Mad Mom? Throwing the Kids Out of the Car
Going viral after going ballistic wasn’t on Madlyn Primoff’s mommy-do list.
But the story of the fed-up New York lawyer/mother who kicked her bickering daughters out of the car and onto the curb of a suburban street spread faster than flu, as parents around the world weighed in on whether the action was irresponsible—or irresistible.
“They had it coming. Give her a medal,” was typical of comments in support of Primoff, whose 12-year-old daughter managed to get back in the car, while her 10-year-old—in tears—was picked up by a stranger who bought her ice cream before calling the cops.
The family was three miles from home when Primoff made good on one of parenting’s most oft-repeated threats: Stop fighting or I’ll stop the car! “As a responsible parent, she gave her children a choice,” said another supporter, “and when they ignored her, she followed thru. I say good job!”
But the police said You’re under arrest. Primoff was jailed overnight and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, an action many supported in online comments. “If the girls were acting up, then punish them when they get home,” wrote one. “You do not leave a child on the side of the road alone. Ever.” Another said, “It’s our job as parents to protect our children…Maybe she should put herself in time-out next time she has a mommy meltdown.”
There’s something larger going on, argued a prominent mom-blogger, who saw Primoff’s actions as a “mommy misdemeanor” and cautioned that her story “should not result in a free-for-all vilification of a mother-gone-bad.” Primoff made a bad choice, she continued, “but should she be condemned to wear a scarlet M? I’m not interested in judging her. I’m more interested in hoping that the public scrutiny fixated upon her will further expose motherhood for the truly complex job that it is.”
Tell us what you think: Were Madlyn Primoff’s actions irresponsible, irresistible, or something else? A “mommy misdemeanor” or a “mommy felony?” Does her right to decide how to deal with her squabbling kids have to conflict with the law?
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they aren't babies they are preteens!!!
good for her! The girls weren’t infants or toddlers. 10 and 12 year olds usually walk around town with friends or simply to get to a specific place. I’d only worry if the time was late in the evening.
I think we as a society have over protected our children and when they do have to face a consequence everyone overreacts.
yolanda Garcia | 5 months, 2 weeks ago
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Is this really true
I can’t believe my eyes and what they really read, a mother putting her daugther out on the side walk and like pulled off on her a lawery at that. Did she get prosecute and convicted her like the rest of us would have been. When my two daughters act up in the car and I have to talk to them over and over again and they getting on my bad side I just pull on to the side when it safe to and punish them, to let them know that I really mean bussines. I will never ever put my kids out on the side walk no matter what they do are have done, kids going to be kids that’s why their mothers there for to teach and to learn them, and not be putting them out the car on the side walk. It could been possible for that child ever returned home. Did the state take the child like they would have take our child? If not why? Because is it she’s a “lawyer”.
Shannon Curry | 5 months, 1 week ago
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Daughter....
Well, I am 18 years old and my mother had done the same thing.
we were in the car with my brother and sister and as usual we were fighting cause I was 12 and my bro-sis 6 so my mother told us “you will stop fighting or i will stop the car” we didn’t stop. So, she stopped the car and we were out BUT she didn’t live she made us in front of the car on the side were the pedestrians walk and she was following us the car…we walked less than 20 meters and then she told to get back in and we left quietly…These 10 minutes were really embarrassing and we were crying. We didn’t feel that we were alone…and i think if that lady had done the same thing and she had left her children alone I would say that she acted very wisely she gave a choice as my mother did…My mother has the same technique for everything and I don’t blame her. Furthermore,if she hadn’t follow what my mother said that time I would take her serious next time. Only by this way, I learned that when you drive you must be really concentrated and not to pay attention to what is happening in the back sit.
Thank you for reading.(sorry if I have spelling mistakes.)
Ioanna Mavroeidi | 4 months, 4 weeks ago
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Great Job Mom!!!
First of all I can’t judge the situation because I don’t have all the facts. But mommy could have made here point without leaving the scene. In other words she could have observed them from a distance to ensure their safety and came back to have that heart to heart talk with them. Or (since she just took off) she could have at least called the authorties immediately after the incident to tell them what she was doing. As it is, the kids now know there are limits to what she can do — at a very early age, and they are and will take advantage of it. As it is, Mommy is now gun-shy to make any threats of this nature in the future.
Robert Bollinger | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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Mommy Meltdown
That’s a horrible thing to do to your kids! That stranger who picked the ten-year-old could have raped her and kept her!!!! She’s a HORRIBLE mother!!!!
Kids Are The Future | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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What's single parents to do?
To All SINGLE PARENTS (MOMS/DADS) I’m a single mom of 4 lovely young ladies. BUT for me . ALL 4 finished school @ three are in college. Now because of our money woos they can’t afford to go on.
doreneholmes | 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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single mother of 4
she was right and when you have screaming kids in the back seat and you tell them to stop over and over again she just went to far by going all the way home she should have went around the block it would have done the same thing but i still agree they were being brats and they got what she told them they would get you people all have something to say about how wrong she was but what if she would have hit them then she would be a child abuser right!!!!!! see in this day your supposed to send them to there room or give them a really crappy job to do but come on it dose not work and not when they are 10 and 12 it just don’t so whatever she will get out of it she is a lawyer and you know what i hope she does give us moms that don’t have a choice an option cause these laws are always hurting the people that did nothing wrong and not doing anything to the ones who do ……..
jessica | 3 months, 1 week ago
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why cant we discipline our kids anymore?
this story bothers me as many others i hear about a parents vs. law …..we are not alowed to do anything any more and , you know what , the kids know that !! and they take full advantage of that knowledge.
this country has gone from not paying attention to the real abuse , to EVERYTHING is abuse , its ridiculous. why cant we raise my kids without worrying about what the LAW will do to us ? why do our kids have the upper hand on us ….
tina wix | 3 months ago
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wrong
people should have a license to have children!!
Shenanigans Padunkadunk | 2 months, 2 weeks ago
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Mom and dad's fault.
After reading the story about what Mom did I have to say that I have absolutely no sympathy for Mom. She brought this upon herself. Kids will only go as far as you let them go. It’s not hard for me to see that Mom and Dad were apparantly trying to be best friends instead of parents when those two little girls were young and failed to teach them discipline, courtesy, manners and respect at a very early age. Now they have lost control of those two girls.
You cannot wait until children are 8, 9 or 10 before you start teaching them discipline. There is one other issue that comes to mind. Something tells me that those two little girls were not number one on their parents list of priorities as they were growing up. Too many of todays parents put their social, sexual and professional lives ahead of their childs life. I can almost hear many of you screaming at me, “You don’t know what you are talking about.”
Well, I am the dad of a 19 year old daughter. I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I have been told by other parents that they wish their child was just like my daughter. I have even had complete strangers approach me to tell me that they noticed how well mannered my daughter is. Everytime I hear that I tell them that it is not that hard to raise a child like my daughter as long as you put their well being ahead of your own.
Here’s something to remember. Someday you are going to need their help when you become older and I will garranty you that when that time comes they will put their social, sexual and professional lives ahead of yours because that’s what you taught them to do by your own actions.
Mark Horner | 2 months, 1 week ago
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