Kristy's Portrait

[alula]

ktag said:

Leaving 10, 8 and 6 year olds home by themselves? Hmm.

Yeah, I just read this one for the first time, and that really stuck out to me--especially when you look at the Pike triplets and Jeff Schafer! (I haven't gotten ahold of Dawn and Too Many Sitters yet, but still!). And I also just read "Mind Your Own Business, Kristy!" for the first time (got it in the same bundle with the portrait) and there's a point where Charlie mentions the bank called and he made Elizabeth show him how to write a check for the mortgage? Yikes.

I don't want to be judgmental, but seriously, it does seem kind of irresponsible of Mrs. Thomas to just leave kids that young on their own every day. A ten-year-old latchkey kid wouldn't bug me that much, but minding two younger kids? I know the BSC is wacky about ages, but still. Even if she couldn't afford a regular baby-sitter, I'm sure she could have arranged for Kristy to stay with the Kishis after school, and sent Sam to a friend's house or something--if not every day, at least a couple days a week. Or even just ask Mimi or Mary Anne's sitter or the other neighbors--the Goldmans?--to check in on them quickly every afternoon. For a place as small-town-feely as Stoneybrook, it doesn't seem like those people would mind.

The Carman and Camp Topnotch chapters, by contrast, I really liked because Kristy seemed so much more like a kid, not a hyper-responsible six-year-old. (Would you trust Karen Brewer to take care of a baby? She'd throw a hissy fit when the baby wouldn't play Let's All Come In, or something).

[greer]

Nannie could have possibly not been retired when Patrick left, and also in Kristy's Big Day it seems as if she lives slightly farther away than in Stoneybrook. I think she only moved to Stoneybrook when they had Emily.

I can also understand not wanting to hire a nanny or something on Watson's part, because my dad and stepmother hired about 15 nannies in 5 years and finally gave up and had my stepmom just stay home with the kids when the last one actually struck my little sister.

[aln1982]

alula said:

ktag said:

Leaving 10, 8 and 6 year olds home by themselves? Hmm.

Yeah, I just read this one for the first time, and that really stuck out to me--especially when you look at the Pike triplets and Jeff Schafer! (I haven't gotten ahold of Dawn and Too Many Sitters yet, but still!). And I also just read "Mind Your Own Business, Kristy!" for the first time (got it in the same bundle with the portrait) and there's a point where Charlie mentions the bank called and he made Elizabeth show him how to write a check for the mortgage? Yikes.

I don't want to be judgmental, but seriously, it does seem kind of irresponsible of Mrs. Thomas to just leave kids that young on their own every day. A ten-year-old latchkey kid wouldn't bug me that much, but minding two younger kids? I know the BSC is wacky about ages, but still. Even if she couldn't afford a regular baby-sitter, I'm sure she could have arranged for Kristy to stay with the Kishis after school, and sent Sam to a friend's house or something--if not every day, at least a couple days a week. Or even just ask Mimi or Mary Anne's sitter or the other neighbors--the Goldmans?--to check in on them quickly every afternoon. For a place as small-town-feely as Stoneybrook, it doesn't seem like those people would mind.

The Carman and Camp Topnotch chapters, by contrast, I really liked because Kristy seemed so much more like a kid, not a hyper-responsible six-year-old. (Would you trust Karen Brewer to take care of a baby? She'd throw a hissy fit when the baby wouldn't play Let's All Come In, or something).

Totally agree with all of the above! I think leaving that young of kids home alone and giving them such huge responsibilities almost borders on neglect. This book really gave me a negative opinion of Elizabeth. I also liked Kristy at Camp and agree that it made her seem more realistic. Six year olds should be playing with baby dolls, in my opinion, not baby-sitting live ones.

[ktag]

Oh and not to mention, Claudia, Mary Anne and probably some of the boys' friends went over every day at first. That's possibly even more irresponsible. Letting your six year old kid go over to their unsupervised friend's house? I know Mary Anne had crap sitters, but surely Mimi would have known??

On the other hand, Kristy started babysitting David Michael when she was about 10, and it seemed like every adult on the block checked in on her. I also thought it was bad that they hired such unreliable sitters that Elizabeth often relied on Mrs. Pike (with her 8 kids!) to pick up David Michael from daycare. (From Babysitters Remember)

[macca]

Totally agree with all of the above! I think leaving that young of kids home alone and giving them such huge responsibilities almost borders on neglect. This book really gave me a negative opinion of Elizabeth.

