Kelly Stafford, an influential figure on the internet who co-parents four children—Sawyer and Chandler, both aged 8, Hunter, 7, and Tyler, 5—with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, has opened up about her recent parenting challenges. During an episode of her and Hank Winchester's podcast, 'The Morning After,' aired on August 28th, Kelly confessed to struggling immensely with one of her daughters.
"I've been battling immensely with one of my daughters," Kelly shared emotionally. "She's transformed into a little girl whom I barely recognize. Currently, I'm striving to handle the situation with calmness."
Acknowledging that children often display their worst traits within the safety of their homes, Kelly elaborated that her daughter's troubling behavior had spilled over into her school life and sports activities. She revealed that her daughter had started disrespecting coaches, ignoring instructions, displaying a bad attitude, and walking away mid-conversation.
As a preemptive measure ahead of a family cookout, the 36-year-old mother warned her daughter that she wouldn't be allowed to attend if her misbehavior continued. The next day, Kelly overheard a distressing exchange between her daughter and Tyler.
"Tyler, with admiration, said, 'Wow, you look really pretty in that outfit,'" Kelly recounted. However, her daughter responded by scrutinizing Tyler from head to toe and snapping, "You look gross."
Seeing Tyler burst into tears and retreat to her room, Kelly struggled to contain her anger. "I'm at my wits' end," she exclaimed to her daughter. "I've tried sitting near your room, taking things away, and talking to you like the young woman you are. Nothing seems to work. I'm utterly exhausted."
She continued, "It's unfair to your sisters that all my energy is focused on you every day because of your misbehavior. You're causing problems. I don't know if it's for attention. Please tell me, do you need more from me? Is there something happening in your life that I'm unaware of?"
In response, her daughter burst into tears and confessed, "I don't know why I'm so bad." Kelly then told her daughter, while expressing her unconditional love, that her mean and bullying behavior would result in a 30-minute walk to and from school each day as a time for reflection.
However, when her daughter repeated the cycle of misbehavior on the third day of school, Kelly was heartbroken but determined to follow through on her promise. "I cried the entire way she walked home," she said through tears. "My other daughters also cried when I left her, but I was desperate. I didn't know what else to do."
She continued, "Perhaps it stems from my tendency to contrast her with my other daughters, who are as sweet as honey, as kind as angels, and unwaveringly do what is right. And I am loath to accept the notion that one of my children is predestined to rebel or stray from the path. That fate, I refuse for her."
