Retail workers witness plenty of uncomfortable family moments they were never meant to referee.

At one sub shop, a father’s approach to motivating better grades unfolded directly at the register.

What began as an ordinary lunch order quickly left one child watching everyone else eat.

See why the cashier never forgot it.

How to spot the kid who is going to have some issues as an adult.

About a year ago, I was at the cash register at the sub shop where I work when a family came in. Nice-looking family — Dad and two sons, about 12 and 10.

The Dad asks the 12-year-old, “Alright, Buddy, what would you like?”

The 12-year-old orders a sandwich, and then the Dad orders one for himself.

But here’s where the cashier noticed something was up.

I look at the 10-year-old, who turns to his Dad and says, “I really want a sandwich, Dad.”

“Then you should have got an A on your project,” he mumbles toward the kid.

“But I got a C,” the little kid says, but the Dad ignores him and keeps looking at me.

I stare at him, confused, and tell him his total. He pays, and they get their food.

This dad sticks to his word throughout the entire lunch.

Once again, the kid asks for a sandwich. The Dad tells him he can have leftovers when he gets home.

To my shock, Dad and older brother eat their food at the restaurant with this little kid just looking on.

Of course, the boy’s brother refuses to let this go.

The older brother is teasing him with his food — “I have a sandwich, and you get leftovers, haha!” — and the Dad is too busy on his phone to really care.

I know this is fairly minor, and I don’t know their lives and stories, but dang… that was cold.

Many would say this counts as cruel and unusual punishment!

Redditors weigh in with their thoughts.

This commenter thinks this dad may have taken things too far.

Punishing your children like this doesn’t necessarily set them up for success in the real world.

If he wanted to reward his sons for good grades, then fine, but this isn’t how you do it.

The punishment motivating this kid to do better is the best-case scenario here.

A father bought sandwiches for himself and his older son while making his ten-year-old watch because he earned a C.

The cashier found it painfully cold, and commenters debated rewards versus humiliation but largely agreed the public spectacle was unnecessary.

Nothing inspires academic excellence quite like converting lunch into a quarterly performance review while the favored employee gloats across the table.