Influencer Garrett Gee is reacting to the controversy that ensued after he threw his son off a cliff.
“If somebody came across that video and had only seen that video, then I agree with them,” Gee told People in an interview published on Saturday, September 27. “‘Oh man, this looks terrible, and this father’s pushing their child too much.’ But anyone who has followed our journey for a longer time, they understand how thoughtful and cautious we are as parents.”
In July, Gee — who runs The Bucket List Family account, which has amassed more than 3 million followers on Instagram — went viral when he seemingly gave his son a pep talk about jumping into the water in Lake Powell. Gee went on to toss the little one off the cliff himself.
“This is NOT parental advice,” Gee wrote in the caption. “This is NOT something I advise you try. Also, this is NOT something we’ve done with all of our kids. Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different 🙂 For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :).”
He continued, “Well speaking of the top priority, safety..We took our youngest Cali to a cliff height that we knew he would be safe. Really the biggest danger would be if he hesitated, didn’t jump far out, and fell down the cliff side. So to be extra safe, because he wanted to jump but was not feeling confident.. I threw him. Eventually a baby eagle needs to leave the nest..or be tossed out of the nest 😉 and learn HE CAN FLY!”
Gee sent a “warning” to his followers that “teaching your kids to be brave starts to backfire when they become older and begin jumping from heights that you don’t even dare!!” He concluded, “BE SAFE OUT THERE! YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! HAVE FUN! — @thebucketlistfamily.”
The video drew criticism from many followers, with some calling the idea “terrible.” Others, meanwhile, praised Gee for his parenting style. “This. Is. Phenomenal. On so many levels. 👏👏👏👏👏,” James Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, commented at the time.
Now, Gee reflected that he strives to create a comfortable and safe environment while also encouraging his and wife Jessica’s children to go outside of their comfort zones.
“A small part of me felt sad when I would read the comments because you could tell how many people out there didn’t have the opportunity to be pushed by their parents to try new things and stayed within their comfort zone,” Gee shared with the outlet.
While Gee faced criticism for the video, he shared that it didn’t affect him “negatively in any way.”
“I’m very confident in who me and my wife are as parents and our intentions and how careful, cautious and loving we are,” he told the outlet. “It didn’t affect me. I understand the nature of the internet.”
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