: The young couple next-door are just the nicest people, but they are about as smart as their dogs, and their dogs are actively not smart. Their relations with the rest of the neighborhood have become strained since they moved in last September. Because nothing they do ever goes to plan, and they ask for help, which they do get, but they don’t ever seem to learn anything. I know what Stephen’s problem is. His father is a very rich surgeon and a gaping asshole who is a helicopter parent and…
: …unbelievably critical of him. Mallory was homeschooled in Ohio and is bright and cheery and pretty vapid. Stephen is overly agreeable, and Mallory, bless her, worries constantly and quite apparently that other people disapprove of her and things she does or doesn’t do and is profusely apologetic sometimes seemingly at random. They are Pollyanna Christians. (IYKYK.) I feel kind of bad for them. I feel that way because they meanwhile but are kinda helpless/hapless. If it wasn’t for that, their…
: …parents are loaded, they would be fucked. I’ve seen it before in friends and acquaintances and coworkers over the years, and when they finally do get that wake-up call, it’s never any fun to see.
They are about 29 or 30. As the 62 year-old engineer across the street has stated about them, “They’re really nice, pleasant people, and that’s about the only thing they have going for them.” The little old lady that lives on the corner likes them and thinks they’re super, and she also said…
: Stephen had to go to the ER twice In 10 days when he was trying to build their chicken coop. Additionally, it kept falling apart. engineer helped him build it and wound up building 85% of it or so himself because Stephen wasn’t quick on the uptake at all. Alas, poor Mallory. Sometimes you can see her zoning out during conversations where you’re talking about stuff and she stopped understanding at some point earlier.
All of that are known long-term effects of shitty parenting. (I’ve…
: … met both of their dads. Surgeon is a gaping asshole in general. Mallory‘s dad had his own general contracting business, and he’s less of an asshole than surgeon, but is still quite an uppity “I’m a rich entrepreneur” asshole, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one of them smile or hear one of them compliment or share a fun/positive their kids, just tell an anecdote or two about how their kids fucked up when they were younger.)
Crummy stuff.
@thedisasterautist Good on you and the old lady neighbor for trying to get them straightened out. Smh. I have a feeling things will be tricky for the baby as she gets older. Thinking Matilda -like [the movie] environment without the yelling.
: … they are not prepared at all for most thing, much less real life parenthood. (They have nine month old daughter who is a a-doorbell.) She said what I have been known to say, which is that some people are less conditioned for when it starts raining hammers and anvils than others.
She and I have determined that we’re going to do our best within reason to try to help them out. Engineer guy is a bit grumpy and says he helps them, though, because he doesn’t want them to hurt themselves.