I have the most horrific neighbours. A couple of weirdo housewives who spend three parts of the day yelling at their kids. And what are they yelling about? “Eat fast!” “Swallow!” “Shut your mouth!” Slap, slap. To the listener, it’s appalling and evokes absolute rage for the absolutely helpless.
What parents don’t seem to get is that they have such complete control over their offspring that it can make them psychos. And it does. Children have no rights, as we all know. We tell them what to eat, (and when to swallow, apparently), when to sleep, how to study, who they can have as friends, what their career choices should be….a neverending spiral. But with great power comes great responsibility, etc. Children are people, too. And to crush their spirit is as evil an act as murder. Oh, not that I have been untouchable myself, but to be self-aware is the first step to not crushing a young child’s heart with a couple of slaps because she’s not eating her food fast enough to suit you.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t bring up a child faultlessly, sometimes even well. Is the universe trying to tell us something?
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