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Mom Had 4-Year-Old Arrested and Jailed Overnight for Bad Behavior
In the 1930s, a mother was blasted by her community after the unusual punishment she arranged for her small child was made public
Parenting is not an easy job, and just when you think you might be getting the hang of it, another curve ball comes along. This can lead to varying and sometimes head scratching choices when it comes to disciplining. One of the most unusual examples came during the Great Depression when a mother found herself the subject of community outrage after she had her four-year-old child arrested and held in jail overnight in an effort to encourage him to behave better.
Annapolis, Maryland in 1931 was the scene of a rather unexpected desperado being taken into custody. Little Roger Perry Jr. was an active child who was spurred by a overactive curiosity. However, his desire to wander often put his mother at her wit’s end, sometimes pulling him back to safety in just the nick of time.
Dorothy Perry, his mom, was used to discipline. Her husband was a lieutenant in the Navy (and serving at sea during this incident), and her father was a retired naval commander. It just didn’t make sense when her young boy kept doing whatever he wanted.
