Support NeoGAF

[zeemumu]

This kid is just going to continue to act up. Might as well just not have gotten it for him.

The empty box stunt is foolish. Also this boy needs to learn how to appropriately open the box and infer contents based on weight. Step your grades up son.

He really should have known that nothing was in it when he was able to life the box with no effort. I used to be able to figure out what my presents were based on weight and size of the box but my parents caught on and started altering the presents by doing things like hiding games in a clothing box and stuffing it full of paper so that I couldn't hear them rattling around inside.

This stunt is something you pull on a regular day, NOT CHRISTMAS. He might just keep his grades down just to spite them.

 

[Maninthemirror]

I would say getting bad grades is bad behavior. It's pretty much your main responsibility at that age and he's obviously not doing a very good job at handling his responsibilities.

Was Einstein behaving badly ?

 

[studyguy]

I remember one year my dad gave me and my mom same sized/shaped presents. We opened them at the same time. She got the Sega Genesis I wanted and I got the underwear and lingerie my dad got her. He thought it was funny and while I remember being sad at first it was obviously a joke and got my Sega right afterwards from her.

There's a reason why videos where the dads film kids running into trees, falling off a bike or generally getting hurt end up with the fathers busting up laughing. Dad's clearly feed off their kid's suffering... in a good natured way of course.

http://youtu.be/zS1jpJoV_Mw

Swapping underwear for a console is an awesome prank, may have to use that one day.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

Hey look at that son ohhhh shittytttttr you just got owned nephew!!! How you feeling now get your grades up nephew ahahhahahhaha!!!!! Lemme follow you out the door and let my laugh echo down the halls

Ahahhahahhaha!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to call them assholes for what they did that's fine, but there's no way this warrants having social services waste their time in taking this kid away from his family just because they tricked him into not getting a ps4.

 

[Froli]

What a spoilt shit. You did bad in school and expect good rewards? Ha no.
This thread, yo. Saying the parents are bad over a spoilt kid prank. Wow.

YEAH! AND when we are at it, let's upload it to Internet/Youtube to humiliate the kid forever!

You'll be an awesome parent bro.

 

[GungHo]

Also, thread title should imply he received less than he bargained for.

What if it was a Vita?

 

[davepoobond]

If you want to call them assholes for what they did that's fine, but there's no way this warrants having social services waste their time in taking this kid away from his family just because they tricked him into not getting a ps4.

It was a joke anyhow. I don't actually believe it.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

Telling a young child "just bring your grades up if you want a reward" is bad parenting. If your child is young, and his grades are bad, why not be a parent and help the child? Study with them, get them a tutor, something. What if the child has a legitimate learning disability?

I'm not saying that you don't do those things too. Of course you as a parent would help them. That would make you a dick if you didn't. However you don't reward them for failing to do well in school either. The ideal situation is that you explain to them that they will not get a PS4 until they bring their grades up and then you help them get the help they need to do that be it you helping them with their homework or getting them a tutor that can if you are not proficient in the subjects they are having problems with.

 

[CornBurrito]

That's probably the reason why he didn't get good grades.

The kid might have a legitimately low IQ if he didnt realize the weight of the box was off. Sounds like asking him to raise his own grades without help is asking for the near impossible.

I'm not saying that you don't do those things too. Of course you as a parent would help them. That would make you a dick if you didn't. However you don't reward them for failing to do well in school either.

Indeed. But punishing the child by humiliating them seems just as bad (or worse) as rewarding them. The kid is young enough that the parents should have full control over his free time. If his grades are low at this age then the parents either aren't making him study, aren't helping him study, or the kid has some sort of learning disability (or a low IQ). I feel confident in saying that poor grades, at this age, are entirely the fault of the parents. Either due to them not being parents and making their child study, or not recognizing their own child's mental capabilities.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

What a spoilt shit. You did bad in school and expect good rewards? Ha no.
This thread, yo. Saying the parents are bad over a spoilt kid prank. Wow.

There are ways to do this though.

You tell them they are not getting one until their grades go up. That's fine and I think that would work, he would be disappointed. You don't do this crap. I didn't get to see Home Alone in the theater one year because it came out on my birthday, that coincided with getting an unsatisfactory on a mid-quarter report card.

