreme anyone?

    Reply
    • Matte

      See above. You do bad, bad things happen. People who don’t get this basic understanding are the ones who think it’s fine to steal, cheat, lie and expect others to see them as the victim.

      Reply
    • Max Frisson

      Aren’t all the Abrahamic religions/myths based on a fear of a punishment or reward system? You offend the rules of the deity and face eternal torture seems quite similar.
      I think the fire symbolism is why his later techniques weren’t as popular. Burn in enteral flames, ye little child’s hope and dreams.

      Reply
  3. Thomas

    Punishment should fit the misdeed. The problem with burning Christmas presents is that, in a kid’s mind, a present represents the best things they want, a pony, a new car, a trip to Disneyland, whatever. Burning such a present (even if it really isn’t in there) represents a gross overreaction.

    I can’t be my kid’s best friend, but I do want to be someone they can talk to without expecting me to become a monster. Matte, maybe you’ll understand this better when you are in a retirement home and your kids throw away your favorite slippers because you were a grumpy old curmudgeon.

    Reply
    • Pap

      Exactly. A parent is not supposed to be friends to their children. They are to be the teachers, protectors and give undying love, support and guidance, and they deserve respect when they do it well. Personally, I think parents who want to be “friends” with their children is because they themselves want to remain children instead of growing up and being responsible adults. My parents had a hard life growing up and I guarantee you, they were mature adults, probably by the time they were 12, that knew how to raise children. When I was sick, hurt, frightened or needed advice, I wanted my parents, not one of my friends.

      Reply
  4. Pap

    Something like this, my parents would have considered ignorant. And they’d be right. So much foolishness nowadays. Everyone’s playing parts in a script, being actors doing stupid stunts, including a lot of our government leaders. It’s embarrassing. You discipline a child from the onset. Some people are adamantly against spanking. That’s certainly less cruel than this. If you have any sense at all about parenting and LOVE your child, you will spank, not beat them. There needs to be a small amount of fear. But doing something like this, is just mean and hurtful. My Daddy told me when I was very young, “If I ever catch you out in the street, you’ll get a spanking.” Know what? That little bit of fear kept my butt out of the street. If we were in a parking lot or crossing the street, he would have me grab his little finger (he had big hands). The threat was a warning for my safety, the hand was protection. If you discipline a child properly, sometimes a look or a couple of words is enough. The child needs to know that they have your attention. I see people letting their kids roam all over parking lots as they’re walking in…dumb and dangerous. If there is no fear, there will be no respect or compliance. It’s no wonder young people are confused and running amok. The adults have turned into mindless, self-satisfying idiots. I treat my dogs better than a lot of people treat their children. Common sense is dead.

    Reply
    • Bud

      I agree with you, some parents go to the extreme when it comes to discipline, but I have also see children that were so out of control that no one could stand to be around them because the parents did not want to hurt the feelings and it takes about 2 seconds for a child to pick-up on that and use it to their advantage, because they realize the parents are not going to stop them.

      Reply
  5. Anna

    Horrified that any parent would do this to a child!! This is child abuse that will more likely than not scar the child for life!! Horrible parenting IMO!! 😢

    Reply
  6. Bud

    I raised 2 children and a grandson and they were told to behave 2 times and the 3rd time was a spanking with the palm of my hand and I always told them I loved them and this was going to hurt me more than them, but it served the purpose, it only took a couple of spankings and from then on, all I had to do was just clear my throat give them a stern look and they stopped what they were doing, and they still talked to me about whatever they had on their minds and they know I would protect them. I was always their parent first and their friend second. So many parents today are afraid of their children because the child threatens the parent if they don’t let them do what they want to do, they just have to act hurt by not talking to the parents, so to their room and not let anyone in or they have a fit and embarrass the parent in front of friends or act up in a store to get the attention of others and the parents fall all over themselves trying to please the child. My children tried the fit throwing at least once but it ended at that, as they were not allowed to go with me anywhere until they could convince me they would not act up. I have watched my nieces and nephews parenting skills and it is a joke, having fits in restaurants, throwing food on the floor and at other diners and the parents pretended they did not see them do it, at times I have had to stand up and tell them if they could not stop their Childs bad behavior. that I could and they were upset with me for a short time, but they never allowed their child to act up after that. Children have to have a little bit of being scared or you have no control, just as adults who were raised in church had a fear of our Lord, that when we die, the Lord decided if you go to heaven or hell. We have lost all that fear now, as a lot of adults do not attend church, read their bible and act like morons with no respect for anyone, especially the police or our laws.

    Reply
    • Pap

      You are so right. Amen!

      Reply

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