When a 13-year-old named Julia racked up a phone bill for $541.36, her dad had to foot the bill. She assumed she'd just get a slap on the wrist, and boy was she wrong.
Instead of yelling and screaming at Julia, Jared — a single father from Hanover, Virginia — decided to take a rather unconventional approach.
First off, he took away her phone completely… but it's his next move that went viral. Jared put a padlock on Julia's closet door. With just a week left before school started up again, the eighth-grader had seven days to earn back her clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories. In the meantime, Jared gave her the bare necessities, plus three outfits of his choosing. N
ext, Jared placed Post-It notes on each of Julia's items, with numbers that signified how many chores she'd have to complete to earn them back. Talk about an elaborate plan… but how would Julia take her punishment?
Read on to find out…
Julia is an eighth-grader from Hanover, VA. Like many tweens, she loves snapping selfies on Instagram — so much so that she racked up a phone bill for $541.36. Her father, Jared, was none too pleased. But it's this single dad's approach to punishment that made this story go viral.
Julia is an eighth-grader from Hanover, VA. Like many tweens, she loves snapping selfies on Instagram — so much so that she racked up a phone bill for $541.36. Her father, Jared, was none too pleased. But it's this single dad's approach to punishment that made this story go viral.
Jared stuck yellow Post-It notes on each of Julia's items, with numbers that signified how many chores she'd have to complete to earn them back. In the meantime, Dad went to the supermarket and picked out three outfits for Julia to wear.
While many kids would throw a fit, Julia didn't argue. She took the punishment in stride and jumped headfirst into her daily chores. She even embraced Dad's lesson about the importance of money.
"She said to me, 'you know what Dad, I know you love me, I know I messed up, and I'm gonna work this off.'"
Julia really is an amazing kid. Through her project “We Are Unique,” young students and individuals with disabilities take part in volunteer projects. In the photo below from February 2015, Julie escorts an adult with special needs to the Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine.
While some people applaud Jared's unconventional parenting, others say it's too extreme for their tastes. Julia has since regained access to her beauty closet.
What do you think about Dad's show of tough love? Let us know, and please SHARE this story with your friends on Facebook!