I still remember that. However this would be akin to taking me to the theater, sitting down, and being told we're leaving just as the lights dim. That would have left an impression on me, and more in an untrustworthy view of my parents. Not, oh I have to get my grades up next time!

I'd get punished for it then and ran through lessons at home instead of having free time. I definitely wouldn't get humiliated in front of family and now the internet.

Yep, I got "study time" when my grades would slip. Thank god the internet was still on obtuse bbs's back then....

 

[.GqueB.]

He really should have known that nothing was in it when he was able to life the box with no effort. I used to be able to figure out what my presents were based on weight and size of the box but my parents caught on and started altering the presents by doing things like hiding games in a clothing box and stuffing it full of paper so that I couldn't hear them rattling around inside.

This stunt is something you pull on a regular day, NOT CHRISTMAS. He might just keep his grades down just to spite them.

That's what I'd do. I'd also start doing meth.

 

[MetalFearSolid]

The dude recording is the one that is acting like a kid.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Was Einstein behaving badly ?

Yes? Unless he had a learning disability I'm not aware of. Just because you are really smart doesn't mean you can go around shirking your responsibilities.

It's not like Einstein was infallible and was unable to ever act badly.

 

[OriginofHysteria]

It was a joke anyhow. I don't actually believe it.

I don't either. I think this kid is currently sitting happily in his room playing Killzone or something

 

[Valnen]

Hope those parents enjoy being put in the worst shithole of a rest home when they're told old to take care of themselves. They brought it on themselves.

 

[CornBurrito]

Yep, I got "study time" when my grades would slip. Thank god the internet was still on obtuse bbs's back then....

You can password lock computers so your children cannot access them.

 

[ElRenoRaven]

The kid might have a legitimately low IQ if he didnt realize the weight of the box was off. Sounds like asking him to raise his own grades without help is asking for the near impossible.



Indeed. But punishing the child by humiliating them seems just as bad (or worse) as rewarding them.

I agree. That's why I said that's fucked up. The parents should not have done what they did. It was wrong. They should have simply told him before christmas that until he got his grades up he would not get a PS4. Then they should have gotten him the help he needs to accomplish that be it tutors or them helping him themselves. Instead these assholes get an empty box and troll him. That pisses me off. That's their kid and his nephew and they're being dicks to him on Christmas of all days.

 

[Verano]

Please don't have kids.

Leave the thread if you're going to insult people by overreacting.
I don't see how the Fuck will this be child abuse other than negative reinforcement due to bad parenting

 

[Nealand Liquor]

Not getting a kid a ps4 because of behavior or grades is one thing but mocking, belittling and taunting a young child is another thing completely. Poor kid. If his family will take this much joy and amusment in creating his feelings of disappointment on Christmas, I don't want to know how they treat him when they feel a true punishment is warranted. This 'lesson' is nothing but mean spirited and teaches all the wrong lessons.

 

[Valravn]

They wanted to teach him a lesson, ok i understand that. But how can he learn by getting humiliated?
These kind of acts makes it all even worse. It can make him feel worthless and lower his self-esteem.

 

[jonnyp]

What a spoilt shit. You did bad in school and expect good rewards? Ha no.
This thread, yo. Saying the parents are bad over a spoilt kid prank. Wow.

Why is he spoiled in the first place? And this is not how to encourage a kid to do better in school. Bad parenting all-round.

 

[ghst]

He has a playstation, all he has to do is work on his grades and he gets to play it.

This is a bit over the top, but how coddled do you all think children need to be? You realize that kids have lived with corporal punishment for the bulk of history, most of those kids grew up to be ordinary citizens. I don't think this guy is going to be a mass murderer because he didn't get to watch BF4 crash on Christmas day.

assuming this isn't just some view bait, if your kid is underperforming at school it could be a sign of dozens of complicated domestic or social factors beyond "kid be lazy" and i'd hazard a guess that abject humiliation and a total trust betrayal have a pretty low success rate in dealing with them.

this kid is getting bad grades? yeah. no shit.

