Kid Asks Dad For An Xbox But The Father Turned It Into A Valuable Life Lesson
Every good parent hopes that their child will grow up knowing all of the most important life skills and values. Let’s face it, without them a young adult can struggle to overcome even the simplest challenges in life. While some parents except that kids will learn from their example or figure things out themselves, there are those who make sure to teach them. Take for instance this dad from Florida, Mark Arrington, who went viral for teaching his boh, the importance of working hard to get the things you want, and being handy.
Arrington, who told Bored Panda that he served in the military for 9 years before he medically retired, has a large family. The man is a father of 9 children, even though some of them are from his wife’s previous marriage. “I have three biological kids (one of them I consider mine from a previous marriage because I was there when she was a toddler). My wife came with 5 kids…lol so I have 9 kids; ages 18, 17, 16, 14. 13, 11, 9, 6, and 2. Five girls and four boys,” he explained. With so many kids to take care of, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, however, Arrington does his best at making sure that all of them are nurtured.
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Recently, a father named Mark Arrington shared an example of how he teaches his son important things in life
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Image credits: Mark Arrington
“There are no instructions on how to be a great parent, so you got to just wing it. To love unconditionally. We are not perfect and make mistakes. The key is to try your best and learn from your mistakes and do your best in every moment. I make sure to be there for my kids in every way possible and make sure that they have all the essentials to be successful in life,” he says.
One of the ways he makes sure his kids are ready to be self-sufficient and successful adults is to teach them a variety of useful skills. The father never misses an opportunity to do so. When his 11-year-old Markell asked for a new Xbox after his old one broke down, his dad knew exactly what to do before buying him the console. The man asked his son to help to put down the flooring on one of his rental properties and after a long day of work, the boy got what he asked for.
After his 11-year-old’s Xbox broke down, the father decided to make his son earn a new one
Image credits: Mark Arrington
“I am working to teach him, hard work, dedication, to finish what you start, commitment, if you learn how to do things for yourself, you don’t have to depend on others, hard work pays off,” Arrington said.
Image credits: Mark Arrington
“If you want something you can work to get it, love unconditionally, respect, honesty, preparation to be a great Leader/Husband for his future Family, be a Blessing to others, put God first and everything else will line up accordingly, own up to your mistakes and learn from them.”
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Image credits: Mark Arrington
The boy spent his weekend helping his dad put down the flooring
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Image credits: Mark Arrington
While it was exhausting, he worked hard for his new Xbox and learned a new skill
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Other than putting down the flooring, Arrington taught his son how to fix a broken AC
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Image credits: Mark Arrington
And other handy things such fixing a fence
Image credits: Mark Arrington
But the father and son duo don’t just work together, they also have fun by building model cars
Image credits: Mark Arrington
Image credits: Mark Arrington
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Kudos to this dad!!! Spending time with his son, teaching him new useful skills, AND to work for things in life! <3
Excellent parenting and bonding! That lad looks so sweet crashed out on the floor!
He will cherish those moments with him...my favorite memories of my dad are when he was "teaching me skills"
Yes!!! And now I can renovate my home, do plumbing (with pex, not copper) built things I want etc. With my girly side (which I loooove lol) I can sew, knit, bake etc...🙂
Load More Replies...
I wish I had learned how to be more self sufficient as a kid, my parents were very protective and we didn't really learn to do things for ourselves...I just took it upon myself to try to be more independent when I got older but I still have difficulties (thank god YouTube)...my sibling never did learn how to be independent. Your job as a parent should be to prepare your child to be independent some day...no matter how much you love them or how scary it might be.
That new floor looks great! This young man is learning some very useful skills.
That floor looks good from far, but it's completely wrong. All of the seams line up instead of being staggered. This means the floor will not only come apart in certain areas, it's going to separate quickly and need to be taken completely apart and put down properly to ever look right. The idea of teaching his son valuable lessons is great, but it's not beneficial to teach someone the improper way to do something.
Load More Replies...
