I got into a bit of trouble yesterday after the parents read my ‘Dear Mum and Dad’ post. Well not trouble exactly. My Mum thought that if it got things off my chest then fine, but my Dad decided to take it far too seriously which is strange really as normally it would be the other way round. It wasn’t meant as a joke really, but it wasn’t there to offend and it certainly wasn’t there as a means of complaining about the parents behind their backs (unlike the two of them this morning discussing me right outside my room when they thought I was sleeping). I know they follow via email so I would have to be pretty stupid to think they wouldn’t read it.
So, after getting up in a pretty bad mood I have some more points to add:
Dear Mum and Dad,
- Firstly, I would like to say that it is not my fault I am ill. In fact, it annoys me a lot more than it does you – think on that for a while.
- I love you
- Mum, you wouldn’t be my Mum if you didn’t get stressed occasionally or sulk when Dad and I tell you off for complaining that Dad is messing around when it was the little brother in the family who started it but gets away with it because of his ‘puppy-dog eyes’
- Dad, you wouldn’t be my Dad without your bad jokes, constant teasing and perfectionist ways
- You’ve always encouraged me in my endeavors, whether that is academic or otherwise
- Mum spends days with me shopping or crafting which I do appreciate
- You both work hard so we can go on yearly holidays
- Dad may roll his eyes but allows me to keep half-made bags and cushions in the sitting room
- Neither of you mind setting me free in the kitchen and creating a load of washing up
- All parents annoy their children and all children annoy their parents – it’s a fact of life
- In fact, considering the little brother and I get along and hardly ever fight you should feel lucky. When I think about other families we know, who bicker and don’t seem to spend a lot of time together, we are all rather close and this should never be taken for granted
(Do you feel better now?)
mystudentstruggles 
It doesn’t matter how old you get, you are always going to be your parents’ children
True, but I think it gets better when you don’t live with them. But looking at the state of the economy getting a job and thus money to move out seems unlikely 😀
As a parent and child I offer no comment on this debate other than to quote from perhaps the best satire written in the English language – namely Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Most people are aware of only some parts of the first part of the first voyage in which Gulliver finds himself in Lilliput where the inhabitants grow to no more than 6 inches high and the hero of the novel is considered to be a giant. However, there are many other voyages covered in the book but these are normally left out of any popular versions of the story because they are considered unfit for children due to their often crude subject matter and highly satirical nature. As a student of literature I can recommend this as one of the top novels ever written.
My point here is to tell you about a short passage in the book where Swift, in an allusion to the reference in the 10 Biblical Commandments to ‘honour thy father and mother’, says the following:
“The Lilliputians … will never allow that a child is under any obligation to his father for begetting him, or to her mother for bringing her into the world; which, considering the miseries of human life, was neither a benefit in itself, nor intended so by his parents, whose thoughts in their love-encounters were otherwise employed. Upon these and the like reasonings, their opinion is that parents are the last of all others to be trusted with the education of their own children…”
After Gulliver escapes from Lilliput he arrives at the Kingdom of Brobdingnab where he is only 6 inches tall and the native inhabitants are giants. After many escapades he becomes friendly with the King and many brilliant discussions take place which allows the author to poke fun at our society and our warlike nature. In subsequent voyages Gulliver meets a wide range of weird and wonderful people and in the final chapter makes the acquaintance of a race of rational horses who live side by side with a race of horrible, filthy animals called Yahoos. Of course, we are the Yahoos and the internet company of the same name is named after this literary invention.
This comment makes me want to read Gulliver’s Travels but I’m sure on the relevance. Maybe all will be become clear once I’ve read it 😀 Thanks for commenting
Did you miss the word ‘not’ out of your comment?
Yes, sorry 🙂
RE my comment – if it caused trouble, or seemed out of place, I’m sorry – it was something my student son posted to me when we disagree about stuff a few years ago. It’s meant to be funny as it turns the normal thinking about children and parents upside down. It was also inspired by the comment already posted about never not being a a parent’s child – that’s why I said I was both. Please delete it 🙂
Your comment didn’t cause any problems at all. I didn’t really understand the literary reference but others might. I will delete it though if you would like 😀
Hi mate – it’s your blog and your decision – I was concerned I’d made things awkward, but if not then am happy to stand by what I said. Anyway, how’s things? 🙂
I’ve had to move back in with my parents while I’m going through these back surgeries. They give me my space since I’m 32, but it’s kind of hard to bring a date back to their house. They also ask me questions about things they would never ask if I didn’t live with them.
Aww I guess things never change 🙂
That’s the truth.
Puppy eyes???
You know perfectly well what I mean oh brother of mine 🙂
Yo bro,
I may have to make a sneaky apology here for winding The Brother up in the first place by chasing him around the house when I pop over which may cause some of the troublems… 😀 (Also, I’m honoured that you refer to yourself as Diddydude, Diddydude.)
P.S. I’m loving this blog. Such fun! 😉 xxx
Haha I like the name – I guessed it was you before I read the comment 🙂 lol
Thank you, glad you like xx
This is so lovely!!
Cheers 😀