THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 18, 1996 TAG: 9605180002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: PATRICK LACKEY
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
It could be a parent's worst nightmare.
A mom tells her teenage son he has to be home by 10:30 p.m. He sneers and says, ``If you don't let me stay out late, I won't study and I'll flunk and then you'll go to prison practically forever.''
That could be Mary Watson's fate some day. The 30-year-old Portsmouth mother was sentenced four years ago to 40 years in prison on a drug charge. In a creative sentence that made national news, Circuit Judge Johnny Morrison suspended Watson's time in prison and placed her on 15 years' supervised probation with this condition: Her probation would be revoked if her four children failed to maintain grade averages of C or better in school.
Four children is a lot of children for a mother alone to keep on the straight and narrow. Their ages are 7, 8, 13 and 14. Thus two are teenagers and the other two will be before the probation is done. Those are years when the body shouts instructions to the mind, which only later in life gets a word in edgewise.
Still, as staff writer Angelita Plemmer reported Wednesday, Watson and her children have succeeded so far. In fact, a lot of A's have been mixed in with B's and C's. A sprinkling of F's have been overcome by good grades in other courses.
``We know what we have to do for you to stay at home,'' Shalonta, 13, told his mother, ``so we're going to do it.''
As I read the story, I wondered whether to envy the four children's teachers or be grateful I'm not one of them.
The downside of the probation conditions is that teachers determine, by the grades they assign the four children, whether Watson remains at home or goes off to prison. That's a terrible burden to place on teachers, if they know of the probation conditions. However, of the few teachers contacted, none knew that Watson's freedom hinged on her children's grades.
The upside is obvious: The children are motivated to succeed. Teaching has to be one of the most gratifying professions in the world when students want to learn. Ideally, students are motivated by a pure love of learning. But keeping mom out of prison is a good reason for learning, also.
Some have argued that the probation conditions put unfair pressure on the children. To my mind, those conditions forced the children to assume responsibility, and that's good. Something about responsibility brings out the best in people, including children. Watson's children are capable of getting decent grades, and they must.
The constant temptation for parents is to make life easy for children, to protect them not just from suffering but from sweat and worry. The responsibility for getting good grades, however, may well be a blessing for Watson's children. They don't have to risk their lives. They don't have to leap 8 feet in the air. They have to do what they can do with a little work. The responsibility should focus their attention on books.
The second-youngest of Watson's children, Tonuika, 8, explained how she's earning a good number of A's. ``All you have to do is listen to the teacher, raise your hand and ask the teacher a question. But most importantly, respect the teacher.''
Already, the children have earned the presence of their mother for four years. Already, the judge's creative sentencing is a success.
One hopes for Watson's sake that her children acquire a host of good study habits before they reach the rebellious years and courses become harder. What's good for their mom is good for them. MEMO: Mr. Lackey is an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot.
by CNB