 

[BattleMonkey]

My nephew needs to be treated like this sadly. Yea it's mean, but the kids a royal selfish douchebag that's causing so much pain to my sister. Course for xmas he got a big expensive gaming pc, and gaming is a key factor in his failing grades. Of course lets not put it online and laugh about it.

 

[CrimsonCommie]

I like how the kid tried to open the box with his mouth lol. But that was cold

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

You can password lock computers so your children cannot access them.

No I meant there was no youtube to tempt my parents to come down with "Fucking Stupid"

 

[isual]

son needs to get his grades up bluh.

only way to move up from his socio economic status and disinfrachisement is with education.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Jesus Christ.

The kid, to his credit, decides to walk it off instead of throwing a tantrum only to have the uncle throw an embarrassing fit of his own.

 

[CornBurrito]

son needs to get his grades up bluh.

only way to move up from his socio economic status and disinfrachisement is with education.

Why are a young child's grades low? Not studying enough? He is young. Why are the parents not setting a study schedule for him? Studying a lot but still failing school? It would seem like there is an issue that a child cannot solve on their own at play in that case.

People pegged this kid as being 5-8 years old. I struggle to think of a situation where a young child's poor grades are somehow not the fault of the parents. The way I see it, this is exactly like a parent shaming their own child for being fat. Why is the child fat if not for what the parents feed them?

 

[Raynes]

Deception like this is psychologically damaging. It's flat out child abuse. The fact that there's no physical marking does not make it any more acceptable.

 

[stn]

Awful parenting. Its one thing to teach the kid a lesson, its another to humiliate him. Shit like that lingers, who knows what it may do to the kid in the future.

 

[Imbarkus]

Jesus Christ.

The kid, to his credit, decides to walk it off instead of throwing a tantrum only to have the uncle throw an embarrassing fit of his own.

Seriously. He's the most mature guy in the room.

As opposed to this responsible adult, that some childless trolls here are weirdly motivated to defend:

 

[Portugeezer]

That's just wrong.

They could have used the prospect of getting a PS4 in a better way, not just for humiliation.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Seriously. He's the most mature guy in the room.

As opposed to this responsible adult, that some childless trolls here are weirdly motivated to defend:

Yes, everyone who disagrees with you is a troll. Great mentality.

 

[Azuran]

Cold blooded as hell. Good on the parents for teaching the kid some life lessons that young.

 

[zeemumu]

What a spoilt shit. You did bad in school and expect good rewards? Ha no.
This thread, yo. Saying the parents are bad over a spoilt kid prank. Wow.

I would say that he was spoiled if they hadn't gotten the box and he was complaining about not having a PS4 under the tree. But they tricked him, mocked him, then put it on Youtube for the world to see because he didn't get his grades up. At that age, what were his grades, anyway? Did he get a sad cloud instead of a happy sun or something? Don't think that warrants this much effort.

 

[akira28]

Parents resenting thee fuck out of their poor kids.

 

[criesofthepast]

What if that kid then went and jumped off a balcony? I've heard horror stories like that. Being grounded or messing with a kids mind and they go kill themselves because they don't know any better. How guilty those parents would have felt...

Dangerous prank.

 

[Imbarkus]

Yes, everyone who disagrees with you is a troll. Great mentality.

I even used the word "some" my good friend. I will not be your Straw Man today.

Not everyone who disagrees with me here is a childless troll, but I do still sense a presence...

 

[Septimius]

Coal in stockings ring a bell? Shit's been a tradition long before clickbait videos existed.

You woke up, you got a piece of coal. It was Santa's way of saying he'd notice you hadn't been good. He didn't put a piece of coal inside a PS4 box. To trick your kid like this is not the same.

Not only that, but to then proceed to point and laugh in such a manner is just what makes it all kinds of fucked up.

 

[Jenov]

That's just wrong.

They could have used the prospect of getting a PS4 in a better way, not just for humiliation.

Agreed.

 

[Raiden]

That kid must really be dumb to not have known there was nothing in it because of the weight.

 

[CornBurrito]

Hopefully someone defending this parents can answer me:


Lets say his grades were all D or C. Why are they this way?

