A few years back Above the Law ran a story about a mom partner at Kaye Scholer who left her kids at the side of the road. Apparently, they were bickering and the mom had had enough - she dropped them off in downtown White Plains. One child (age 12) ran after the car, while the other (age 10) wandered off. The partner was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. (See full story here and here).
I remember reading that story all smug and judgmental like. Braden was around 6 months old at the time. What kind of mom does that? I remember thinking.
For some reason, the story has stuck with me.
To this mom, today I would like to apologize for my judgment. Not that I condone leaving your kids at the side of the road, and not that I would ever do it really...
But today? Today I think it might feel amazingly satisfying for a moment or two.
It's been one of those days.
It's been a day of hitting, kicking, screaming, 5 am wake ups, and defiance all around. It's been a day of empty threats and desperate rewards and proclamations like, "If you don't stop throwing things and kicking the seat, I'm going to stop this car and...."
Well, you know.
Seven hours to go, God help me.
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Ha, I remember that one. I still don't see a problem with it. The kid was 10 and only a couple miles from home in a rich-ass suburb, not like she dropped them off in a scary unknown place full of violent crime. And from the way the kid reacted, sounded like Mom should make them walk more often. I would've been like pfff, fine, I'd rather walk anyway. In fact, I was always the one insisting Mom pull the car over and let me the hell out (she normally didn't, although I did walk home on a few occasions, even once in the rain). And those were the days before every kid over the age of 3 had a cell phone with gps tracking. Also, I had to walk 10 miles to school, uphill, both ways, and bread was only 10 cents a loaf. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm still in the judgement stage, mine is only nine months. Still, I sympathize, we're kind of helpless as parents while driving aren't we? Good luck, and thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteHa, no judgment from me, and my kid is still an infant. I think my reaction stems from growing up with four siblings close in age, though, and not from my own thoughts toward parenting (of which I have very few, being so new to the game). Hope today is better for your clan.
ReplyDeleteThe best parenting related advice I ever got was to NEVER judge parents with kids older than your own. This has proven itself to be true over and over and over again.
ReplyDeleteBut regardless of whether I think that was a good discipline strategy or not, there is no way in hell that it's child endangerment. That's absurd. Lady is kind of a folk hero to me, sometimes you just have to take the bull by the horns, even if it's not pretty...
10 and 12 are perfectly old enough to walk home. My 10 year old walks home from school sometimes, as do maybe a dozen more on our block. He has biked for miles around our part of town with his Dad, and could find his way home from most nearby shopping centers. But then there are moms who won't let their kids cross the street or play outside without a grownup watching.
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