“Everybody Was Crying”: Strict Father Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Burned His Kids’ Shoes to Teach Them a Lesson

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife Maria Shriver have a balanced relationship with their four kids. Their eldest daughter Katherine and son Patrick have praised their parenting skills on multiple occasions. Despite always being in the limelight, the bodybuilding legend raised his children away from the glamor of Hollywood. To enable such a secure environment during the formative years of his children, Schwarzenegger remained a strict disciplinarian. However, in rare instances, he has resorted to somewhat extreme measures.

During an Instagram live session with Katherine Schwarzenegger, the seven-time Mr. Olympia recalled what he had once done to teach his kids a lesson. Schwarzenegger also recalled how he felt when his daughter told him about thinking of doing the same thing to discipline her son, Jack.

Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t mess around

During their live session, Schwarzenegger reminded his daughter about a conversation they had on the phone. “Guess what I did today? I told Jack if he doesn’t take his tennis shoes away, leaving them lying around, I’m gonna burn them in the fire.” Schwarzenegger Pratt told her father on the phone. Arnie remembered that he had done the same to Katherine when she was a kid because she “left them out six times in a row and didn’t put them away.”

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As the Governator recounted their conversation, his daughter began laughing. The former Mr. Olympia also recalled his daughter crying when he threw her shoes in the fire. However, Katherine corrected her father. “Everybody was crying,” said the 33-year-old. She also reminded Arnie about “legit burning” her brother Christopher’s shoes to teach them all a lesson about responsibility.

However, Katherine Schwarzenegger clarified she didn’t actually burn Jack’s shoes. She explained to him why she said she would burn them. The 33-year-old author then said that the next time she brought Jack to his grandfather’s place, he pointed at the fireplace and asked if that was where his grandfather had burned the shoes. During their Instagram live session, Katherine Schwarzenegger thanked her father for the lesson she learned after the incident.

A lesson on responsibility that Katherine might never forget

Katherine Schwarzenegger revealed why her father took such an extreme measure. Schwarzenegger’s eldest daughter later realized why her father would go to such lengths to teach them “about taking care of things that we have and (take) pride in caring for our belongings, being responsible, putting things away.” While the 33-year-old didn’t burn her son’s shoes, she taught Jack the lesson her father taught her.

Schwarzenegger also told her father how thankful she and all her siblings were. “It’s something that as adults I think we all look back on and we’re so grateful,” said the 33-year-old.

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What do you make of the shoe-burning incident? Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger was too harsh to burn his kids’ shoes? Write your views in the comments.