Esther Fagbemi
Ms. Abudayyeh
AP.Language and Composition
25 November 2013
Unfit Parents
It is often said that “Parents can only give good advice or lead the kids in the right path, but the forming of the child’s character lies in his or her own hands”. The memoir The Glass Castle, written by Jeanette Walls deals with what type of responsibilities a good parent should possess. Unfortunately, characters like Rex Walls and Rose Mary, who are the parent of author Jeanette Walls, lack that parental responsibility. Others might consider Rex Walls and Rose Mary as good parents because of their free-spirit and love of life; however they are unfit parents because they do not set a good example for their kids. Rex Walls and Rose Mary are bad parents because of their inappropriate behavior in the presence of their kids, and their inability to raise their children.
Rex Wall’s inappropriate behavior in front of his kids is one of the reasons he is considered as a “bad” parent. Rex’s alcoholic lifestyle makes him seem like an unfit parent; but when he does it multiple times in front of his children, just makes him the worse parent ever. Children often live of the examples set by their parents. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism:
Research shows, however, that teens and young adults do believe their parents should have a say in whether they drink alcohol. Parenting styles are important—teens raised with a combination of encouragement, warmth, and appropriate disciplines are more likely to respect their parents’ boundaries. Understanding parental influence on children through conscious and unconscious efforts, as well as when and how to talk with children about alcohol, can help parents have more influence than they might think on a child’s alcohol use. Parents can play an important role in helping their children develop healthy attitudes toward drinking while minimizing its risk. (Parenting)
Instead of Rex discouraging his kids and telling them...