SHREVEPORT, La. — A Lousiana mom put her 13-year-old son to work for free after being suspended from school, KSLA reports.
Demetris Payne posted to a local Facebook group on Friday that for the 3 days her son was suspended he would be punished by doing free yard work.
Payne allowed people to book her son for a maximum of 3 hours.
When WREG asked Payne why she decided to use the social media giant she said “because we’ve tried everything else.”
“l thought it has to be something that is going to teach him while disciplining him at the same time and in turn help people get their yards done,” Payne said in a Facebook message.
Payne says the request for work was amazing. People asked her son ranged from raking to cleaning gutters and everything in between.
Although they were overwhelmed with requests for work, so much so Payne told KSLA she had to create a schedule to make it all happen, others help teach her son by offering equipment.
Payne offered appreciation for all the “support and encouragement” on her Facebook page.
“He was so excited to get the lawn equipment, even saying he’s going to start his own lawn service over the summer,” Payne said.
Payne says he didn’t complain as much and was respectful. She says her son “actually enjoyed some of the work.”
“He learned that hard work pays off, that even after a bad decision you can make good decisions, he learned to respect your teacher always and that it’s not good to get in trouble at school,” Payne said.
Tuesday Payne posted on Facebook that her son is back in school and that they were meeting with teachers keep him on track.
Payne says her son not only learned hard work but that “so many people care about him” and that he wants to “make them proud.”