Mom Cancels Christmas for 5-Year-Old After Getting Letter from Teacher About 'Atrocious' Behavior

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of little girl with arms crossed and Santa hat over her face (left), stock image of Christmas decorations in the garbage.Photo:Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty; Tacojim/Getty

Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty; Tacojim/Getty

A mom of multiple children explains why Christmas was “canceled” for just one of her kids.

Mele, on TikTok @melez907, explained in a series of videos how she came to the decision to cancel Christmas for her 5-year-old daughter after a “long email” from her teacher about her “very atrocious” behavior.

Mele went on to explain that her older son, who is 11, has an understanding about Santa Claus and his parents' role in Christmas, which made the decision easier for her.

“Before this email came in, the teacher had called the week before and she told us and we spoke to Maddy… We talked to Maddy, we were doing Elf on the Shelf, all of this, and none of that work[ed],” she noted.

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Stock image of Elf on the Shelf.DBenitostock/Getty

DBenitostock/Getty

“She ain’t having Christmas at our house. I know that my momma might be getting her stuff, but at my house, she already knows. She lost Christmas.”

“As a teacher, when you send such an email about a student, it’s because you’ve tried everything and it’s not working. You’ve tried everything in your tool kit. As a mom, I’m very much about logical consequences for behavior,” she explained.

Noting Maddy’s birthday was in November and that she had a “good birthday celebration,” she said that she’s trying to communicate to her daughter that Christmas and the celebration of it are a “privilege.”

Stock image of a Christmas tree in the garbage.Richard Clark / Getty Images

In reply to commenters who said her entire family would suffer over one child’s behavior, she replied, “Our 11 year old son, he is fine. He’s going to have a grand Christmas.”

While many parents felt the punishment was too harsh, others understood Mele’s perspective and supported her dedication to sticking with consequences.

“THIS is parenting. that child played and found out mama does NOT play. amen 👏👏👏👏👏👏,” one commenter wrote.

“I got coal when I was 7 and I’ve never forgot that feeling. I never lost a Christmas again🤣,” another added.

source: people.com