Mom of 4 Causes Heated Stir by Tying Her Toddlers’ Sleeves Together to Restrain Them

One mom noticed her identical triplets were scratching and pulling each other's hair, and she could think of only one solution. While it worked wonders for her, she found that it divided netizens' opinions.

Summer Shillingford, a mother of two-year-old triplets and a nine-year-old girl, received both praise and criticism when she shared a video of how she got her kids to stop hurting one another.

Some people thought her idea was ingenious and said they would try it themselves, while others told her how terrible it was that she would even think of doing something like that.

Regardless of what people said, Shillingford said she would do it again anytime because it worked for her and didn't hurt her children. She even shared the video on her social media twice as a way to prove she was not ashamed.

What Did Shillingford Do to Her Sons?

Shillingford was transporting her triplets around in a wagon when two of them began pulling each other's hair and scratching each other. Shillingford knew she had to do something to stop it.

Although she did not have the most conventional solution to the problem of her sons hurting each other, it was effective. Shillingford tied her sons' sleeves together so they couldn't move their arms properly.

The mother-of-four then videoed the incident to share how she handled the situation with her followers. She clarified:

"They were so unfazed by having their sleeves tied, they just went to scratch, realized they couldn't, and they then focused on why their arms weren't moving instead."

It is clear from the video just how unfazed the boys are, with each of them surveying their surroundings and continuing about their business as usual. Shillingford also said that all her sons had to do was pull their arms out of their tops, and they could move freely again.

Shillingford acknowledged that some people who saw the video thought it was a good idea while others thought it was terrible, but she "would still do this a million times over." She then asked her followers what they thought of her "most controversial video ever."

What Did Netizens Say?

Shillingford received as many mixed opinions on reposting this video as she did on the original. One commenter said she would never use this method to control her children, adding that children learned by what they saw their parents doing.

This commenter wondered how Shillingford was raised since she had used this method to restrain her children from hurting one another. The commenter also said the video proved that the Shillingford family were angry people.

Another netizen said Shillingford's triplets were children, not toys, and asked that she imagine how she would feel if someone had restrained her arms. The person implored Shillingford to learn how to use appropriate parenting techniques. One person commented:

"Nothing to be proud of!"

Another person who believed Shillingford was wrong said all children fought and needed to be told it was terrible, not restrained. The commenter said they would eventually get tired of hurting one another and stop.

While Shillingford received many comments telling her what a lousy parent she was and how others would never dare think of tying their children's sleeves together, many were delighted by the video.

One person wished they had thought of handling their children's fights like Shillingford when they were younger, as another said Shillingford could discipline her children in whatever way she chose.

The commenter said children needed discipline and to be shown that their actions had consequences and congratulated Shillingford as another said they agreed with this method as it was a time-out.

The person said that by Shillingford tying their sleeves together, she was redirecting their behavior and removing the "tools" they were using to hurt each other. The commenter said that instead of focusing on hurting each other, they were now focused on trying to untie their shirts.

While Shillingford's punishment for her sons' behavior was not conventional, there are parents who have doled out far stranger sentences on their children. Click here if you would like to read about some of the strange punishments parents have given their children.