Yes, practical skills that will benefit them later in life when us their parents are gone. Also, this is a training ground fir them not to be afraid of hard work, no task overwhelming it cannot be done. Chores also makes you think on your feet and sharpens common sense. Kudos to this dad who is not a lazy parent!
I had to mow the grass every weekend starting when I was 8 or 9 years old. I even had to help repair the patio when I was in my early teens. I never received an allowance for it because my mom would just tell me "The roof over your head and the food I buy is your allowance" lol. At that time, I did not like doing those things but as I got older I began to appreciate what my parents did.
This Father did EXACTLY the correct thing. This is what children should be doing. My husband learned to mow, on a tractor, bale, drive, shoot, herd, plant, feed and work on a tractor and a car BEFORE he was 12. He had his first paying job at 15 at the local gas station. He is, literally, an incredibly successful self-made man. I am so proud of him and our son, who, also, works with and for his dad and repairs cars and other machinery. This father shows how much he loves his son, you have done a wonderful thing for your son.
So many fantastic memories of times with Dad, useful knowledge and skills that can apply to many situations. BRAVO!
Where do these guys live? I want to hire Markell to be my assistant! More kids need to learn the value of the things they have and want and also the value of hard work.
Although i think that this is sweet and cool i that maby if they are good at fixing things shouldn't they just try to fix it? IDK the situation so no hate just my opinion.
Meanwhile my dad was busy drinking and banging sluts, He didnt even know what i studied or where i worked...
You sir, are doing a great job! You are preparing your son for life in the real world, and how to do something positive in this world. Not to mention, he will really appreciate your time and efforts now all of his life.
My dad is like that. He knows how to repair almost everything and I loved helping him. That helped me a lot because now that I live with my bf we can do a lot of things by our own and I'm not the "honey, can you repair this?" type of woman.
What an amazing parent. I think his son will have a bright and wonderful future thanks to the lessons of his dad.
This Dad is giving his son several gifts and it's tricky to choose which is the greatest. Just spending time with his son has got to be right up there. Teaching him really useful stuff, having fun with him, following through on rewards/ promises, making his son work really hard for what he wants, etc . His son is so young but these things are going to be with him for life. He will carry the feel good emotions forever even if he doesn't always know where the association comes from. I'm so impressed. This is such a beautiful thing to see.
i think it's a pretty good life lesson, but girls can repair things just as easily, and who's to say he'll get a wife? not in a mean way, i just mean he might marry a different gendered person, or not at all. anyways, all that aside, i do think it's a good thing to do. more parents should do this, there's too many spoiled kids who think they're 'all that' just because they have some fancy Xbox or something
This is exactly the kind of things I want to to with my kids when they're old enough.
I do this with my son, too. He loves working on projects around the home, and not because he's trying to get a gift. I'm teaching him to work with his hands and be self sufficient. The trades are the way to go, and he's getting his apprenticeship with me. Love it!
God bless you Mr. Arrington. There is more I want to say to you but words are having trouble coming out from my heart. If I ever met you I would give you the biggest hug..
Awesome relationship. My dad taught me a lot of things too. He'd say...Come here Annette let me show you how to do this or use this.
Brilliant! I love this so much!!! And what a great attitude this kiddo has too!
You're a good dad. Being handy is priceless and you're teaching him the value of a dollar.
A++++++ for parenting! On top of teaching him new skills, he'll also learn that if you want something, earn it.
Such great example of what a father really should be. Those are memories your son will have forever
Love it!! I tried to do this with my daughter but my mum just kept giving her money and undermining me. Shame now she's so indulged and won't talk to me but she loves her nan who gives her everything
They are a blessing to each other. I wish someone had cared enough to teach me practical skills. High fives for dad & son!
After all that hard work, waking up to a brand new Xbox will be amazing!! Good for both of them!!
