In short, self-proclaimed "meanest mom on the planet" Jane Hambleton SOLD her 19-year-old son's car after finding booze hidden under the front seat. Her classified ad read:
OLDS 1999 Intrigue: Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for 3 weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet.I love her resolve and creative publicity of the punishment. If you read the hometown paper's version of the story, you can see that she loves her son but expects him to do the right thing.
Jim, his dad, and his brother were almost killed when hit by a drunk driver celebrating a promotion with a high-speed turn on the Georgia interstates. A drunk driver totalled my brother's car (with 5 people inside), a USPS mailbox, and a building one sunny afternoon. And worst of all, one night my mom, my brother, and our neighbors rushed to help someone after a terrible accident near our home and found the driver, a mother of school-aged children, dead, ejected, and pinned under her car.
When it comes to driving and alcohol, taking away the keys temporarily probably isn't lesson enough. I'm really proud of Jane Hambleton for going public with this important lesson for parents and young drivers.
Kudos to the "Meanest Mom". I'd love to have her as a mom. When that kid grows up, he will be thankful for what she has done. I think a lot of parents these days are afraid to actually "parent" their kids and would rather be friends. That doesn't help your kid. Kudos to her for setting an example for real parenting!
ReplyDeleteI agree! That momma deserves an award! Too many parents would not follow through and do what she is doing.~karen
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful mom. I've always said, before I had kids, that we'd do consequences that fit the crime-- creative consequences.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that boy will think twice before doing something like that again.
Drinking and driving is nothing to even think about doing-- the consequences of killing someone (or many someones) are much worse than having your car sold.
Hurray for her. She's awesome.