I don't generally think much of Elizabeth anyway. She was great in Kristy's Great Idea, but once Watson came along, just the typical indifferent Stoneybrook parent who practically handed her adopted daughter over to her retired mother. Your husband's a millionaire. Surely you can reduce your work hours somewhat to, ya know, raise your kids?

[lovelylemontree]

Only wanting to see your daughter and none of your sons? Odd.

That always bothered me in the movie and later when I read this book. Patrick's insistence on keeping it a secret was absolutely creepy. It would have been much less so had Kristy been the one who decided to keep it a secret from her mom and Watson.

I understand his only wanting to see Kristy was a story device, but it was creepy. The ghostwriters should have at least had Charlie and Sam away at summer camp or out-of-town with friends.

Or even just ask Mimi or Mary Anne's sitter or the other neighbors--the Goldmans?--to check in on them quickly every afternoon.

That occurred to me, too. Mimi could have popped in a couple times in the afternoon. Similarly, I've always wondered why in Kristy's Great Idea and The Truth About Stacey Mimi wasn't asked to baby-sit David Michael and Jamie. She was right across the street and with Claudia and Janine grown, it's not like she had a lot to do.

[Deleted]

lovelylemontree said:

I understand his only wanting to see Kristy was a story device, but it was creepy. The ghostwriters should have at least had Charlie and Sam away at summer camp or out-of-town with friends.

I thought they were on a camping trip? Or I might be imagining that. I seem to remember it being mentioned once by Mrs Brewer, and possibly another time when Kristy tells her Dad that they're away.

[lilafowler]

One part that I thought was unintentional, but kind of neat, was that Kristy was almost born in Yankee Stadium, because Patrick is a huge Yankee fan -- but by #95 (Kristy + Bart = ?), she is a Mets fan. I like to imagine Kristy exacted her revenge on her dad for leaving the family by starting to root for a baseball team that rivaled his favorite.

[ktag]

Hee, yes I could definitely see her doing that. Though if she really wanted to piss him off, she should be rooting for the Red Sox. Maybe she just really likes the Mets. Or maybe Ann does. *shrug*

justme - you're right, they are supposed to be on a camping trip, but I doubt Patrick asked about them anyway. It almost seemed as if he were lying in wait for her. I mean, he just happened to run into her on some street corner?

[sotypical42483]

I'm just now reading this for the first time and I'm about half-way in. I don't get the whole Patrick thing. Just out of nowhere he decides to leave his family? It's mentioned that Elizabeth says they were fighting beforehand, but still...

Oh, and a big WTF to leaving all the kids home alone and the friggin chores they had to do. Poor ten year old Charlie had to scrub the bathrooms, do all the laundry, clean the kitchen, give DM his nightly bath... they were basically doing EVERYTHING for their mother! I thought it was cute when Kristy snuck into the movie with the boys and I love reading about her, Claudia, and Mary Anne. I like how she says they're both her best friends.

[ktag]

Can you imagine the Pike triplets doing all that? Nope. No wonder Charlie was so cooperative about giving Kristy rides. Compared to what he used to have to do, it's a piece of cake.

[sotypical42483]

^Oh seriously!! The triplets still have to be taken care of, but here Charlie is practically running the house at their age. Then again, he didn't have Mallory living with him to hold everything together. I'm sure a then 4 year old Mallory would've been picking up much of the slack if she was a Thomas.

[macca]

sotypical42483 said:

^Oh seriously!! The triplets still have to be taken care of, but here Charlie is practically running the house at their age.

Interesting point!

[msstock87]

I always liked Charlie. He was the big brother I always wanted, never had.

[Deleted]

Elizabeth was giving the kids too much responsibility- letting a 10 year old boy do most of the household chores, watch his siblings after school, hang out with his friends, and write the mortgage check? Yeah, right. The only real thing I liked in this book was when Claudia, Mary Anne and Kristy made money to buy Mimi a birthday present from building snow people. I just hated the Ann had to turn that into a club, though. Yeah- like a five year old kid is gonna know what a president does?