If we saw a 5 to 8 year old severely overweight child who would we blame? If past GAF threads are any indication, the parents would overwhelmingly be blamed for the young child being overweight. And why not? They have a large degree of control over what the child eats and how much he exercises. One could argue that school lunches and vending machine snacks could put a damper on parental control, but we wouldn't expect a 5 or 8 year old to fully realize the consequences of snacking.

So why isn't this the case when a 5 to 8 year old has poor grades? Why is the child to blame? Do the parents only have control over a child's physical success? They can't set a study schedule? They can't do homework with their child and make sure the child gets the concepts? They have a large degree of control over how much a child studies, and how much homework he does. One could argue that the child may fail to pay attention in school. But at this age, the child's homework should be such that a parent could teach the child anything the child missed from failing to pay attention in class. The parent should also be able to address why the child isn't paying attention in class.

I imagine a parent shaming their own child for being fat would be ineffective, because the child is fat due to the shortcomings of the parents. Why is this not the case for school grades?

 

[Septimius]

That kid must really be dumb to not have known there was nothing in it because of the weight.

You could have a thousand thoughts going through your head when you think it is a PS4. You can simply not process it that far in the short amount of time, or maybe you start thinking that they might have set it up already or something like that. To be so excited you don't even notice the weight of the present is basically what Christmas is about for kids!

 

[sixteen-bit]

I guess you could say the kid left...

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

(⌐■_&#9632

MTHanded.

 

[LycanXIII]

Should have filled the box with textbooks to give it weight.

 

[TomcatTheLion]

Video is most likely rubbish.

It had to be blatantly obvious that the box was empty because it is very light once everything is taken out.

 

[Silky]

We've seen a few of these now and they are still not funny. It's not funny to humiliate a child in this way. They are emotionally immature and these things affect them.

lmao

 

[Septimius]

Hopefully someone defending this parents can answer me:


Lets say his grades were all D or C. Why are they this way?

If we saw a 5 to 8 year old severely overweight child who would we blame? If past GAF threads are any indication, the parents would overwhelmingly be blamed for the young child being overweight. And why not? They have a large degree of control over what the child eats and how much he exercises. One could argue that school lunches and vending machine snacks could put a damper on parental control, but we wouldn't expect a 5 or 8 year old to fully realize the consequences of snacking.

So why isn't this the case when a 5 to 8 year old has poor grades? Why is the child to blame? Do the parents only have control over a child's physical success? They can't set a study schedule? They can't do homework with their child and make sure the child gets the concepts? They have a large degree of control over how much a child studies, and how much homework he does. One could argue that the child may fail to pay attention in school. But at this age, the child's homework should be such that a parent could teach the child anything the child missed from failing to pay attention in class. The parent should also be able to address why the child isn't paying attention in class.

I imagine a parent shaming their own child for being fat would be ineffective, because the child is fat due to the shortcomings of the parents. Why is this not the case for school grades?

I'm not deep in the American school system, but we didn't have a lot of homework when I was his age. I mean, let's just not get into how to raise your kids. Spare the rod? Forced study time might be detrimental to bringing the kid's appreciation of schooling down? There are so many aspects here that "they can set a study schedule" isn't really relevant. They could probably do more. They might already do much. I think the only non-asshole in this video is the kid, but I won't let that color my impression of their parenting otherwise. It was a dick move, but maybe they feel it can jolt him into good habits.

Who knows.

 

[Lautaro]

I hope this shit is fake.

 

[bro1]

Childless GAF totally forgets what it is like to be 6-8 years old. My 6 year old is extremely intelligent but would have no idea how heavy the box of a PS4 is supposed to be. He doesn't have any reference point as to what it weighs like nor does he know how to open a box like that to protect the contents.

As for the parents, there are 364 days of the year besides Christmas to teach your child a lesson. Why get his hopes up and then crush them? What kind of lesson does it teach to a small child? Why go through the effort of getting an empty PS4 box and wrap it? Its not like this was a spur of the moment idea. If they really wanted to punish him they could have bought the PS4 and taken it away from him if he didn't shape up.

Also, the uncle seems like a great role model for their son. From the brief clip that we saw he looks like a great person and I really would want my son to learn more from him.