diff --git a/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py b/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
index 73c5c8df..79b489de 100644
--- a/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
+++ b/manimlib/mobject/mobject.py
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ class Mobject(object):
         )
         return self
 
-    def scale(self, scale_factor, min_scale_factor=1e-8, about_point=None, about_edge=ORIGIN, recurse=True):
+    def scale(self, scale_factor, min_scale_factor=1e-8, about_point=None, about_edge=ORIGIN):
         """
         Default behavior is to scale about the center of the mobject.
         The argument about_edge can be a vector, indicating which side of
@@ -572,20 +572,21 @@ class Mobject(object):
         respect to that point.
         """
         scale_factor = max(scale_factor, min_scale_factor)
-        if about_point is None and about_edge is not None:
-            about_point = self.get_bounding_box_point(about_edge)
-        if recurse:
-            for submob in self.submobjects:
-                submob.scale(scale_factor, about_point=about_point, recurse=True)
-        if not self.submobjects:
-            self.apply_points_function(
-                lambda points: scale_factor * points,
-                works_on_bounding_box=True,
-                about_point=about_point,
-                about_edge=about_edge
-            )
+        for mob in self.get_family():
+            mob._handle_scale_side_effects(scale_factor)
+        self.apply_points_function(
+            lambda points: scale_factor * points,
+            about_point=about_point,
+            about_edge=about_edge,
+            works_on_bounding_box=True,
+        )
         return self
 
+    def _handle_scale_side_effects(self, scale_factor):
+        # In case subclasses, such as DecimalNumber, need to make
+        # any other changes when the size gets altered
+        pass
+
     def stretch(self, factor, dim, **kwargs):
         def func(points):
             points[:, dim] *= factor
diff --git a/manimlib/mobject/numbers.py b/manimlib/mobject/numbers.py
index 34d1fa6c..a1949f51 100644
--- a/manimlib/mobject/numbers.py
+++ b/manimlib/mobject/numbers.py
@@ -135,10 +135,8 @@ class DecimalNumber(VMobject):
             sm1.match_style(sm2)
         return self
 
-    def scale(self, scale_factor, **kwargs):
-        super().scale(scale_factor, **kwargs)
+    def _handle_scale_side_effects(self, scale_factor):
         self.data["font_size"] *= scale_factor
-        return self
 
     def get_value(self):
         return self.number