It’s enough to make you laugh and cry at the same time. A New York preschooler’s temper tantrum has his father fighting to retain any custody and visitation rights to his son. And if it weren’t such an indictment of our culture, it would be hilariously funny.

Divorced New York attorney David Schorr picked up his 4-year-old son for their regular Tuesday evening together and set out for their usual restaurant, a place called the Corner Café. The boy threw a fit and demanded to be taken to McDonald’s. Dad was concerned about the boy eating too much greasy food, and didn’t like the tantrum. So he gave him a choice—dinner anywhere but McDonald’s or no dinner at all. As many boys will do, the child got bull-headed and chose no dinner at all. Dad tried to get him to be reasonable, but it was no use.

When the boy got home he ratted out Dad to Mom, who immediately took him to McDonald’s. Shortly thereafter she called a psychiatrist to counsel her son. She then petitioned the court to have Schorr’s weekly visitation rights revoked, saying he was wholly incapable of taking care of his son.

Where to begin?! I could write volumes on different aspects of this situation, but I think the thing that hit me most personally is that in interviews in the NY Post the dad was second-guessing himself. “The first thing I did was I questioned myself,” he recalled. “I wish I had taken him to McDonalds, but you get nervous about rewarding bad behavior.” Ya think?! Here dad was looking out for his son’s physical health and was trying to teach him proper behavior, only to have all that undone. And now he seems to be convinced he’s the one in the wrong.

Am I ever grateful that my dad never experienced that kind of parental confusion! When I threw a fit I got spanked; the one time I smarted off to him I got my mouth popped; and when I was too old for the belt or switch he found new ways to instill discipline. You think going to bed without dinner is terrible? I got my ticket to Ralph Sampson’s first game in his hometown of Harrisonburg after coming to UVA taken away because I did something that neither Dad nor I can even remember. What we do remember is that he had said that if I did it, he’d give my ticket to someone else. And when he said it, he meant it. To this day Melvin Falls thanks me for that every time I see him.

But I’m grateful. Because my dad didn’t want me to grow up to be a self-centered, undisciplined brat. I’m grateful he believed the Bible when it said, “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child” (Proverbs 29:15 NLT). I’m glad that he understood that it isn’t just mom who’s disgraced by an undisciplined child. I’m glad he understood that my life would be far more difficult and painful if he DIDN’T discipline me than it would be for the few moments my backside and my pride ached when he did. I’m eternally grateful.

Thanks, Dad. And Happy Father’s Day!