Growing up, I always thought my parents were way overprotective. I mean, they wanted me to have a curfew? And to know where I was at constantly? What-ever! But now that I’m older, I can easily see that their “overprotectiveness” was simply good parenting, and I’m sure I avoided a number of bad shenanigans thanks to their eagle eyes. Nonetheless, it was nice when I got to go off to college and be completely responsible for my actions (and their consequences), good or bad. But one woman’s parents didn’t ease up when she went away to school…in fact, they literally stalked her!
According to the source, things got pretty crazy for Aubrey Ireland when she went away to college:
[Aubery's] parents, David and Julie, would regularly drive 600 miles from Leawood, Kansas, to Ohio to make unannounced drop-ins at her school…They became over-involved in every facet of her life, Ireland told the court, going so far as to “inform” the head of her department that she suffered from serious mental issues….Ireland says her parents accused her of drug use and “promiscuity,” and even installed keylogging software on her computer and cellphone to keep tabs on her social life.”
After all the extreme stalking, Aubrey took action and filed a restraining order against her parents…and the courts sided with her. Now the Irelands are legally forbidden to come within 500 feet of their daughter, and they aren’t allowed to try and make contact with her before September 23, 2013. By then she’ll be well out of school, so any further craziness shouldn’t interfere with her academics. Though let’s hope the parents simply took a hint and won’t go to these extremes again! [via Gawker]
What do you think of this restraining order?
guest
From what has been described here with regards to their stalking habits, the restraining order sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
guest
First of all, those “unannounced visits” were to see her plays. Second, she is their only daughter and she was engaging in self destructive behavior, so it was valid to want to keep tabs on her. Third, her parent’s were paying $22000 per year to send her to school. This girl is spiteful, and, by the looks of it, not all that bright.
guest
you should have seen my mom rolling her eyes when this story was on. I was thinking she would have inspired me if I were her age now because that would have been you.
guest
@Rebekka Wilkinson@facebook - I don’t really care what her grades are. Being educated doesn’t mean you are wise, because you don’t file a restraining order against your non-abusive (because they weren’t abusing her, and if she does indeed have mental issues, which considering her behavior on this and her parents testimony, appears be the case, then their concern and monitoring is actually completely justified) concerned parents who are paying for your tuition. She’s an actress and wanted attention. She never bothered to work it out with them privately, and the fact that the judge sided with her is a sad monument to the low value we place on family in this society. Furthermore, the school should never have given her a scholarship. Instead, she should have been given a list of businesses that were hiring in the area to give this drama queen a little taste of humility. All she’s done here is hurt her parents and screw herself over.
guest
Good for her! Quite frankly she is her own person now and her parents just seem like they’re suffering from a severe case of empty nest syndrome. They need to get over it, realize their daughter is a grown woman, and just let go. I can’t say as I blame her.
I think the restraining order is absolutely appropriate.
guest
@Rebekka Wilkinson@facebook - I absolutely agree. I’d have done the same thing in her shoes. When one reaches the age of majority, their parents no longer own them and they need to back the fuck off.
guest
@Semper_medusa@xanga - When parents (or family in general) are toxic, it’s best to cut them out of your life. It sounds to me like Miss Ireland’s parents were just that: toxic.
Why do you think I don’t speak to any of my family anymore? For many of the same reasons: they are toxic people. Family values can suck it, especially when your family sucks.
guest
Love this article. Finally, a young woman to be proud of.
guest
@Semper_medusa@xanga - not everyone is lucky enough to come from a loving, supportive family. While I am all for family values and appreciating your parents, money doesn’t mean you’re a good parent. Lots of parents pay for their child’s tuition, but that just means they can afford to, it doesn’t mean you have amazing, loving, caring parents.
Are you really saying you would be okay if, aged 21 (a legal adult), your parents were using software to stalk your every move on the internet and kept tabs on your social life by tapping your phone? If a boyfriend did that, or a stranger, that would be stalking and grounds for arrest, but because they’re her parents, it’s suddenly totally acceptable and normal behaviour?!
guest
@Semper_medusa@xanga - It’s just a restraining order. It’s not like she is suing them. And as an adult, she has every right to be independent of her parents. If this was what she felt she needed to do, then by all means she should do it. Just because people are related doesn’t mean they aren’t toxic to one another, and if this has poor repercussions for herself, then she has no one to blame but herself.
guest
Um, parents have to let their children grow up and move on. You cant protect them forever as much as you want because really you’re stunting their growth by hovering and not giving them any privacy and as far as I’m concerned, semper medusa.. whatever, I think you might be the spiteful one because you seem to be the only person jumping to conclusions that shes mentally unstable and “spiteful” despite her parents paying for her tuition..everyone over 18 is allowed to their own personal privacy and room to breathe. Plus installing that software and making unannounced visits is not appropriate. Family or not, it’s not okay to do. There is absolutely NO excuse for that.
sunflower / 264 posts
Yeah…her parents were being kind of freakay-deakay.
tulip / 16 posts
Uh…This is the same girl that has her parents paying for her $60,000 a year student tuition in full. I’m sorry, but she doesn’t have any loans to worry about because her parents are paying for everything.
If she wants a restraining order..she better be able to put the money where her mouth is.
guest
I personally never appreciated when my mom using money as a way of controlling my behavior, so I don’t really like the “oh, they are paying for her tuition, therefore they can harass her” argument.