Laurie's mother in the Shirley Jackson short story, "Charles," is undergoing a change in her mothering skills as her son simultaneously changes from cute little boy to misbehaving young terror. Laurie's mother willingly believes everything he has to say even though she sees that he no longer pays her much attention and talks back to his father. After hearing stories about Laurie's new friend, Charles, and his antics at school, she naturally assumes that the boy is responsible for the change in her son's behavior. It is only after she learns at a PTA meeting that there is no Charles in Laurie's class that she realizes it is Laurie who has been causing trouble at school. Like most mothers, she is loyal to her son and the last person to believe the worst until it is too late.