April 23, 2009Generally speaking, I'm not at all opinionated on this blog--but watch out, here it comes...
Does anyone recognize that woman to the right? Her name is Madlyn Primoff. She's an attorney at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, she lives in an extremely hoity-toity New York Suburb, and from the state of her hair and makeup, you can probably gather that yes, this woman is most definitely a mother.
Poor Madlyn Primoff.
This week she was arrested for--get this--pulling her car to the side of the road, tossing her incessantly bickering 10 and 12-year-old daughters onto the sidewalk, and insisting that they walk to their destination.
Dude, where's this woman's cape? She's totally my hero.
But seriously, poor Madlyn Primoff. She's been charged with child endangerment, and in my humble opinion, that plain old sucks. I mean, definitely if the girls were 4 and 6, or maybe 6 and 8, but 10 and 12? I spent every weekend babysitting when I was 12, which means I was parading around my similar suburban town, smacking my bazooka bubble gum, with other peoples' kids in tow.
I also walked home from school before I turned 10, I would ride my bike to the grocery store for my mother before I turned 11, and by the time I turned 12, I was sitting on the stools at Friendly's ordering a plate of cheesy waffle fries, paying my tab in nickles and dimes.
Honestly now, a 10 and 12-year-old can't walk one block through suburbia while their mother waits around the corner in her mini-van mapping out her "I TOLD YOU I'D DO IT!" speech?! There's a far greater risk in letting your tweens browse the internet unsupervised for thirty seconds than there is in letting them hoof it for a couple hundred yards!
In my humble opinion, this story is total and complete bullshiz.
Let's find the parents who drive drunk with their kids in the car, or use drugs in the home, or watch smut in front of their toddlers. Let's find them and charge them with child endangerment. But the parent who lets their tween walk home from school? Yeah, let's leave them out of it.
I'm not an idiot. I know full well that the world can be a scary, threatening, and dangerous place for children. I know that we need to do everything we can to protect our kids from what's out there. And I kid you not, I can tell you, from the list tucked away in my planner, the name and address of every convicted sex offender who lives within a five mile radius of my house. So yes, protecting my child is my priority.
But in this case, I'm totally, completely, 100% on Madlyn's side.
And seriously, where can I mail the "YOU GO GIRL!" t-shirt that I bought for her this morning?
Sooooo...what do you think?
(I'll be hiding under my desk now...)
42 comments:
Good thing no police have been by us when our kids have received the same treatment. One block...that's pretty lenient on the mom's part.
I know, right? How many things could I be arrested for?????
Yup, I agree with you.
Thought the same thing.
I agree with you. This is crazy.
Insane how are you supossed to raise your children and help thme grow to become noble citizens when the law dosent even have your back!
I've done something similar, only I drove right behind him and made him walk home. And he's a smidge younger than 10 and 12. Honestly, I completely agree with you and with Madlyn, sometimes there's a point that you have to make and walking one block home isn't arrest-worthy. Seriously, police there don't have bigger fish to fry??
Oh, and please don't forget that this is a blog...if you want more details, search around. I really didn't research this very well...just saw the story on the Today Show.
Amy!! How dare you speak your mind!!
Brilliant!! She should have spanked them before she let them out. :)
Kids these days?!?
E
I agree. This is nuts.
Is this a retroactive law? Can we get our parents arrested for leaving us at that family reunion?
No need to hunker down and hide. I bet there are more of us with you on this issue than not!
This is crazy stupid!
Yeah! Where was this child advocacy shiz when I had to walk a mile home from school every day along a highway?
Maybe there's a Madilyn P. fanclub on Facebook.
You hold your head high up there on your soapbox, Amy!
First time commenter -
I agree with you 100%! This is insane! Kids are brats, plain and simple. I hope somewhere in there, a lesson was learned on their part.
How is it against the law to make your kids walk a block (or more) when public schools require it of children much younger than 10 on a daily basis?
I knew a lady who wouldn't let her high schoolers walk about 5 minutes to get home. It seems so dumb to me. That neighborhood was almost ridiculously safe.
So I have never commented before, but this reminded me of a story I read about a father in Canada who got sued by his daughter for grounding her. She won.
This is the Headline and Story: Quebec dad sued by daughter after grounding loses his appealhttp://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/04/07/mtl-quebecgirl-sues-dad-0407.html
For the record, I think both are ridiculous.
I agree, this is totally ridiculous. Do you think the kids learned their lesson? Don't fight with each other or mom will get arrested!
My husband thought that it was pretty funny that the same day as we saw this on the news I had told him to pull the car over to let the fighting kids out. We were actually out in the country so I wouldn't have done it but I sure threatened it. And like so many others on here when I was in fourth grade I walked home from school, alone, to an empty house and nobody ever thought anything of it.
I 100% agree with you.
When I was 12 I was babysitting for a family with 5 kids... 5!!!!.... I wouldn't even do that now. ;)
I couldn't agree more. This country is becoming a bunch of panty waists, afraid to show any form of discipline for fear of prosecution. This just adds fuel to the fire.
