38-year-old Jeanette Tapley, a mother of three teenagers, recently shared a video outlining the “strict rules” she has set for her children. Despite this viral video resonating with many parents, online teenagers quickly labeled her as the “strictest mom.”
Mrs. Tapley and her husband, 40-year-old pipeline operator Jesse Tapley, live with their children in central Texas. Apart from being a writer and speaker, she is also a podcast producer and editor, aiming to connect with other moms to discuss the joys and struggles of motherhood.
Mrs. Tapley has always sought positive and engaging ways to connect with other moms. After a family conversation at the dinner table, she came up with the idea of making a video when her children teased her for being too strict. After thoughtful consideration, she texted her children to ask which of the rules she and her husband had set were considered “strict.”
In outlining these rules, Mrs. Tapley emphasized that they can be adjusted depending on the situation. The “strictest” five rules include: 1. No TV in the bedrooms. 2. No TV upstairs. 3. No computers or internet devices in the rooms. 4. Phones can only be charged in the kitchen “command center.” 5. When boyfriends or girlfriends visit, they must use their own blankets while watching movies.
Regarding the viral video, Mrs. Tapley noted that while many comments were positive and inspiring, she often found herself debating with teenagers who believed her rules were too strict, referring to her as either a “strict mom” or a “scary mom.”
“I’ve had some really great discussions with other parents and some teenagers,” Mrs. Tapley told The Epoch Times.
Despite many acknowledging having similar or even stricter rules at home, this did not prevent enraged teenagers from harshly attacking her. They commented that if she were their mom, they would run away, or even send her to a mental institution.
The most common negative response suggested that setting “strict” rules for her children would only teach them how to sneak around and evade rules.
“My response to that is that when you have rules in life, even as adults, we tend to push the boundaries a little to see where we are safe,” she said. “I don’t necessarily agree that ‘strict parents lead to sneaky kids,’ I think kids are testing to see where those boundaries are.”
Mrs. Tapley firmly believes that relationships are key, and she has invested significant time in building strong connections with her children.
“In our home, it’s very evident that we respect each other, and that I am raising my future friends,” she said, adding that their faith and the way they communicate with each other play a “huge role” in this.
Undoubtedly, when her children saw her feeling bewildered by negative comments, they quickly stepped in to defend their mom.
“Sometimes, I’ll say, ‘I can’t watch these comments, I’m a bad mom,'” she said. “And my kids quickly remind me that these people do not know us. They don’t know our family, they don’t know our situation. They don’t know me. Therefore, they make definitive judgments.”
Despite facing sharp and hateful feedback, Mrs. Tapley understands that she has done the right thing for her family. She emphasized the importance of not letting society set standards for what a mother should do. As parents, their “ultimate goal” is to raise people who love God and become “responsible, kind adults.”
“In any case, as parents, I believe our job is to keep our children safe. Our job is to keep them moving forward. And if they stray off the path, our job is to lovingly bring them back on track. That’s how we do things in our family,” she said.