A father named Garrett Gee decided to teach his son a lesson about self-confidence by throwing him off a cliff .
Garrett, an influencer and founder of The Bucket List Family, posted the moment on Sunday (July 13), garnering over 3.5 million views.
The clip shows the father speaking with his 7-year-old, Calihan, atop a rock formation at Lake Powell.
- Garrett Gee threw his 7-year-old son off a cliff at Lake Powell to help him overcome fear and build his self-confidence.
- The father said his son chose to be thrown because he was too scared to jump.
- The video sparked mixed reactions, with some praising the lesson and others calling it traumatizing.
At one point, Garrett picks Calihan up and tosses him off the cliff into the water below. He then jumps in to join his son for a swim.
An influencer dad threw his 7-year-old son off a cliff to help him face his fears
Family with three children at the airport, unrelated to dad throws 7YO son off cliff to teach him to face fears story.
Though Calihan could be heard screaming on the way down, he appeared calm once he resurfaced. Onlookers cheered, celebrating the young boy’s bucket list moment.
In the caption of the video, the father clarified that he wasn’t trying to give “parental advice” and noted that he hadn’t pushed his other two children.
Man and young boy on rocky cliff edge during an outdoor moment related to dad teaching son to face fears controversy.
“Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different :),” he began. “For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :)”
Garett said he knew his youngest child would be safe, adding that the jump would have been far more dangerous if he had “hesitated, didn’t jump far out, and fell down the cliff side.”
Garrett Gee founded the vlogging channel Bucket List Family with his wife, Jessica
Smiling dad wearing a floral lei holding his young son against a blue background, highlighting father and son relationship fears.
“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!”
The father concluded the post with a warning: “Teaching your kids to be brave starts to backfire when they become older and begin jumping from heights that you don’t even dare!! /// BE SAFE OUT THERE! YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! HAVE FUN!”
Comment exchange about dad throwing son off cliff to face fears, discussing safety and choice in daring parenting moment.
People had mixed reactions to the video, with some applauding the family vlogger for his approach and others arguing that his methods were too traumatizing for the 7-year-old boy.
“He didn’t look happy. He looked traumatized,” one person wrote.
“Negligent and irresponsible just for views?!!” another commented.
“The scream says it all. He’s not ready. I hate this for him,” added a third.
Garrett said his son wanted to jump off the cliff at Lake Powell but was too scared
Dad throwing 7-year-old son off cliff to teach him to face his fears, captured on rocky terrain during daylight.
Screenshot of a social media comment discussing risks and brain injury related to a dad throwing 7-year-old son off cliff.
“As a kid I wish I was allowed to face my fears more, now I’m so timid and anxious when doing new things because I don’t believe I can due not just to my parents but the influence of others around me,” shared a fourth.
“Hell yeah!! That’s such an important memory. It’s ok to be scared; sometimes all we need is a little push (or throw) to achieve the goal!!” a separate user commented.
Man in red shorts throwing 7-year-old son off cliff to teach him to face his fears, sparking public outrage.
One user asked Garrett if his young boy knew he would be thrown, to which he replied, “YES. He had the choice to climb down, jump himself, or have me throw him. He chose to be thrown. But regardless it was still scary for him.
“Scary for me too because I need to make sure he doesn’t cling onto me and hit the cliffs and also make sure he hits the water feet first. Kinda tricky but I feel like it’s part of the dad job description ;).”
The Bucket List family consists of Garrett, Jessica, and their three children: Dorothy Seven, Manillam and Calihan
Family hiking near cliff, with dad and kids smiling outdoors, highlighting dad teaching son to face his fears.
Instagram comment from theresilientroamer supporting parenting choices about teaching kids to face fears safely with emojis.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Garrett Gee (@garrettgee)
The content creator and his wife, Jessica, sold everything they owned in Utah to travel the world in 2015 after Snapchat acquired his mobile scanning app for $54 million.
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