Dr. Richard Wadsworth shared a video of a typical morning at his household. The dad of seven, a psychiatrist, introduced the clip by listing all the things he does not do for his children.
He started, “I did not wake them up. I did not get their breakfast ready for them …” he begins. He even says that he didn’t do their laundry.
He continued, “I did not tell them to do their homework last night. I did not yell at them that they would miss the bus. I did not find their shoes for them.”
After he lists all the things he is not doing, he asks his viewers, “Does this mean I’m a terrible parent because I’m not rescuing my kids?”
The doctor then talks about things people believe a “good parent” does, including waking up children, feeding them, and being responsible for every aspect of a child’s life.
Dr. Wadsworth admits he was one of the hands-on parents. However, he learned that this parenting style was not working out for his kids or him.
@doctorwadsworth #stitch with @doctorwadsworth #parenting #parentingtips #parentingadvice #parentingtip #parentsoftiktok #parent #parentinghacks #parenting101 #parentingdoneright #parentinghack #doctorsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Richard Wadsworth
The doctor says, “The hardest part of parenting is not rescuing your kids constantly.”
By not doing things for them, the doctor teaches his children to be responsible for their actions.
Instead of jumping in and helping one of his kids, the doctor asks, “Well, why haven’t you been doing your laundry?”
If one misses a school bus, they have to pay for a ride to school. The kids earn money by taking on extra chores.
Dr. Wadsworth’s point is that it is vitally important that children experience the natural consequences of their actions — or inactions.
If children don’t learn to rely on themselves, they become irresponsible adults, the psychiatrist concluded.
He acknowledged that this parenting style might not be suitable for every child. In the comment section, he mentioned that not everything works for every child.
The video received mixed reactions. While many wanted to know more about this parenting technique, others quickly dismissed it.
A mom said, “This means you are an awesome parent. The whole purpose of parenting is preparing them for the real world.”
One person criticized the doctor, saying, “That is why they become full of apathy, angry to the world, and unhappy. They are kids and deserve to be one.”
Another wrote how “the oldest one will resent you for this.”
Another person, raised in this style, said, “My love language is ‘acts of service’ because of it … it has its pros, but it also has its cons.”
Someone wondered what is the doctor’s role as a parent since he listed so many things he does not do for his kids.
He replied, “I teach them. I love them. I play with them. I slowly help them learn life skills and help them feel confidence and joy in being responsible.”
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