Oh man, you couldn’t script a more explosive mix of heart‑pounding adventure, modern parenting controversy, and social media spectacle than this. Let’s dive in.
Garrett Gee—yes, the 35‑year‑old behind the wildly popular Bucket List Family—has managed to set the internet on fire with one cliff, one child, and one very bold throw. In a video posted to Instagram on July 12, the influencer dad is seen standing at the edge of a rock ledge at Lake Powell, Utah, holding the hand of his youngest son, Calihan “Cali” Gee.
The family is known for turning travel into a lifestyle brand, but this particular clip wasn’t about turquoise waters and sunny skies—it was about a parenting choice that left millions of viewers either cheering or clutching their pearls.
The video begins with a knowing disclaimer on-screen: “Most people won’t love how we teach our kids how to cliff jump.” And sure enough, you watch Cali step toward the edge, hesitate, turn his head away, clearly not entirely sure about this whole “leap into the void” plan. Then Garrett scoops him up and, in one motion, tosses his screaming son off the ledge into the water below.
What happens next? The edit cuts straight to the couple’s older kids, Dorothy and Manilla, leaping joyfully from the same height, as if this cliff is just another playground. Meanwhile, the internet erupts.
On one side, fans praise Gee for raising fearless children, with comments calling it a gift to teach courage early. “You’re giving them tools for life,” wrote one supporter. On the other side, critics slam the stunt as reckless, selfish, even exploitative. “Negligent and irresponsible just for views?!” one user fired back.
Garrett himself didn’t shy away from the conversation. In the caption, he spelled it out: “This is NOT parental advice… Each kid is different…” and insisted the height was carefully chosen. He compared the moment to a baby eagle being nudged out of the nest, claiming Cali had asked to jump but needed help following through. “Eventually a baby eagle needs to leave the nest… or be tossed,” he quipped.
But here’s the thing—this isn’t just any dad on vacation. Garrett sold his app, Scan, to Snapchat for $54 million, then turned his life into a jet-setting saga with his wife Jessica and their three kids, visiting over 90 countries.
Their brand thrives on big, bold moments, and this one certainly fits the pattern—though not everyone is convinced it’s worth the risk.
In the end, Garrett signed off with a cheeky warning: “teaching your kids to be brave can backfire when they start jumping off things you wouldn’t dare.” The video may have been only seconds long, but its splash is still rippling across feeds everywhere—a family on the edge, literally and figuratively, and an audience split right down the middle over what adventure should look like in 2025.
