TV host hailed a hero after hurling daughter’s phone off a balcony

A British dad has won fans around the world after posting a picture of his drastic action to get his daughter off her phone.

A British TV presenter has been hailed a “hero” by parents after following through on a threat to chuck his daughter’s phone off a balcony.

The fed-up dad of six, Sky News presenter Colin Brazier, 50, tweeted that he’d launched the mobile into a field alongside a picture of the scene.

Mr Brazier captioned the shot: “Somewhere in the field, off this balcony, is my teenage daughter’s recently-hurled smartphone.

“I’m sure a more constructive dialogue was possible, but sometimes following up on the parental threat simply has its own immutable logic.”

Somewhere in the field, off this balcony, is my teenage daughter’s recently-hurled smartphone.
I’m sure a more constructive dialogue was possible, but sometimes following up on a parental threat simply has its own immutable logic. #getstuffedinstagram pic.twitter.com/yH1BAhDKcI

— Colin Brazier (@colinbraziersky) 20 March 2019

Mr Brazier, who lost his wife Joanna to cancer last year, didn’t say what his daughter had done to deserve the punishment

But he added the hashtag “#getstuffedinstagram” so perhaps she’d been spending a little too long on the pic-sharing site.

The presenter has five daughters — Edith, 19, Agnes, 15, Constance, 14, Gwendolyn, 12, and Katharine, 10 — as well as son John, 8, but hasn’t confirmed which girl is now without a phone.

But he was praised on Twitter, with his post already racking up 471 likes and 60 replies — with many applauding his parenting.

Flight mode enabled then? 🤣👍✈

— PHILIP MICHAEL TWINE (@Pt004b6625TWINE) 21 March 2019

I hear you Colin... I’ve smashed 2 with the pestle & mortar after throwing on tiled kitchen floor wasn’t effective enough. I have another in my car somewhere. We’ve now found a happy/grumpy (well I’m happy!)medium with Nokia, no social media-yaaaaay!

— Lukwesa Burak (@LukwesaBurak) 20 March 2019

My mum did similar to me when I was a bratty teen (way before mobile phones!) My respect for her rapidly increased as I knew then the boundary of what was and wasn't acceptable had been reached. I've never (to my knowledge) got her that angry again

— Sarah Brock 📱+ 🚘 = ❌ (@GerrysMum) 21 March 2019

Hmm very grown up thing to do. Bully behaviour. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. If this was two adults I actually don't think this would be viewed in the same way. Personally can't imagine she has more respect for you after doing this either.

— Rach (@RCK198) 20 March 2019

You won't be the first or the last parent to do that. #beentheredonethat

— Dianne Z v Heerden (@dianvh2102) 21 March 2019

My kids get "disconnected" if they mess up! Gadget free for a day or two. Eldest gets grounded.
A friend has thrown an xbox down the stairs.
Needs must.❤

— Diane (@DianeCo58599893) 21 March 2019

‘HAS TO BE DONE ON OCCASIONS’

One said: “I hear you Colin … I’ve smashed 2 with the pestle & mortar after throwing on tiled kitchen floor wasn’t effective enough.”

Another added: “My son was messing about with his breakfast. Told him to eat it (or) I’ll put it over his head … he didn’t eat it … he wore it. If ur going to make threats, u have to follow them through.”

While a third posted: “Colin — I once threw freshly baked muffins (for No 2 child’s birthday) off a balcony after some bad behaviour. Hysterics followed, but the lesson was learnt!”

Others said they felt “inspired” and agreed it “has to be done on occasions”.

Not every one was on board with the punishment though, with one Twitter user writing: “Hmm very grown up thing to do. Bully behaviour. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

“If this was two adults I actually don’t think this would be viewed in the same way. Personally can’t imagine she has more respect for you after doing this either.”

Another one suggested he’d done it just for social media, adding: “Way to teach your kid to be reactionary & destructive (to say nothing of wasteful). This is a great way to teach her that hurling stuff in anger is the adult way to handle things. Constructive dialogue isn’t worth pursuing when you can do this/go viral.”

Kirstie Allsopp reveals she smashed her children's tablets in front of them because they kept breaking her rules for using them.

Harsh, or a good bit of parenting there?@KirstieMAllsopp | @TheJeremyVine | @stormhuntley | #jeremyvine pic.twitter.com/EFB4uctUmq

— Jeremy Vine On 5 (@JeremyVineOn5) 10 September 2018

LEAF OUT OF KIRSTIE’S BOOK

Perhaps Colin Brazier was inspired by another British television presenter’s love for smashing technology. TV personality Kirstie Allsopp defended her decision to smash her children’s iPads last year, saying she followed through with the severe punishment after they broke her screen time rules.

“We had made all sorts of rules and all sorts of times when we said you can’t play them and all those rules got broken and in the end I said, ‘Right that is it. I have to physically break them’.”

While the 47-year-old was forced to quit Twitter over the backlash, but later revealed she still hadn’t replaced the gadgets.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain she said: “The reality was pretty fantastic. And I kind of feel a bit boring for saying that but we had a much better summer. All that negotiation had gone.

“They couldn’t say ‘I’ll do this if you let me have half an hour of Fortnite.’ Or ‘I’ll read this if you let me do this.’

“We just did a lot more, they got back into their in-line skates and skate boards and were playing chess. We had a much better summer.”

Wow the backlash over Kirstie Allsopp smashing her kids iPads is unbelievable. The world has gone completely soft and you can see why some kids these days run riot. As a parent myself I would do exactly the same if it had to be done

— Richard Harvey (@richard1198) 11 September 2018

Oh mate. Parenting teenagers (especially on your own) is tough. It does get better. @KirstieMAllsopp I’m sure will support you #ipadgate #toughloveisstilllove

— Jo Naylor-Smith (@JoNaylorSmith) 20 March 2019

This article first appeared on The Sun and has been republished here with permission.