Most teens think their parents are totally embarrassing. One dad figured out a way to use that to his advantage.
Bradley Herbst of Jacksonville, Florida created a rule to get his 14-year-old daughter, Sydney, to spend less time on her cell phone while they’re together. On Fridays, he drives her to and from school, and she’s not allowed to be on her phone during those car rides. If she breaks the rule, he will walk her into school dressed in whatever wild costume he decides to wear that day.
Advertisement
And he goes all out with his costumes.
Herbst told HuffPost he often chooses his costumes based on current events or things his kids are studying in school. He also takes ideas from friends, who sometimes lend him their own costumes.
Advertisement
Every Friday, the dad posts photos of his costumes on Facebook.
Advertisement
In the two years he’s been driving Sydney ― and now her brother, Andrew ― to school in costume, he’s never had to resort to walking them into the building. “They’re too afraid to get on their phones!” Herbst said. “They don’t even have them out. They’re packed away in their backpacks.”
As the dad’s photos show, Sydney is not always amused by his costumes, but Herbst said she’s come around to it.
“My daughter’s friends and classmates absolutely love it,” he said. “I think it’s taken Sydney until this year to actually enjoy it herself. Once she started enjoying it, she starting posting a pic of me in my costume, every Friday morning, to her Snapchat.”
He added, “Her friends can’t wait to see what I’ve come up with. She’s had a number of her friends tell her that they wish their dad would do something like this, and they tell her how cool they think I am.”
Advertisement
Herbst’s friends and family love seeing his Facebook photos every Friday. “They’re actually disappointed if there’s a Friday with no school,” he said.
The dad’s costume tradition has even reached strangers around the world through social media.
“I hope other parents get my message of how important it is to find a way to communicate with your kids while they’re ‘unplugged,’” he told HuffPost. “It’s so hard to get that phone out of their hand, you might need to come up with a creative way to do it. And, if it turns into a fun thing, even better!”
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.