Dustin, 35, and Katie Maletich, 32, from Oregon, have defended their parenting technique after a viral TikTok video showed their nine-year-old son, Tommy, performing push-ups and squats as punishment for misbehavior. The couple faced significant backlash and support online after sharing the footage of how they handled Tommy telling his mother to 'chill'.

The incident, captured on an at-home camera, began when Tommy was arguing with his mother about using her phone. After Katie told him to stop, Tommy retorted, ''OK, chill''. This remark immediately caught the attention of his father, Dustin, who, unamused, asked, ''Did you just tell your mum to chill?'' Without hesitation, Dustin instructed Tommy to begin doing push-ups. Tommy complied, starting the exercise, but stopped after ten. Dustin, however, was not satisfied and pushed him to continue. Despite Tommy's protest, saying, ''I can't do anymore,'' his dad urged him to ''go, go'' until he completed 20 push-ups. Following the push-ups, Dustin informed Tommy he would also need to do squats, leading the nine-year-old to complete a remarkable 60 squats before being allowed to stop.

After the physical exertion, Dustin addressed Tommy, stating, ''Do we tell mum to 'chill out'? Absolutely not. I wouldn't let anybody else talk to her like that so you don't get to talk to her like that.'' Tommy then apologized to his mother, Katie. The viral video concluded on a loving note, with Dustin telling Tommy, ''I love you,'' and the father and son sharing a hug.

Katie shared the footage online under the username @raisingmaletich, accompanying it with the caption: ''I will never stop being grateful to be raising kids with a real man who knows how to be a father, especially to his boys. This is masculinity.'' The video quickly amassed more than 1.4 million views, sparking a fierce debate and dividing viewers over the couple's parenting approach.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Katie and Dustin staunchly defended their actions. Dustin clarified that the physical exercises were not