Teen forced to advertise bad grades on street corner

Nathan Hager, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – A father in the Miami, Fla.-area apparently thought a bit of public humiliation was in order after his son came home from school and handed him a report card full of “Fs.”

WSVN-TV reports Michael Bell, Jr. was forced to stand at a busy street corner over the weekend wearing a sandwich-board sign that reads, “Hey, I want to be a class clown. Is that wrong?” on the front, and “I’m in the 7th grade and got 3 F’s. Blow your horn if there’s something wrong with that” in back.

Bell says he’s going to have to wear that sign all spring break long, while his friends are having fun, and while his dad, Michael Bell, Sr., stands watch.

“I don’t know any other way, I’m trying to reach him. He doesn’t want to be reached, and this is my last resort,” Bell, Sr., tells the TV station.

He’s hardly the first parent to feel as though he’s at his wit’s end, trying to get through to a son or daughter who just doesn’t seem to want to behave.

As a parent, can you relate to this? What’s the most creative form of discipline you’ve ever used on your child? Did it work? Leave a comment on this story, on WTOP’s Facebook page or call the WTOP Talkback line at 1-877-222-1035 to tell your story of thinking-outside-the-box parenting on WTOP Radio.

Follow Nathan and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up