My dad actually did the same thing to me when I was sixteen, except I'd complained about my home life in person to two friends and been overheard and he didn't shoot my laptop. Instead, he took the tower computer I'd built myself (Daddy taught me IT when I was a little bitty thing,) and gave it to a kid from our church who had lost everything in a fire and who was, he felt, more respectful and hardworking than me.
Not only did the loss of the computer sting, but seeing how happy the other kid was made me realize I could be a better person. I did my chores with more dedication, got a job babysitting, built myself a better computer, and then started a small business teaching senior citizens to use computers, all at age sixteen.
Then Daddy told me that if I paid rent, I wouldn't have to do chores anymore besides my own laundry, so I started paying him $300 a month and stopped having to do dishes and vacuum rugs. My little brother took up my chores and my little sister learned a few of his, since they were old enough by then, and once my business got busy enough, I hired my siblings for minimum wage. We wound up pooling some money to hire a maid service to do our chores and Dad was perfectly pleased with us, especially when we began donating computers we'd built to charities and people in need. We even set up the first website and Internet access our church ever had!
Here's the surprise. I'm twenty-six now, still working in IT, a college graduate, married, etc., and last month my husband and I bought our first house. Daddy came out to visit this past week and brought along a check -all the rent I paid from age sixteen through twenty, plus interest, he'd saved for me for some time when I might need it. He told me he was proud of how I've grown up, and I thanked him for being so tough and teaching me what I needed to know all those years ago. About half of the money, I'll use on some improvements to the house, but the other half I'm saving for the day when I can give my husband his own daughter and a chance to be just as wonderful a father as I have!
So yeah, all but the shooting of the poor laptop I completely agree with.
Not only did the loss of the computer sting, but seeing how happy the other kid was made me realize I could be a better person. I did my chores with more dedication, got a job babysitting, built myself a better computer, and then started a small business teaching senior citizens to use computers, all at age sixteen.
Then Daddy told me that if I paid rent, I wouldn't have to do chores anymore besides my own laundry, so I started paying him $300 a month and stopped having to do dishes and vacuum rugs. My little brother took up my chores and my little sister learned a few of his, since they were old enough by then, and once my business got busy enough, I hired my siblings for minimum wage. We wound up pooling some money to hire a maid service to do our chores and Dad was perfectly pleased with us, especially when we began donating computers we'd built to charities and people in need. We even set up the first website and Internet access our church ever had!
Here's the surprise. I'm twenty-six now, still working in IT, a college graduate, married, etc., and last month my husband and I bought our first house. Daddy came out to visit this past week and brought along a check -all the rent I paid from age sixteen through twenty, plus interest, he'd saved for me for some time when I might need it. He told me he was proud of how I've grown up, and I thanked him for being so tough and teaching me what I needed to know all those years ago. About half of the money, I'll use on some improvements to the house, but the other half I'm saving for the day when I can give my husband his own daughter and a chance to be just as wonderful a father as I have!
So yeah, all but the shooting of the poor laptop I completely agree with.