I read this article a while ago from Parenting magazine and it sparked quite the interesting discussion. Check it out:
“I have a mommy friend, I’ve known her for about 3 years now, I really like her so much, she’s funny and relaxed and down to earth…. The thing is her child is like a devil child.
I try to get over that her child only really has fun if she is making another child miserable usually my youngest seems to be the one she loves to hate, that she pulls my daughters hair, throws things at her, pushes her out of doors etc.
In addition this child who I’ll call Anna has a diet that consists of Espresso from Dunkin Donuts, Oreo cookies (White part only), Angel hair pasta with butter, rice crispies, goldfish crackers, cheese pizza, nachos, Mcdonalds chicken nuggets, frosting and chocolate milk. She never eats fruit (not even fruit cocktail or applesauce or strawberries) she never eats vegetables. She often eats so much frosting or oreo cookies that she has the runs for days.
She had to be put under anesthesia because they had to remove her top four baby teeth because they were rotting out of her head and they were afraid they were going to infect the adult teeth. She went under anesthesia to have the teeth removed when she was 4, she’s 6 now.
Whenever one of my daughters has a birthday, Anna will want at least one of the toys that they got, and she will pester her parents until she gets it, which they usually do within the week. She get’s at least one present every couple of weeks. She gets anything she asks for. I wish I was exaggerating.
When we go somewhere, Anna will say “I want an Ice cream” and her mom will get it for her, then Anna will take one bite and say “I don’t want this” and throw it in the trash. Then she’ll ask for something else, but unless it is one of the above mentioned foods she will not eat it, no matter how much she says she really wants it. She leaves a trail of uneaten junk food behind her wherever we go.
The thing is I really like the mom, so I am completely mystified that this is happening.”
How would you handle this situation?
Also, could you really stay friends with someone who is a bad parent or spouse?
