Ally Langdon’s Parental Guidance: Tiger parents criticised for theme park challenge

Self-confessed ‘tiger parents’ have revealed exactly how hard they will push their children to succeed – even if it means forcing their crying daughter down a terrifying waterslide. 

Parental Guidance, hosted by mother-of-two Allison Langdon and parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson asks couples with completely different parenting styles to compete in challenges with their children. 

In one of the challenges on Wednesday’s episode family’s were asked to work together to choose just one ride while visiting a theme park. 

While most came to an unanimous decision ,’tiger parent’s’ Kevin and Debbie were criticised for pushing their daughter too far outside her comfort zone – leaving the 12-year-old in floods of tears.

Self-confessed ‘Tiger Parents’ (pictured) have revealed exactly how hard they will push their children to succeed – even if it means forcing them down a terrifying waterslide

Mimi, 12, (pictured) was given the power to choose what ride her family would enjoy at the theme park and chose 'Outback Bay', a swimming pool with artificial waves

Mimi, 12, (pictured) was given the power to choose what ride her family would enjoy at the theme park and chose ‘Outback Bay’, a swimming pool with artificial waves

Poll

SHOULD YOU PUSH KIDS TO FACE THEIR FEARS?

Mimi, 12, was given the power to choose what ride her family would enjoy at the theme park and chose ‘Outback Bay’, a swimming pool with artificial waves. 

Her parents were unconvinced by her choice and instead pointed her in the direction of ‘Funnel Web’, a waterslide with multiple twists and turns. 

‘I really wanted to encourage Mimi to choose something more suitable,’ self-confessed strict parent Debbie tells the cameras. 

The twelve-year-old burst into tears at the suggestion despite her father pointing out children younger than her were enjoying the ride. 

A terrified Mimi continued to sob loudly as her family fly down the waterslide, as other parents in the room appear shocked at her emotional outburst. 

Her parents (pictured) were unconvinced by their daughter's choice and instead pointed her in the direction of 'Funnel Web', a waterslide with multiple twists and turns

Her parents (pictured) were unconvinced by their daughter’s choice and instead pointed her in the direction of ‘Funnel Web’, a waterslide with multiple twists and turns

Twelve-year-old Mimi burst into floods of tears at the suggestion of riding the Funnel Web waterslide (pictured)

Twelve-year-old Mimi burst into floods of tears at the suggestion of riding the Funnel Web waterslide (pictured)

Mimi continued to sob loudly as her family fly down the waterslide as other parents in the room appear shocked at her emotional outburst

Mimi continued to sob loudly as her family fly down the waterslide as other parents in the room appear shocked at her emotional outburst

'There was a strong reaction from the group to that one,' host Allison Langdon said (pictured, Mimi in tears on the ride)

‘There was a strong reaction from the group to that one,’ host Allison Langdon said (pictured, Mimi in tears on the ride)

‘There was a strong reaction from the group to that one,’ Langdon says as Debbie whispers to her husband: ‘I didn’t realise she was like that all the way down.’ 

She defended pushing her daughter to go on the ride while Kevin agreed that allowing Mimi to go with her first choice would have been ‘the easy way out’. 

However, other parents criticised the move and told the couple that Mimi’s freedom to choose for the family had been unfairly taken away from her.

‘Probably the unawareness for me stood out during that,’ ‘free range’ parent Daniel said.  

‘Understanding that she didn’t want to do it and probably at that point, giving her the option.’ 

‘Nature’ mother Liadhan agreed that the final choice should always be given to the person who was outside their comfort zone. 

'Nature' mother Liadhan (pictured) told Kevin and Debbie the final choice should always be given to the person who was outside their comfort zone

‘Nature’ mother Liadhan (pictured) told Kevin and Debbie the final choice should always be given to the person who was outside their comfort zone

In an individual interview Kevin and Debbie (pictured) admitted they were constantly revising and improving their controversial tiger parenting style

In an individual interview Kevin and Debbie (pictured) admitted they were constantly revising and improving their controversial tiger parenting style

Other parents criticised the parents for pushing Mimi and said her freedom to choose for the family had been unfairly taken away from her

Other parents criticised the parents for pushing Mimi and said her freedom to choose for the family had been unfairly taken away from her

In an individual interview Kevin and Debbie admitted they were constantly revising and improving their controversial tiger parenting style.  

‘We thought she would be happy that she did it,’ Debbie reflected glumly. 

In another challenge the family’s were put to the test in a family photo shoot. 

‘Helicopter parents’ Rachel and her husband, NRL great Sam Thaiday, initially struggled to control their two girls who ran around screaming as the photographer struggled to get the shot. 

‘Homeschool’ single mum Deb was forced to encourage her son Fletcher to participate after ‘he hit a wall’ and refused to pose with his five siblings. 

Surprisingly, ‘discipline’ parents Rob and Sioux also struggled with the challenge after their son Fletcher whacked his brother across the back in a fit of rage. 

Surprisingly, 'discipline' parents Rob and Sioux (pictured) also struggled with the challenge after their son Fletcher whacked his brother across the back in a fit of rage

Surprisingly, ‘discipline’ parents Rob and Sioux (pictured) also struggled with the challenge after their son Fletcher whacked his brother across the back in a fit of rage

The couple separated the boys and asked them to apologise to one another (pictured)

The couple separated the boys and asked them to apologise to one another (pictured)

The couple separated the boys and asked them to apologise to one another, with Sioux saying she liked her children to say sorry, even if they didn’t mean it. 

‘I want to say something kind of provocative,’ Dr Justin Coulson interrupted. 

‘Forcing children to apologise is teaching children to lie.’ 

The expert explained parents who allowed kids to ‘figure it out for themselves’ would build more resilience and confidence, than if their parents forced them to say sorry. 

Couples from the back row were then asked to choose two families to enter the ‘Crowded House’ to participate in more challenges. 

The ‘free range’ parents were credited with being laid-back with their children while the ‘helicopter’ couple were praised for the relationship between their two girls.  

'Helicopter parents' Rachel and her husband, NRL great Sam Thaiday, (pictured) initially struggled to control their two girls in the family photoshoot challenge

‘Helicopter parents’ Rachel and her husband, NRL great Sam Thaiday, (pictured) initially struggled to control their two girls in the family photoshoot challenge

'Discipline mum' Sioux (pictured) said she liked her boys to say sorry even if they didn't mean it

‘Discipline mum’ Sioux (pictured) said she liked her boys to say sorry even if they didn’t mean it

Single mum Deb was described as the ‘poster mum’ for home-schooling while the ‘discipline’ parents were applauded for preparing their kids for the real world. 

The group again had mixed reactions to Kevin and Debbie, the ‘tiger parents’. 

While some said they were impressed with their dedication to their kids others said they were unsure if Mimi and Leo were actually having fun in the process. 

The two couples chosen for the Crowded House challenges were ‘free range’ parents Penny and Daniel and ‘tiger parents’ Debbie and Kevin. 

They will go head-to-head with ‘strict’ parents Andrew and Miriam and ‘routine’ parents Brett and Tony to find out which parenting style is superior.

In Sunday’s finale episode each couple will be asked to care for all of the children in the house for a whole day, a challenge sure to produce some confronting results. 

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