Rereading My Childhood: The Baby-Sitters Club

#4: Mary Anne Saves the Day

I'm conflicted when it comes to incredibly strict parents. My parents were pretty hands-off when it came to my sister and me — as long as we got good grades, we were allowed to do almost anything we wanted without too much parental oversight. I firmly believe that this helped my sister and I determine who we are and what our values are because we were able to explore these topics without our parents meddling. On the other hand, this made an environment wherein we (mostly me) made mistakes that were entirely avoidable if we had more guidance besides "it's your life, you need to decide for yourself."

As for stricter parents, I had a friend who lived with her grandparents and they were so strict that she wasn't allowed to watch PG movies and The Simpsons, as if one whiff of Bart Simpson would have her blaspheming the Lord and breaking windows. Despite this, when she became a teenager, and her mother regained custody, she rebelled in a major way that included drugs, drinking, and teenage pregnancy — three things I didn't do in high school despite my parents letting me watch the wretched Lisa Simpson question authority and any rated-R movie I wanted.

I think it comes down to parents understanding their children — some kids need rules and regulations, whereas others can thrive in a laissez-faire upbringing. Some need their parents to tell them that their school counselor, whom they have met exactly two times, doesn't know them well enough to suggest dorm life, because if they knew you well enough, they'd know that the dorms are the worst thing for an introvert.

Mary Anne of The Baby-Sitters Club has an incredibly strict father, and frankly, he's ridiculous. Mary Anne is the one member of the BSC who doesn't need any restraints, but it takes Mary Anne to exhibit wisdom beyond her years just for her father to treat her like a basic twelve-year-old. Let's get to it.

The first thing we learn about Mary Anne's father is that he forces her to wear her hair in braids each day paired with a corduroy skirt and sweater combo set. The thought of my father choosing my outfit when I was in the seventh grade makes me both laugh and fill me with dread. Laugh because my father would hate it. Dread because he could make me wear a pair of Levi's 501 jeans and a plain t-shirt with a pocket. That was his uniform and there would be no reason for him to alter it for his daughter. Anyway, Mary Anne's father really should have sent her to Catholic School if he wanted her to have such a constricting wardrobe.

By the end of the first chapter, the BSC is having a fight — a common trope for the BSC. This time, it's about Kristy accepting a job without asking the others first. They all blow up at each other and storm out of the meeting.

Mary Anne's father also makes her eat dinner with him every night, including saying grace. My family tended to just eat at the same time because if we didn't, the food would be cold. The food is made when it's made and it's up to you to get to the table in time or heat it up later. During dinner, Mary Anne's father is a lawyer and he says that the case he's working on is of the utmost importance:

"This case is interesting because it demonstrates the extreme importance of honesty in business dealings," he said finally. "Always remember that, Mary Anne. Be scrupulously honest and fair. It will serve you in good stead."

Yeah, okay, Mr. Spier. Be honest but if you really want to get ahead in business, you should open a bunch of businesses, don't pay your contractors, declare bankruptcy, create a fake college to swindle well-meaning people out of their money, get loans from Germany, be in the pocket of Russia, and then become president. I'm not talking about any real-world case in particular.

After dinner, Mary Anne sees her room and remarks that it looks like the room of a child. It's pink and white, she has nursery rhyme pictures on the wall, framed in pink, and pink curtains. Mr. Spier can't be that smart if he thinks that's an appropriate room for Mary Anne, let alone any human being with sight. Actually, even the blind shouldn't be subjected to that and I would call CPS on behalf of the blind person.