Mom Of 4-Year-Old Tells School Her Child Can Go Hungry Since The Little Girl Is Responsible For Packing Her Own Lunch Each Morning And Didn't Do It
People are saying that she's too young to have such a harsh lesson.
TikTok Ruby Franke, a YouTuber and mother of six, has sparked an online debate after a video resurfaced where she chose not to pack lunch for her six-year-old daughter before sending her off to school.
Many parents opt to have their children learn responsibility the hard way: through their mistakes. So, when her young daughter forgot to pack herself lunch, the YouTube mom let her go hungry for the day to learn from her mistake. But many people don't believe that she acted appropriately.
The mom told the school that her child could go hungry since she was responsible for packing her own lunch.
Ruby received a text message from the teacher informing her that her daughter hadn't packed lunch.
"Her teacher is uncomfortable with her being hungry and not having lunch and it would ease her discomfort if I was to come to the school with lunch," Ruby explained in the video, which resurfaced on TikTok. However, she refused, firmly believing that her young daughter should learn the consequences of her actions.
Ruby said that this wasn't the first time her school's reached out to her, claiming that it happened "quite often." Though, she doesn't believe in rushing over with a packed lunch. Her argument? This wouldn't teach her daughter anything. She put the responsibility of making lunch on her child, who had told her the lunch was packed.
"The natural outcome is that she is just going to have to go hungry," she said. Ruby expressed her hope that her daughter's hunger would be a lesson for her always to remember her lunch.
This isn't the first time the mom has faced backlash for her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, following her daughter Shari speaking out against her Christian parents' "extreme beliefs."
This instance is part of a wider conversation the internet has been having about the Franke family's parenting style.
Most people are criticizing Ruby's decision to let her daughter go hungry for the day. "Why is the teacher uncomfortable with her being hungry yet the mother is not[?]" one woman asked.
Others felt that it was much too harsh for a four-year-old child. "Omg maybe 12 but 4 that is sick," one person wrote. Several users questioned the mother's priorities.
Photo: TikTok
"Children cannot learn if they are hungry. Their focus then gets pulled to the fact they are hungry rather than the lesson being taught," one woman pointed out. Others criticized Ruby's stance against others helping her child.
Teachers also weighed in, with one saying, "I would be filling out a report if a parent had this reaction to me asking them to fulfill basic needs."
Despite the overwhelming criticism, some defended Ruby's parenting style.
"I mean honestly, my mum would have done the same thing. I'm not a fan of this family but she should have packed her lunch," one person wrote.
In the original YouTube video, Ruby is seen preparing a charcuterie board with bananas, cheese, and vegetables for her family's afternoon tea. She called her daughter to eat and took the opportunity to discuss with the rest of the family that the six-year-old didn't have any lunch. She further made her daughter promise on camera that she would remember to bring her lunch in the future before allowing her to eat.
The family's YouTube channel has been inactive for over a year.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.