History Main / ToughLove

** However it is later revealed that he does indeed care for his daughter, he expresses admiration in ''The Amber Spyglass'' for her exploits in Svalbard and for successfully tricking the former bear-king into a duel for the throne. In one of the standalone supplementary guides to the whole trilogy, it is mentioned that the [[WordOfGod author's notes]] have him keeping a framed portrait of [[spoiler: Lyra]] in his home. All this is masked by showing outward contempt for the poor girl when she finally comes looking for him. [[spoiler:[[MoralEventHorizon And by killing her best friend!]]]]

** '''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': [[Characters/MonsterVerseEmmaRussell Emma Russell]] tells her ex-husband that she "trained [their daughter Madison] to survive" so she would have a fighting chance in a world full of Titans. Another likely reason for Emma putting Madison through boot camp is to ensure she wouldn't lose another child to a Titan disaster. A deleted scene after Mothra's awakening shows part of Madison's training--a sparring session with one of Jonah's men as Jonah and some of his mercs watch. The scene shows some of the emotional damage Madison suffers because of her mother's manipulations as she releases her pent-up frustration over Emma's actions and complicity in them out of blindly trusting Emma. On the flip side, Madison's training enables her to steal the [=ORCA=], escape the bunker undetected, and hike to Fenway Park miles away. Emma readied Madison physically but failed to prepare her emotionally while indoctrinating and tricking Madison into joining her plan to release the Titans.
** In the official {{novelization}} of ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'', Maia Simmons mentions that her father [[Characters/MonsterVerseWalterSimmons Walter Simmons]] tends to set up mind games and subject her to tests of character to see if she's worthy to inherit his corporate empire -- one such "test" was not telling her anything about a 337-foot gorilla Titan's involvement on a potentially life-threatening mission that she's been assigned to oversee.

* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', one sidequest involves helping an [[ActionGirl NCR corporal]] who was [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped]] by the [[HatedByAll infamous raider boss]] Cook-Cook and [[PromiscuityAfterRape is having trouble coping]]. The most straightforward option for getting her to agree to see a doctor is, [[GuileHero with a high Speech level]], to berate her for being a weak link to the team. Her commanding officer will thank you and comment that she looked as though she was "[[DrillSergeantNasty slapped back to Basic]]."
* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', Strong the super mutant has a rather [[HeroWithAnFInGood twisted (yet well-meaning, in his mind)]] way of this trope: [[BloodKnight by fighting and killing]].

* In ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'', Mercy seems to be a stern, no-nonsense housewife at first, but her strict discipline on her children comes from her genuine love for them.

* [[OldSoldier Vice-Admiral Garp]] of ''Manga/OnePiece'' is a firm advocate of the Tough Love principle. Just look at how he changed Helmeppo and Coby from cowards into legitimate badasses after taking them under his wing. It is also part of the reason why Luffy is ''terrified'' of him.
** Regarding Luffy and Ace, this was mainly done in order to protect them from a world that would only ever want to see them dead, even if it meant forcing them into a life they don't want. This backfired tremendously, as it made him a poor ParentalSubstitute, and only caused them to want to become pirates ''even more'', if only to get away from him. While the brothers recognize that their grandfather loved them, it wasn't enough to sway them from pursuing the lives they wanted.

'''Benson:''' ...*sigh* I don't hate you guys. I just hate some of the things you do...Okay I ''really'' hate some of the things you do... I know you don't mean them, but I'm your boss and it's my ''job'' to push you to do better.

** ''Manga/PhantomBlood'': George Joestar felt he had to be stricter with his son Jonathan when Dio is adopted into the family. This unfortunately had some dire consequences, because Dio secretly takes advantage of this to torment Jonathan. He redeems himself when he [[HeroicSacrifice takes a knife to the back]] to [[PapaWolf protect his son]] when Dio attempts to stab Jonathan and become a vampire.
** ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': Keicho Nijimura is incredibly harsh to younger brother Okuyasu. He regularly insults him and even almost killed him in one instance. It was all an effort to get Okuyasu to become more independent, but he veers toward being an AloofBigBrother a little touch much.
** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': Prosciutto is often very harsh on his apprentice Pesci, often chewing him out for his failures and even beating him up on occasions. The reason why he treats him this way is because, as mafiosi, they have to be ruthless and cold-blooded. Prosciutto truly does care about Pesci, and wants to teach him to succeed.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E4TheRuthlessPursuitOfBloodWithAllA ...The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding]]", Lestat de Lioncourt takes on a disciplinary role after a panicked and heartbroken Claudia inadvertently murders her first boyfriend. He wants to ensure that she never does anything so foolish again by maximizing her psychological turmoil. He smirks while he's mocking her mistake ("It's easy to get carried away when you're young and in love"), picks up Charlie's arm and drops it to emphasize that he's dead as a doornail. Lestat then shoves Claudia towards the corpse and commands her to "clean up after yourself." After she places Charlie's body inside the incinerator, she's about to walk away when Lestat roughly grips her arm and face to hold her in place. She has no choice but to look while her FirstLove's "bones cracked black and his face turned to soup," the disturbing image being seared into her brain.

* ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'': Having privately come to regret his bullying and concluded that it's his fault his victim didn't take the Hero Course Entrance Exam, Bakugou Katsuki has decided to do whatever it takes to get Gen Ed student Midoriya Izuku's into the Hero Course "where he belongs." Bakugou's way of trying to help Izuku and inspire Izuku to achieve his full potential is [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou declaring war on Izuku.]] ''Repeatedly.'' Even in Bakugou's televised opening speech in the Sports Festival. [[spoiler:It turns out aggression is the only way he thinks he ''can'' interact with someone, due to his quirk counselors convincing him that it's his nature to be destructive.]]

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Lestat de Lioncourt takes on a disciplinary role after a panicked and heartbroken Claudia inadvertently murders her first boyfriend. He wants to ensure that she never does anything so foolish again by maximizing her psychological turmoil. He smirks while he's mocking her mistake ("It's easy to get carried away when you're young and in love"), picks up Charlie's arm and drops it to emphasize that he's dead as a doornail. Lestat then shoves Claudia towards the corpse and commands her to "clean up after yourself." After she places Charlie's body inside the incinerator, she's about to walk away when Lestat roughly grips her arm and face to hold her in place. She has no choice but to look while her FirstLove's "bones cracked black and his face turned to soup," the disturbing image being seared into her brain.

* Shadow Weaver uses this as a justification for her [[AbusiveParent A+ parenting]] of Catra in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', claiming that her handling of a young Catra (which included regularly paralysing her with an immobilisation spell that clearly inflicted pain) was [[HadToBeSharp to make her strong enough to survive in the Horde]]. However, because Shadow Weaver [[UnreliableExpositor lies as easily as she breathes]], [[ItsAllAboutMe jettisons people the moment they are no longer useful to her]], and [[ManipulativeBastard says this while attempting to manipulate Catra]], it's hard to tell how much of it was genuine, if twisted, affection and how much of it is Shadow Weaver just ''genuinely being that awful''.

** In the official {{novelization}} of ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'', [[Characters/MonsterVerseHumans Maia Simmons]] mentions that her father Walter Simmons tends to set up mind games and subject her to tests of character to see if she's worthy to inherit his corporate empire -- one such "test" was not telling her anything about a 337-foot gorilla Titan's involvement on a potentially life-threatening mission that she's been assigned to oversee.

* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Emma tells Mark that she trained Madison to survive so she would have a fighting chance in a world full of Titans. Another likely reason for Emma putting Madison through boot camp is to ensure she wouldn't lose another child to a Titan disaster. A deleted scene after Mothra's awakening shows part of Madison's training—a sparring session with one of Jonah's men as Jonah and some of his mercs watch. The scene shows some of the emotional damage Madison suffers because of her mother's manipulations as she releases her pent-up frustration over Emma's actions and complicity in them out of blindly trusting Emma. On the flip side, Madison's training enables her to steal the [=ORCA=], escape the bunker undetected, and hike to Fenway Park miles away. Emma readied Madison physically but failed to prepare her emotionally while indoctrinating and tricking Madison into joining her plan to release the Titans.

** '''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': [[Characters/MonsterVerseEmmaRussell Emma Russell]] mentions that she "trained [her daughter Madison] to survive", and the movie overall hints that this more than likely refers to survival training, with a deleted scene all but confirming it.

* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7283741/5/Change-For-Good Change for Good]]'' one of Harry's aunts was taken from the hospital shortly after birth by a woman who, in addition to raising her, subjected her to curses and hexes she was expected to learn to heal on her own and Auror-level training scenarios from the time she was ten.
* In ''[[FanFic.ChristianPotterChandler Christopher Weston Chandler and Magi-chan's Stone]]'', Bob decides that the most important fatherly advice he can impart before the start of Chris's first year of middle school is how to take a {{swirlie}}. He gives up after Chris is unable to hold his breath for more than two seconds while out of water.

* ''FanFic/TheOneToMakeItStay'': Felix believes that his cousin Adrien needs help becoming less of an ExtremeDoormat. Unfortunately, his primary way of helping him is through bullying, harassment and humiliation, trying to ''force him'' to [[GrewASpine stand up for himself]] and rebel more. Adrien also mimics his behavior in multiple ways; his [[EntitledToHaveYou entitled attitude as Chat Noir]] mirrors Felix's belief that he's perfectly entitled to dig into everyone's personal mysteries to satisfy his own curiosity, and he assumes that ''he'' knows how to fix the personal conflicts of others, butting his way in to offer passive-aggressive advice.

* When Robin refuses to acknowledge his emotional issues when called out on it, Chrom forces him to show his suicide injuries to confront the problem in ''FanFic/{{Pretender}}''.

* ''Film/Beast2017'': After Moll was expelled from school for stabbing another girl (who had bullied her), she mentions her mother quit her job to homeschool her and tried to "beat the bad out of her". [[DeconstructedTrope Unfortunately]], Hilary's approach to parenting borders on or outright crosses into emotional abuse and in the end, only serves to make Moll want to rebel more.

A variation of parenting which believes that love can best be provided via schooling them in [[SchoolOfHardKnocks life's hard knocks]]. This is believed to make said offspring stronger. Sometimes it works and the kid grows up to be a badass unable to [[NotGoodWithPeople display casual affection]]. If this is taken too far, however, the kid could end up an emotionally disturbed [[TheWoobie Woobie]] or, even worse, a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds (for the supernaturally-powered variant).

* Discussed in [[https://youtu.be/p_lE2iKWtyw this video]] by Dwayne Noel, the owner of Dry Creek Wrangler School. In the video, Noel argues that if you've repeatedly tried to help someone and they've continuously rebuffed you as a parent, then you have to "let them hit the wall" and learn the hard way. The video is Noel telling stories about his kids and how they would frequently act out when they were hurt while playing, such as a cut or a scrape. Dwayne frequently told them to shake it off and go play, because he figured out that what they really wanted was attention instead of medical help.
-->'''Dwayne Noel:''' Sometimes, one of the hardest things to learn growing up is to know when to help somebody, and when to just let them hit the wall. [...] The reality of life is sometimes, you have to let someone hit the wall, because that's the only way they're going to learn. That's the only way they're going to figure it out.

* One might consider this as [[CausticCritic Simon Cowell's]] raison d'etre.

* This is probably the kindest way to describe [[EducationMama Amy Chua's]] approach to raising her daughters.
* Arguably the concept behind Montessori educational schools.
* The difference between disciplining via tough love and simply being an {{abusive parent|s}} is well demonstrated [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPJjedJBZcg&feature=related here]]
** To be more specific, two parents made their very young son walk/run around in the cold in his undies to strengthen his immune system.

* Creator/DougWalker once shared a story where as a kid, he wanted to see ''Film/TheGarbagePailKidsMovie'' but his mother prevented him from doing so. As an adult, he finally watched the film and understood why and admitted that it was a blessing in disguise as he absolutely abhored the film, declaring it to be worse than ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate''.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': Lestat de Lioncourt takes on a disciplinary role after a panicked and heartbroken Claudia inadvertently murders her first boyfriend. He wants to ensure that she never does anything so foolish again by maximizing her psychological turmoil. He smirks while he's mocking her mistake ("It's easy to get carried away when you're young and in love"), picks up Charlie's arm and drops it to emphasize that he's dead as a doornail. Lestat then shoves Claudia towards the corpse and commands her to "clean up after yourself." After she places Charlie's body inside the incinerator, she's about to walk away when Lestat roughly grips her arm and face to hold her in place. She has no choice but to look while her FirstLove's "bones cracked black and his face turned to soup," the disturbing image being burnt into her brain.

* ''Film/LegendsOfTheFall'' has the Ludlow brothers, who at first are rivals for their father's affections and then later over the token [[TheChick chick]].

** [[GrumpyOldMan Zeff]] gives this to Sanji to make him a better chef and fighter.