Have a wild, out-of-control teenager on your hands? This dad can relate. But after failed attempts to thwart his teen’s pot smoking and “acting all thug,” Florida dad Allan Gieger Jr. got fed up with his teen son’s behavior, so he decided to show his son the consequences of his ways.
“Like every parent, we went through every avenue,” Gieger told CNN. “We tried talking to him.” It was about a year of tribulations with his son, he tells the news outlet. “I don’t want to see him struggle the way I did.”
So, he came up with a way to get the message across that would stick: He listed his son’s SUV on Craigslist. See, the SUV was actually a gift from his parents, meant to be his transportation to school and work. Instead, dad told the news outlet, his son took his friends for rides and smoked pot in it.
“I was tired of being embarrassed,” Gieger explained to CNN.
The listing itself was pretty epic, too. You can read the full post below:
In part, it reads, “This was a vehicle to finish school in, get a decent job and get a head start on life but chose to throw it all away because his friends would rather have an influence on him more than me! Now he can put those Jordans to use walk his ass off on these hot summer days.”
Turns out, dad did sell the SUV. It was listed at $250 and sold in two hours, as CNN reports.
“It’s been an eye-opening experience,” Gieger explained to the press. “He’s started talking to me about helping him reach his new set of goals.”
I find this to be a really creative way to address an out-of-hand situation. Sometimes parents have to find a way to have their message really make an impact. Sure, having your car taken away probably really is terrible, but surely this action will make teen Gieger rethink what his parents are truly trying to tell him. In the future, he’ll be thankful! If anything, it will be a funny story for the teen to share in the future … just maybe not right now.
What do you think of this situation? Was it too extreme or the perfect punishment? Weigh in!
