Parenting Style In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

A little girl is forced to grow up with the “helping” hand of a drunk father and an excitement-addict mother, both of which pay little attention to what their children need: love. Instead, they go on wild adventures: breaking out of hospitals, travelling the desert, encountering perverted relatives and jumping into animal cages- just to name a few. While this may seem obscure, this story is actually true. Jeannette Walls, the author of her memoir, The Glass Castle, tells the story of her childhood traveling around the country and how that affected her ability to grow and her relationship with her family was falling apart. Although parenting can take many forms, Rex and Rose Mary Walls did not have an effective parenting style, as they took

Rose Mary Walls, Jeannette’s mother, clearly showed signs of under parenting when Jeannette writes, “Mom always said people worried too much about their children. Suffering when you’re young is good for you” (Walls 28). Rose Mary Walls is notorious for only caring about herself. The fact that she believes making her children suffer is the most effective way to help them improve strengthen the argument that she is under parenting. While it is good to let babies take one step at a time, throwing them in situations without any guidance and expecting them to succeed is a poor parenting style. Because of parents like Rose Mary, the idea of being trained to raise a child has become a topic of conversation. Bobbi Leder, an opinion editor, spoke her thoughts in her article, “Should People Be Required to Obtain A License Before Becoming Parents,” where she addresses what is required and expected out of parenthood. She advocates that “children deserve the best and if you’re not prepared to give (the most important job) your all, then leave it to those who are” (Leder 3). As an American society, it is natural to want children to have the best opportunity they can. To provide these opportunities, it is important to consider one question before having a child: are you ready to take on a huge responsibility? Also, understanding what the role of a parent is,

Rex Walls does, however, attempt to figure out what he could do to make Jeannette happier for her birthday; her response, “Do you think you could maybe stop drinking?” (Walls 116). Rex only lasted a few days until the beast inside him was released and he consumes alcohol once again. The inability to change a bad habit of his is only one of the many times Rex proves that he is incapable to take care of children. He spends too much time away from his family and waste the money he could be using to provide food on the table for a round at the bar. “Family comes first” is not just a little saying. It is a lesson that reflects how united a group of individuals are. In “Should Parenting Require a License?” New York Times correspondent, Lisa Belkin, reports how parenting problems affect the family’s mental state in the dynamic of the group. One story she features revolves around a mother stealing valuables at a dollar store: “when the employee asked to search the bag the women ran, dumping stollen contents as she fled. Among those items: washcloths, small hand towels, a small rug and a book entitled ‘101 Way to Be a Great Mom’” (Belkin 2). The mother of two, knowing that she is unable to provide for her family, takes initiative to better her young one. Legally or not, she wants to educate herself to make her be a better parent. Being aware of