Did you know you can sue your parents for skimping out on your childhood birthday gifts? You can, but you'll probably lose. Two years after Steven and Kathryn Miner, both in their 20s, sued their mother, Kimberly Garrity, for bad parenting during their formative years, the case has been dismissed. The $500,000 lawsuit accused 55-year-old Garrity of causing her adult kids emotional distress.

Their claims about their poor upbringing had more to do with what mom didn't do, than what she did. For starters: she didn't send her son college care packages, or buy her daughter the homecoming dress she wanted. And their birthday cards? No cash or checks, just Hallmark sentiments.

The Chicago Tribune reports Exhibit A in the case was a check-free birthday card for Steven, now 23.

"The card pictured tomatoes on a table with one tomato that had googly eyes. Inside the card read: 'Son I got you this Birthday card because it's just like you, different from all the rest! Have a great day! Love & Hugs, Mom xoxoxo.'"

An Illinois court of appeals judge decided this card, and other evidence of Garrity's proposed "bad mothering", weren't grounds for punishment.

"Such alleged actions are unpleasant and perhaps insensitive, and some would arguably fall outside the realm of 'good mothering,' but they are not so shocking as to form a basis for a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress," said Judge Kathy Flanagan in a court statement, adding that ruling in favor of the children "could potentially open the floodgates to subject family child rearing to , excessive judicial scrutiny and interference."

The Miners were raised in an affluent Chicago suburb which may account for some lack of understanding of normal privileges outside of their luxury bubble. But there's more to the story than just a couple of spoiled adult kids. One of the Miner siblings' three lawyers is their father, Garrity's ex-husband, also named Steven Miner. When the couple divorced in 1995, the kids moved in with their dad.
Garrity's attorney claims the lawsuit was her ex-husband's attempt at the "ultimate revenge"; however, the senior Steven Miner says he tried to talk his kids out the lawsuit before representing them. Other claims against Garrity's mothering ability filed in the case, include threatening to call the police if her son didn't wear his seatbelt and forcing her daughter to come home from a homecoming party at midnight. The most serious accusation claimed Garrity once slapped her son upside the head, causing him what he alleges are chronic headaches, according to ABC News.

The judge called the claims "petty grievances of parental attention or inadequacy."

It's not the first time kids have sued their own parents. Gary Coleman and a handful of other child stars have taken their parents to court over misappropriation of finances. And in 1978 a 24-year old man named Tom Hansen sued his mom and dad for "malpractice of parenting." His $350,000 suit claimed his parents tried "to channel me in the direction they wanted me to go" and "spent nothing for what I wanted, nothing on music or art." Hansen's suit, like the Miners', was also dismissed.

Father-slash-attorney Steven Miner told the court his kids weren't out to get back at their mom, they just wanted her to assume some accountability. "Everyone makes mistakes, but … there must be accountability for actions," he wrote in a statement for the court. "Parenting is no different."
Despite the ruling, the Miner kids may get the accountability they were looking for. Garrity's attorney suggests that her client's legal fees may end up costing her more than 18 years worth of birthday checks.

Source : http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/kids-lose-quot-bad-mother-quot-lawsuit-cant-take-mom-to-court-over-bad-birthday-cards-2536188/


These are the fruits of western ideology. You do all you can to make your kids happy and they can still make your life miserable all because there are laws that enable them to do so. Look at the children, suing their mother for $500,000 all because she couldn't buy them birthday gifts!

This is what it has come to people. Children suing and killing their parents, wives divorcing their husbands on the most reetarded excuses you can ever think of. So much for western "civilization".

let me use your way of thinking:
- mom kills her own children because she thinks they are witches, lol that's your idea of better ideology?!
- school teacher beats a child simply because she failed a math's test, TILL SHE LOST AN EYE, i guess that's YOUR opinion of best?!
or better yet, what about:
- guy beheads his pregnant wife BECAUSE SHE ATE A CORN FROM THEIR FARM?!

simply because some Africans did that, should we now believe that this is what the African civilization is all about?! DUH!!!!!

as much as western civilization may not be perfect, i doubt others out there are any better. . . . . . . but pls, if you know about any then share your wisdom with us all. lol

MRbrownJAY:

let me use your way of thinking:
- mom kills her own children because she thinks they are witches, lol that's your idea of better ideology?!
- school teacher beats a child simply because she failed a math's test, TILL SHE LOST AN EYE, i guess that's YOUR opinion of best?!
or better yet, what about:
- guy beheads his pregnant wife BECAUSE SHE ATE A CORN FROM THEIR FARM?!

simply because some Africans did that, should we now believe that this is what the African civilization is all about?! DUH!!!!!

as much as western civilization may not be perfect, i doubt others out there are any better. . . . . . . but pls, if you know about any then share your wisdom with us all. lol

How many moms do you know that killed their children (as if parents and kids don't shoot each other off over there)? How many children do you know that have been beaten till their eyeballs fell of? Yeah, a nutcase killed his wife because she ate corn the same way a guy in the US killed his wife because she changed her status on facebook! ! !

Dude, you don't wanna go there. I mean it.

harakiri:

How many moms do you know that killed their children (as if parents and kids don't shoot each other off over there)? How many children do you know that have been beaten till their eyeballs fell of? Yeah, a nutcase killed his wife because she ate corn the same way a guy in the US killed his wife because she changed her status on facebook! ! !

Dude, you don't wanna go there. I mean it.

exactly my point, you can find such crazy attitudes everywhere on earth. stop pointing fingers at the west while the same shiit happens day in and day out in Africa!

Sure these things happen everywhere but a child suing his parents is from the west,end of discussion