Parenting gone bad

The $500,000 lawsuit accused the Miner's mother, Kimberly Garrity, for bad parenting and causing her adult kids emotional distress. Of course, the case has been dismissed because a judge is most likely to call the claims "petty grievances of parental attention or inadequacy" if you were to try and sue your parent's over skimping out on your birthday gifts.

The Miner's kids claims about their poor upbringing had more to do with what their mother didn't do, than what she did. The alleged offenses include failing to take her daughter to a car show, telling her then 7-year-old son to buckle his seat belt or she would contact police, “haggling” over the amount to spend on party dresses and calling her daughter at midnight to ask that she return home from celebrating a school dance.

The Miner kids claims about their poor upbringing also included not sending her son college care packages, or buying her daughter the fancy dress she wanted. Their birthday cards had no cash or cheques, just Hallmark sentiments.

One birthday card given to Steven, now 23, was shown to the court:

"The card pictured tomatoes on a table with one tomato that had googly eyes. Inside the card read: 'Son I got you this Birthday card because it's just like you...different from all the rest!' Wow, Mum even went as far as to add 'Have a great day! Love & Hugs, Mom xoxoxo.'" - How dare she.

An Illinois court of appeals judge decided this card, and other evidence of Garrity's proposed "bad mothering", weren't grounds for punishment and found that none of the mother’s conduct was “extreme or outrageous.” To rule in favour of her children, the court found, “could potentially open the floodgates to subject family childrearing to … excessive judicial scrutiny and interference.”

In 2009, the children, represented by three attorneys including their father, Steven A. Miner. The family lived in a 1.5 million dollar Barrington Hills, Illinois home and have spent the last two years pursuing this unique lawsuit against their mum.

Miner and Garrity were married for a decade before she filed for divorce in 1995, records show. Garrity's attorney claims the lawsuit was her ex-husband's attempt at the "ultimate revenge"; however, the senior Steven Miner says he tried to talk his kids out the lawsuit before representing them.

It's not the first time kids have sued their own parents. Child stars have been sueing their parents for years. Gary Coleman sued his parents, Willie and Sue Coleman for allegedly misspending his fortune. The outcome? 1.3 million dollars to Gary Coleman.

Drew Barrymore sued her parents, John Drew and Jaid Barrymore at the tender age of 15 for an emancipation decree. In other words, she sued her parents for the rights and privileges that any 18-year-old would be afforded, minus the ability to buy cigarettes, drink alcohol, vote or do anything else a young teen would want.

Verdict? The actress succeeded in her petition, meaning she was able to move into her own LA apartment.

Yikes! What is the world coming to?