Her son was caught red-handed. Photo / Instagram @indyclinton
A mum who posted a video online of her one-year-old son covering a white wall with red paint has been slammed for her controversial reaction.
Sydney influencer Indy Clinton posted a short clip of her son Navy after she caught him painting a white wall and floorboards with red paint.
"You. Are. Kidding," she began the video, titled, "No words".
"Are you joking? Navy, stop. What did you just do?"
She then pans around at the mess, and bursts out laughing.
The 25-year-old was met with an assortment of reactions from her viewers.
While some thought the video was "adorable" and "hilarious", others had stronger opinions and even slammed Indy for her "lax" reaction.
"Personally I wouldn't let that slide" said one. "That's where I draw the line."
"How long was he left alone to do all that?" questioned another.
"Lax parenting," one person wrote.
"He think it's funny because you're laughing," another commented. "I don't think he knows right from wrong because you always laugh."
Meanwhile one said: "I'm all for gentle parenting but kids need to know right from wrong."
Others defended Clinton's parenting style, saying that "blowing up" would not do anything to fix the problem.
"He is literally one, I don't think yelling at him would help," one person said.
"These comments aren't it," commented another.
"Is she supposed to execute them on sight? Maybe a long talk and consequences were had after and off camera?"
Clinton is currently pregnant with her second child – a girl – and has spoken publicly before about her parenting style.
In another TikTok video, the mum stated things she would never do as a parent.
"I was brought up with physical discipline, a belt, a wooden spoon, and I just don't think that's the right way to discipline your children," she said.
"I get back in the day they did it at schools, it was the thing to do … if you do that to your child that is your choice but a child is defenceless, it's not cool."
Child behaviour research psychologist Professor David Hawes has said research suggests smacking can reinforce poor behaviour.
"There is now overwhelming evidence that physical discipline like smacking is harmful as well as ineffective," he said.
"One of the most effective alternatives to smacking is time out, but it only works when used correctly.
"Parents have become much more aware that a big part of managing their [kids'] behaviour is managing child emotions. This is a positive shift, but it has left many parents confused about how to [deal with] misbehaviour or aggression."
Ms Clinton also said she will never pressure her son to eat food or show affection.
"If he doesn't want to kiss or hug somebody, I will never force him, I don't care if it's family, he does not have to do it," she said.
"His body, his rules."