Mom Goes on Strike Against 'Disrespectful' Teen Daughters
The final straw was when one of her daughters keyed her new minivan.
— -- A North Carolina mom is leading a one-woman march up and down the sidewalk outside her house.
Carrying a sign that reads "Mom on Strike," Naasira Muhammad is protesting against her two teenage daughters' "out of control" behavior, WFMY reported.
The single mom said she was set off when one of the girls keyed her brand new minivan, according to WFMY.
"I'm to the point where I'm just so frustrated, so to keep my hands off my kids or to keep me from doing something crazy, I just decided to go on strike," Muhammad told WFMY. "I walk up and down the sidewalk until my knees hurt, and then I sit down."
The Winston-Salem mother said she even called the cops after her van was scratched up, but the police told her they couldn't do anything without eyewitnesses.
"My children have everything that they could possibly want and need, but yet still, they are disrespectful," Muhammad told WFMY. "They are rude. They think that I'm the meanest mom in the world. They think they can survive without me, so I said, you know what? That's fine. This mom is going on strike."
It's unclear whether the family has patched things up yet. ABC News reached out to Muhammad today, but she declined to comment.
When ABC News visited her house today no one was apparently home. However, her "Mom On Strike" sign and chair were sitting visible on her porch.
Muhammad has been reportedly picketing since last Friday. She told WFMY that punishments like time-outs and lectures don't work with her teens.
"I threw my hands up in the air," Muhammad said. "I prayed about it. I'm through. I'm a mom on strike, and I don't care how long it takes."
Her girls also took to the street after being forced by an aunt to make gratitude signs, according to WFMY.
One sign read "Thank you mom for providing for me, caring for me, and loving me."
Another sign is pictured below:
They haven't tried to genuinely apologize on their own, though, according to People magazine.
Meanwhile, people on social media are abuzz.
Some have been supportive.
Others are blaming Muhammad for her children's unruly behavior.
However, the blame game is unhelpful and shames the family from getting the help it needs, psychologist Jill Weber told ABC News. Weber, a member of the American Psychological Association, did not treat Muhammad but runs a private practice in Washington, D.C.
"People want [blame] to be clear cut, but unfortunately, it isn't," Weber said. "What we really want in situations like this is for families to feel like they can access help. And blaming on social media makes people feel shame, and that stops people from getting the help they need to get unstuck."
Weber did say, though, that going on strike is an impulsive move that shows your children you don't have control over them. "As a single mother, it's difficult to draw limits," she said. "It can be pretty daunting. It's important to get a support system."
This support system can be in the form of therapists, church groups, community mental health centers, support groups and schools. Taking care of yourself and getting support from others can then empower you to start setting simple, but firm limits to get your teens in control, Weber said.
"The important thing is that you start with two to three absolute rules, and then stick by them and the consequences of not following them," she added. "I've definitely seen similar situations, and I know with little changes in a family's day-to-day interactions, things can absolutely get better."
Despite the mixed reactions, Muhammad seems to stand by her public protest.
Going on strike "is the only solution that I could think of other than get rid of my children," Muhammad told WFMY. "But I would not go to that extreme."