If all parents took the time. Regardless of a boy or girl they can learn from their mothers and fathers. And it shows how to respect someone with knowledge. Dishes, laundry, cooking, repairing, sewing, cleaning, fixing electrical (rule one turn off power or unplug!), power tools (read manual, safety glasses, safety first!), and even autos. I learned how to do brakes and timing and take apart an engine and rebuild it. To fix a leaky sink, sewing. And so many more handy things that help me out and give me memories from learning from my family. Don't yell. Explain why steps a b c need to go in that order. The results from learning and a child getting that parent or family time can't be replaced.
This makes me so happy. Good to see parents making their kids earn something
Yo. Your kid worked hard for you and you got him a crappy Xbox One S??? C'mon, pops...
Thanks to everyone who is taking their time to read this testimony on how my son was cured from Autism, he was diagnosed four years ago, and he is now 6, I have tried several treatments and medications on him, nothing is working out and I am so frustrated. I keep praying to God and finally God answered my prayers, someone from no where walk to me and told me he want to tell me about this doctor he has knew for years now from his own country, after everything I took the contact of the doctor and called and I was so surprised it was a female and I explained my son condition to her, she asked for my home address and the next day I got a tracking number or a parcel sent to me through dhl from Doctor Stella, after four days I received the parcel, I opened and found a liquid herbal medicine and some herbal medicine grinded and I found a letter containing the instructions on how to use this medicine, I called her and thank her so much and she told me we should thank God for everything, the
Wow you mean I could get an xbox for that as a kid? I did all that shir for free to help my dad
Kudos to this dad!!! Spending time with his son, teaching him new useful skills, AND to work for things in life! <3
Excellent parenting and bonding! That lad looks so sweet crashed out on the floor!
He will cherish those moments with him...my favorite memories of my dad are when he was "teaching me skills"
Yes!!! And now I can renovate my home, do plumbing (with pex, not copper) built things I want etc. With my girly side (which I loooove lol) I can sew, knit, bake etc...🙂
Load More Replies... I wish I had learned how to be more self sufficient as a kid, my parents were very protective and we didn't really learn to do things for ourselves...I just took it upon myself to try to be more independent when I got older but I still have difficulties (thank god YouTube)...my sibling never did learn how to be independent. Your job as a parent should be to prepare your child to be independent some day...no matter how much you love them or how scary it might be.
That new floor looks great! This young man is learning some very useful skills.
That floor looks good from far, but it's completely wrong. All of the seams line up instead of being staggered. This means the floor will not only come apart in certain areas, it's going to separate quickly and need to be taken completely apart and put down properly to ever look right. The idea of teaching his son valuable lessons is great, but it's not beneficial to teach someone the improper way to do something.
Load More Replies... Yes, practical skills that will benefit them later in life when us their parents are gone. Also, this is a training ground fir them not to be afraid of hard work, no task overwhelming it cannot be done. Chores also makes you think on your feet and sharpens common sense. Kudos to this dad who is not a lazy parent!
I had to mow the grass every weekend starting when I was 8 or 9 years old. I even had to help repair the patio when I was in my early teens. I never received an allowance for it because my mom would just tell me "The roof over your head and the food I buy is your allowance" lol. At that time, I did not like doing those things but as I got older I began to appreciate what my parents did.
This Father did EXACTLY the correct thing. This is what children should be doing. My husband learned to mow, on a tractor, bale, drive, shoot, herd, plant, feed and work on a tractor and a car BEFORE he was 12. He had his first paying job at 15 at the local gas station. He is, literally, an incredibly successful self-made man. I am so proud of him and our son, who, also, works with and for his dad and repairs cars and other machinery. This father shows how much he loves his son, you have done a wonderful thing for your son.
So many fantastic memories of times with Dad, useful knowledge and skills that can apply to many situations. BRAVO!
Where do these guys live? I want to hire Markell to be my assistant! More kids need to learn the value of the things they have and want and also the value of hard work.
Although i think that this is sweet and cool i that maby if they are good at fixing things shouldn't they just try to fix it? IDK the situation so no hate just my opinion.
