When an entitled teen boy began making fun of kids at school for not being able to buy expensive clothing, his mother was disgusted. So, she decided to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.
When her son, Anthony, reached the age of 13, Cierra Brittany Forney was faced with a stage most parents dread. Her sweet, carefree child was turning into a snarky, spoiled teen who cared more about the brand name on a shirt than the person wearing it. Fortunately, she was about to nip it in the bud.
One day, the boy had been acting particularly arrogant, making fun of classmates whose parents couldn’t afford to buy designer apparel. For Forney, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“So lately, my 13-year-old son had been acting a little… entitled. Acting like he’s too good to shop at Walmart or making snarky comments about kids at school who shop at the Goodwill, and quite a few other things. I don’t tolerate that,” the fed-up mom explained.
Knowing that entitlement will only get worse if left to fester, Forney was determined to teach Anthony a lesson. She thought that if he was condescending to others based on the cost of their clothing, it was probably because he had never lived their experience. As such, she devised a plan to force her son to walk in his classmates’ shoes — literally.
“Today, he took his own $20.00 to the Goodwill to buy clothes to wear the entire week to school. Whatever he found is what he would have to wear,” she wrote. “He isn’t happy and shed a few tears, but I firmly believe in 15 years he will look back and laugh at the day his mom made him shop at Goodwill. I want to teach my kids that money isn’t everything and if you have to degrade other people because of where they shop, then you too will shop there. Side note, I love the Goodwill!”
Forney shared an image of her son’s experience on social media. She explained that, while he was upset to not only have to wear used clothing but also to have to use his own money to do so, he learned a priceless lesson.
“My son learned a valuable lesson from this and I believe it is just another story we can add to our lives’ memory to look back on. I didn’t do this to punish him. It wasn’t to show him that Goodwill isn’t a good place to shop. I did this to teach him that money and name brands don’t change who we are as people,” she explained. “He can still be the amazing, adorable, loved kid that he is WITHOUT the expensive stores!”
Forney admitted that her son’s entitlement is partly her fault, as she and her husband would sometimes feed his desire to wear costly brands. However, as soon as she realized it was becoming a problem, she took action.
“It really all started because my husband drives an older car to work,” she told TODAY. “It’s a 20-year-old Honda and he wanted (my son) Anthony to go with him somewhere. And Anthony didn’t want to be seen driving around in the car. That was sort of the last straw.”
Forney concluded that the plan worked and that Anthony began to appreciate what he’s been given and not look down on others because of what they have or don’t have.
“He’s getting what I’m saying,” she said. “He’s been a good sport.”
Cierra Brittany Forney said that most of the feedback she received from social media was positive. Additionally, other parents are thanking her for the advice and are hoping to use her tactics to teach their entitled teens the same values.
Anthony is a good kid who simply needed to experience one of life’s most basic lessons to empathize with his fellow classmates. Thankfully, his mother recognized this early on and took immediate action to guide him back on the right path.
