Story highlights
Parents were caught misbehaving in the news all throughout 2011
One mom used hot sauce to punish her child, and was convicted of child abuse for it
A dad tossed his 7-year-old son off a cruise ship to "toughen him up"
Parenting’s a hard job, we admit. But take heart; no matter how much you’re struggling, you’re probably doing better than these sorry moms and dads making headlines this year. Read through our list, and then congratulate yourself for doing a pretty good job, all things considered.
Mom Uses Hot Sauce as Punishment
In one of the most stomach-churning pieces of video we’ve ever seen, Alaska mom Jessica Beagley was shown forcing hot sauce down her adopted son’s throat before forcing him into a cold shower as punishment for lying. She had her 10-year-old daughter tape her as part of an “Angry Moms” segment for Dr. Phil, after the producers egged her on, saying they needed to see her punishing her son – not just yelling at him, as she had in a previous video submission. After the segment aired, child abuse charges were brought against her, and she was ultimately convicted of child abuse.
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Moms Selling Babies
We covered not one, not two, but three tales of parents trying to sell their children this year. Marilu Munoz was in the process of purchasing birth mother Joana Delacruz Huerta’s 7-week-old baby on layaway before police in Abilene, Texas busted them. Delaware mom Bridget Wismer was accused of trying to sell her baby for $15,000 so she could take her other children to Disney World. And last but not least, a Vancouver, Washington woman tried to hawk her baby at a Taco Bell, with a starting price of just $500. Legal adoption: look it up!
Girl Brings Dad’s Cocaine to School
You know that saying “telling tales out of school?” One 10-year-old girl shared her dad’s business (his illegal business) in school by accidentally bringing in his coke stash to Show & Tell. In fairness to her, it was hidden in a gummy bear bag and looked to her like candy. That must have been an interesting parent-teacher conference.
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Mom Gets 7-Year-Old a Boob Job
It’s never too early to start ruining your daughter’s body image. That’s why plastic surgery aficionado and “Human Barbie” Sarah Burge got her young daughter Poppy a voucher for future breast augmentation for her birthday, pre-empting the possibility that Poppy might end up perfect just as she is.
Mom Dresses Daughter Like a Prostitute
“And here’s little Paisley. She likes horses, cupcakes, and dressing like a streetwalker. Isn’t she adorable?” One “Toddlers & Tiaras” mom wanted her three-year-old daughter to stand out to the judges, so she dressed her in the minidress and thigh-high boots get-up from the beginning of “Pretty Woman.” Work it, own it…
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Dad Throws Son Off Cruise Ship
We didn’t think anyone could make Hot Sauce Mom look good, but we were wrong. A California dad on a day cruise threw his crying 7-year-old son overboard to toughen him up. Although the drop was only five feet, the water was teeming with boat traffic, posing a serious risk for the boy, who was not a strong swimmer. The dad was arrested for child endangerment.
Drunk Woman Shoots Breast Milk at Cops
We are fully aware of the all the wonderful qualities of breast milk, but we did not know it could be used as a weapon as well. Ohio mom Stephanie Robinette whipped her breast out of her dress and started squirting police when they responded to a domestic dispute call. Not surprisingly, she was drunk. She apologized and promised to seek help for her alcohol abuse.
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Mom Sues Preschool for Dashing Ivy League Dreams
New York mom Nicole Imprescia was so unimpressed with her 4-year-old daughter’s preschool, she yanked her out and sued the school for killing her daughter’s chances of getting into an Ivy League university. We get wanting her $19,000 back if she thinks the school didn’t deliver on its academic promises, but claiming her child’s college aspirations are doomed seems like too far of a leap.
Girl Busts Mom for Drunk Driving
Driving drunk is awful. Driving drunk with your kid in the car is downright despicable. One smart little girl was so worried about her inebriated mom being behind the wheel that she slipped a note to a bank teller, asking her for help. The mom left her kid at the bank, but was soon arrested for DUI. The girl made it home safely with a ride home from Dad.
Pregnant Mom: Smoking is Good for the Baby!
Yes, some women during pregnancy smoke during pregnancy, but they’re generally not proud of it. Then there’s British mom Charlie Wilcox, who insisted to the camera crew following her around for BBC3’s “Misbehaving Mums to Be” that she smoked because it makes her baby’s heart stronger. Can you show us the science on that one?
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