You know, when I read or hear about other people's parents, I'm grateful for my own. Sure, they weren't perfect, but they did a damn sight better than a lot of them today. Most of what I hear about these days is physical and/or emotional abuse, disrespect of privacy, and blatant misappropriation of funds. It makes the regular arguments between mom and dad before they split up seem like music.

What kind of parent is it that can't be bothered to potty train their kid, or teach them how to behave in public, or leaves them in soiled diapers all day, or gives them a beating every day just because they "know" the kid did something to deserve it? What kind of parent always belittles their kid, in private and in front of others, and then wonders why they don't do well in school and have behavioral problems?

What kind of parent is it that takes all the money that their teenager gets from a third party (ie government, tribe, or estate), and wastes it all on their own restaurant food, clothes, cigarettes, and gambling, and can't even be arsed to buy the kid that brings in the cash food or clothes? Isn't this shit illegal, and who the fuck prosecutes it? How do you expect your offspring to become a productive, responsible adult when you aren't one yourself? It's pretty fucked up when your kid has a better idea how to budget money than you do.

What kind of parent is it that is so insecure in their own beliefs that they use a keylogger to snoop on their teenager and pitches a fit when they click on anything that doesn't meet their strict religious approval? Teenagers will explore new ideas, and if the parent raised them right and the parent's ideas are sound, they will stay with what they know. Trying to keep those ideas away from the teen will just make the forbidden fruit all the sweeter. Hey fundie jerks, "just say no", and your kid will be sure to do it just to spite you! If you want a kid to avoid certain activities, you need to make a logical case, not just say "because I said so" or "because the bible/koran/bhagavad ghita says so".

Seriously, I wish I was empowered to dispense clue by force, and could make these fuckup parents pull their heads out of their asses. At the very least I'd want to be able to provide a haven for some teens who are trying to become responsible human being in spite of their parents assininity. I wonder if there's some sort of "advocate" program that I could be involved in to be a third party advocate for fucked over kids, because the law takes a dump on them, the foster system screws them over, and nobody that is legal adult speaks for the kids.

At least, though, I can listen, and that's a hell of a lot more than a lot of these so-called "parents" (that are really selfish assholes wrapped up in themselves) ever do. Still, it's pretty sad when a stranger on the net gives more of a damn about a kid that their own fucked up family.