Mrs. McGill

[sugarmonkey]

Stacey's mom always came across to me as a spoiled snob. Kind of self-centered. In Welcome Back, Stacey Mr. McGill says that his job has been on shakey ground since the company he works for closed their Stamford branch and transferred him back to NYC. That's why he feels he needs to put in extra hours, to try and keep his job secure. Granted he could've looked for another job...but, Mrs. McGill could've gotten a job herself to help out just in case he lost his.

Still Mrs. McGill spends her days shopping. For extremely expensive things. Because she's bored. GET A JOB. Volunteer for a charity. Do something that's good for the world. No, she shops. And then she blames her boredom on her husband. Like it's his job to entertain her. He would have to work all those hours in order to support the lifestyle his family had become accustomed to.

And then they argue over who gets what. Saying stuff like "I bought that, it's mine" "You bought it with my money." I honestly don't think she had a right to anything she didn't buy with money she earned herself.

Then, Mrs. McGill gets a job as a buyer for Bellairs? Isn't that the type of job that you have work your way up the ladder to get? Not just apply for it after having been a housewife for years? Of course, she could've gone to college before she had Stacey and was simply putting her education to use. But still, all those years out of commission. Maybe the small town Stoneybrook department store wasn't so glamorous and someone whose education was years old with no experience was fine as a buyer for them. Well, I guess she could've worked before Stacey was born, but I don't think so. She seemed very uppity. And how did she buy a house in Stoneybrook if she didn't have a job? Divorce settlement?

[inge]

All of a sudden I have this song in my head... Stacey's mom has got it going on! I'm in love with Staceys mom...

Seriously though, Mrs McGill always seemed weird to me. Goes from nice mom to spending a lot of money to being a nice mom again. Although I did think the way she acted in Stacey's choice was irresponsible. I know she was sick but after a few days she should've been able to find 'mom sitters' for herself if she thought she needed them. And I think she should've encouraged Stacey more to go to her dad that weekend - no matter how much she may have hated her ex husband. And I also don't like the way both parents are pulling on Stacey. Ok, maybe I like her less than I thought...

[ktag]

Word. I always hated the "I shop because I'm bored" thing. I mean, holy crap, thousands of dollars! And like you mentioned, she had no problem finding a job (yeah right), so why didn't she just do that in the first place? Much more productive, since "Stacey doesn't need her as much anymore." Both Stacey's parents can be pretty bad. I do feel sorry for Mrs. McGill though that she's the only one who never remarried. Stoneybrook romance didn't rub off on her? Maybe she should give the Trip-man a call.

[Amalia]

I think she may be a little picky. John, or whatever his name is, seemed pretty nice in Stacey Matchmaker. She may have seen him as a little selfish but if I were her I were her I would have tried to extend the relationship. And yeah, the shopping thing. Yipes! Couldn't she at least find a place to volunteer at or something? And to me sometimes window shopping is better than shopping.

[macca]

I'm another one who hated Stacey's mum... her "I shop because I'm bored" thing is right up there with "I was driven into the arms of another man" - and the fact that she was so righteous about it, no regret, no guilt, nothing. Her attitude was really just "when I'm bored, I shop - so if you want me to stop spending the family income on jewellery, you better be home more often to entertain me".

Mr McGill had his problems too - remember Island Adventure? But I think her mum was worse.

[Amalia]

Maybe boredom dulls your brains from thinking creatively, so she couldn't think of anything remotely creative to entertain herself besides the same old habits of shopping.

[hitzpink]

I don't really mind Mrs. McGill. Maybe because I could see myself pulling the "I went shopping because I was bored" thing too. haha! I think she was just used to being spoiled, not working, and being able to spend money freely. Obviously it would have been more responsible of her to just get a job or volunteer somewhere, but she seems like someone who never really worked much at all, so the thought probably never even entered her mind.

[jen]

I don't mind Mrs McGill as much, because I don't reread the books where she shops because she's bored a lot Most of the books that I reread are the ones after she gets a job at Bellair's, so I see her as more of a successful career woman.

[sotypical42483]

I've never really given her much thought, now that I think about it. I guess it is kinda messed up that she shops cause she's bored... she definitely could've been volunteering or something. And good point about the job at Bellair's, it DOES really seem like something you would not just walk into having no experience (I'm assuming she's never worked before). I guess she doesn't bug me that much, cause compared to Stacey's dad, she doesn't seem that bad.

[hitzpink]

^Yeah, maybe it's because I compare her to Stacey's jerk of a father that I don't find her to be so bad. IMO, out of the two, her dad is the worst. Poor Stacey, though, she kind of got the short end of the stick when it came to parents.

[buffykay70]

i dont think staceys mum was that bad, sure she shopped a lot and always fought with Mr McGill but i think that shes way better than Sharon, Dawns mum. Sharon was such a wacko.

but i did feel for stacey as her parents were fighting all the time, about her, her diabetes and i hated how they forced her to go to all of those weird doctors in New York. they were so annoying.

[ktag]

Was she the only parent who had a catchphrase?

Have fun and be careful!

[Amalia]

I didn't really like how Mrs. McGill would not even want to talk to Ed on the phone.

[macca]

hitzpink said:

I don't really mind Mrs. McGill. Maybe because I could see myself pulling the "I went shopping because I was bored" thing too. haha!

In all honesty, I could see myself doing it too... but I would also recognise that it was wrong, not be smug and self-righteous about it.

I think she was just used to being spoiled, not working, and being able to spend money freely.

That makes sense, I guess.

It's somewhat unfair claim that Mrs McGill should've got off her lazy ass, been responsible and got a job. There is nothing unreasonable about her being a stay-at-home-mum while Stacey was growing up. It's a wonderful environment for children and while obviously Stacey didn't need her mum around 24/7 when she was 13, after being out of the paid workforce for several years, it's often very hard to get back in.

The fact that Mrs McGill was able to get that job at Bellairs so easily wasn't entirely realistic, not in my experience anyway.

[jen]

When I think of Mrs McGill, I just picture the close relationship she has with Stacey, so I like her. I haven't reread the pre-divorce books as much as the later ones, so I always just see her as the reasonable mum who's also a friend to Stacey.