I'm No Parent But...

    I really had nothing important to blog about today (like I ever do) but the last few days I've been painting this house in West Van. I noticed a Time Life Classic Photographs book they had sitting on the bed and was intrigued by this photo of Marlene Dietrich...

     One thought led to another and I realized I had a comment to make about people in West Vancouver and their parenting skills--or lack thereof. I've probably done work for at least ten families in West Van, renovations, so I'm around them enough to observe how these family units function/dysfunction.

     Without delving into it too deeply these "parents" children (generally around 8 to 12 years old) are the most discourteous, disrespectful, whiny hellions I've ever seen and these character traits seem fairly consistent from family to family. The kids can walk in a room a treat people like they are utterly invisible--not so much as a grunt, no eye contact and if there is it's with a look of complete contempt.   

     It's not the kids fault. These late thirties to forty-somethings with all the trappings--the Range Rover, the BMW, and the "house" hand everything to these children. They are driven everywhere, attend private schools and discipline is almost non-existent--the inmates run the asylum. Many of these people also employ nannies who end up raising these kids even though the mother is at home (or out for coffee, yoga, shopping and lunch with her Stepford-wife friends). The parents wind up feeling guilty and throw more useless crap at the kids they don't need or already have.

     Unwittingly, I think they're breeding a race of socially inept, ill-mannered, no personality jackanapes/zombies. Even these peoples dogs are unschooled. This lady said the other day, "Oh don't worry Sparky won't bite you he'll just nip you a little." Thanks, good to know.