Meanwhile my dad was busy drinking and banging sluts, He didnt even know what i studied or where i worked...
You sir, are doing a great job! You are preparing your son for life in the real world, and how to do something positive in this world. Not to mention, he will really appreciate your time and efforts now all of his life.
My dad is like that. He knows how to repair almost everything and I loved helping him. That helped me a lot because now that I live with my bf we can do a lot of things by our own and I'm not the "honey, can you repair this?" type of woman.
What an amazing parent. I think his son will have a bright and wonderful future thanks to the lessons of his dad.
This Dad is giving his son several gifts and it's tricky to choose which is the greatest. Just spending time with his son has got to be right up there. Teaching him really useful stuff, having fun with him, following through on rewards/ promises, making his son work really hard for what he wants, etc . His son is so young but these things are going to be with him for life. He will carry the feel good emotions forever even if he doesn't always know where the association comes from. I'm so impressed. This is such a beautiful thing to see.
i think it's a pretty good life lesson, but girls can repair things just as easily, and who's to say he'll get a wife? not in a mean way, i just mean he might marry a different gendered person, or not at all. anyways, all that aside, i do think it's a good thing to do. more parents should do this, there's too many spoiled kids who think they're 'all that' just because they have some fancy Xbox or something
This is exactly the kind of things I want to to with my kids when they're old enough.
I do this with my son, too. He loves working on projects around the home, and not because he's trying to get a gift. I'm teaching him to work with his hands and be self sufficient. The trades are the way to go, and he's getting his apprenticeship with me. Love it!
God bless you Mr. Arrington. There is more I want to say to you but words are having trouble coming out from my heart. If I ever met you I would give you the biggest hug..
Awesome relationship. My dad taught me a lot of things too. He'd say...Come here Annette let me show you how to do this or use this.
Brilliant! I love this so much!!! And what a great attitude this kiddo has too!
You're a good dad. Being handy is priceless and you're teaching him the value of a dollar.
A++++++ for parenting! On top of teaching him new skills, he'll also learn that if you want something, earn it.
Such great example of what a father really should be. Those are memories your son will have forever
Love it!! I tried to do this with my daughter but my mum just kept giving her money and undermining me. Shame now she's so indulged and won't talk to me but she loves her nan who gives her everything
They are a blessing to each other. I wish someone had cared enough to teach me practical skills. High fives for dad & son!
After all that hard work, waking up to a brand new Xbox will be amazing!! Good for both of them!!
If all parents took the time. Regardless of a boy or girl they can learn from their mothers and fathers. And it shows how to respect someone with knowledge. Dishes, laundry, cooking, repairing, sewing, cleaning, fixing electrical (rule one turn off power or unplug!), power tools (read manual, safety glasses, safety first!), and even autos. I learned how to do brakes and timing and take apart an engine and rebuild it. To fix a leaky sink, sewing. And so many more handy things that help me out and give me memories from learning from my family. Don't yell. Explain why steps a b c need to go in that order. The results from learning and a child getting that parent or family time can't be replaced.
This makes me so happy. Good to see parents making their kids earn something
Yo. Your kid worked hard for you and you got him a crappy Xbox One S??? C'mon, pops...
Thanks to everyone who is taking their time to read this testimony on how my son was cured from Autism, he was diagnosed four years ago, and he is now 6, I have tried several treatments and medications on him, nothing is working out and I am so frustrated. I keep praying to God and finally God answered my prayers, someone from no where walk to me and told me he want to tell me about this doctor he has knew for years now from his own country, after everything I took the contact of the doctor and called and I was so surprised it was a female and I explained my son condition to her, she asked for my home address and the next day I got a tracking number or a parcel sent to me through dhl from Doctor Stella, after four days I received the parcel, I opened and found a liquid herbal medicine and some herbal medicine grinded and I found a letter containing the instructions on how to use this medicine, I called her and thank her so much and she told me we should thank God for everything, the
Wow you mean I could get an xbox for that as a kid? I did all that shir for free to help my dad
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