I am not a proponent of any kind of Harsh punishment for kids, but telling them to get out of the car and walk...that's my right!!
When I was that age or younger my parents would kick us out on a family vacation gone crappy in the middle of a desert freeway. No joke. I couldn't believe this when I heard it on the news.
Reason #8897913 that I shouldn't have kids: I'd certainly be arrested.
I totally agree. Plain and simple.
I'm usually just a lurker, but I thought I'd join in the chorus & say I am so on board with you!
I was also babysitting when I was 11 or 12. Just craziness.
I am with you on this. I have wanted to do it myself.
Oh mylanta!!! I can't believe this twisted up world we live in. I am SO with you, Amy!!! Heaven forbid we be allowed to be PARENTS and TEACH our children.
A bit more on the story - So the walk was 3 miles and the problem was the 10 yr old who didn't go home. The mother actually ended up calling the cops after her 12 yr old showed up but not the younger one.
I think the mother should have started off enforcing her threats before this age and it might have been avoided. Bravo to her for finally making a stand though.
You come from a line of dropper-offers.Your grandmother dropped me off on the side of the road. I dropped your sister and friends off and made them walk the rest of the way to school(eye-rolling in your sister's case).I think we learned our lessons. I probably let you out,too,but I don't remember:))
Seriously. Haven't we ALL been dropped off and told to walk home??
I honestly thought it was a mug shot of the crazy space lady who drove across the country in a diaper with the trunk full of rope, knifes, and other kidnapping essentials.
I don't agree at all, but you all may be deciding on different facts than I had.
The twelve year old got back in the car and the mom drove off leaving the ten year old by herself in a commercial district of White Plains approximately three miles from the home. I don't think its acceptable to leave a ten year old that far from home in a nonresidential area, especially when the child is under distress (whether self-imposed or not).
The other reports indicate that the ten year old was spotted by a good samaritan, was bought an ice cream cone and then taken to the police. So - the kid accepted candy from a stranger and was persuaded to go with this stranger to another location. That doesn't make me feel good. Good thing it was actually a good samaritan and not someone with other intentions.
The mom obviously realized that she hadn't made the best decision leaving the ten year old where she did, because she called the police when the kid didn't show up at home. Makes you wonder exactly where the kid was left.
Yeah - I just don't see it.
I agree with the principle of your argument. But apparently according to those who heard the whole story, the mom didn't use very good judgement. If she would have made them both walk home and had followed them in her car, yeah, I'd say all the hooplah was way overboard.
I know I must have threatened my girls with this a million times! But I can't remember if I ever actually did it. And, yeah, I was babysitting at age 11, too! Wimpy kids these days. :-)
AMEN Sista! I 150% agree with you! That is lame and ridiculous to arrest her! I hope they win big time and shove it in the PD's face! How stupid! Let the woman discipline her children so they don't turn into juvenile delinquents for heaven's sake!
I did some reading on this. They were 3 miles from home (it's not that far!), but the girls were supposed to be together walking homeward (mom was waiting along the way). The 10 year old didn't accompany her sister on the way home. She accepted food and a ride from a stranger (thank heavens it was a good samaritan!) I find it absolutely ridiculous! All these parenting groups are yelling about setting boundaries for the kids and when the parents finally get backbones and set the limits, they risk getting arrested, or sued (like the Canadain father).
When I was in college I was watching a little girl about 5 years old. We just finished up at the library and were about to cross the road. I went to hold her hand and she informed me that she was going to call social services on me (an agency she had unfortunately come to know too well). I got down on her level and pointed down the road and said "you live a mile down this road, walk home". Got in my car and drove off (really just around the block so she couldn't see me.) By the time I got back, she hopped in my car and never pulled a stunt like that again!
Amy, who cares about the facts-- it's your writing that makes this hilarious. First time I saw her picture on tv I thought, damn, if I had an ivy league education and lived in an upscale neighborhood, I'd be smart enough to do my hair different. But your spin on it, "obviously she's a mom" made me think differently.
All you moms--Bless you. You're underappreciated.
Jimmy--I like you. The only fact in this story that can't be argued is the fact that she needs to get to the salon. Quickly.
I've done this on more than one occasion with my 7 and 9 year old sons. I DID, however, drop them in a residential area and drive at a snail's pace just in front of them. And it was about 1/4 mile. I agree with the principle, but I still couldn't let them out of my sight. (Maybe I should've, then I wouldn't have had to do it twice?? At least they know I'll follow through with my threats!)
One block??? My mom made me walk three once for my constant chatter. I remember it like it was yesterday (although it was at least 20 years ago)....she taught me a lesson and I say RIGHT ON MADLYN!
Very nice thanks for the sharing...........
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Very nice thanks for the sharing...........
___________________
Smarry
The only Satellite Television Delivers the Best Value in Entertainment
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