Essay Rex and Rosemary Walls: Really Bad Parents

Throughout the glass castle both Walls parents portray several qualities that would put them into the category of being uninvolved parents. One example being when Jeannette is young and a stranger climbs into her bedroom window and touches her inappropriately. She says, “I asked Mom and Dad if we could close the doors and windows when we went to sleep. They wouldn’t consider it. We needed the fresh air,” (Walls 103). Even after their daughter is put in danger neither parents take precautions to insure it never happens again. According to the article, an uninvolved parenting trait could be low responsiveness which is shown in this part of the book through the Walls lack of concern. “One evening when Dad was away and we had nothing to eat and

The Walls children are not only raised by parents that can’t hold down a job, but by parents who are also mentally unstable. In a recent study by Princeton University it was said that “ Long work hours, lack of autonomy, job insecurity, and a heavy workload are also associated with adult mental health problems.” (Princeton). No matter how bad of a “childhood” the Walls children had it’s worse because both parents can’t hold down a job. With both parents rarely working the children are left to fend for themselves, essentially raising themselves. The Walls children have a poor quality of life and a huge factor of their quality of life is because their parents can’t keep a job. For example if Rex Walls kept a job and didn't spend his money on booze the children would have food to eat. At one point in The Glass Castle it says “whenever Mom was too busy to make dinner or we were out of food, we’d go back to the dumpster to see if any new chocolate was waiting for us.” (Walls 125). Jeanette’s parents were so selfish that the children had to go to the dumpster to get a meal, and that problem could’ve been solved if either parent was dedicated to keeping a job and putting food on the table. The children also spent most of their childhood wearing the ripped and tattered clothes because their parents were unable to afford new clothes. Not only is this extremely sad, but if their parents had steady

Her Mother seemed to be more put together than her father at times, even getting a job at one point helping the family out. Though her mother was a hedonist and did not contain the motherly love and sacrifice for her kids, this job helped Jeanette’s future. She helped grade papers which increased her knowledge of the outside world and “...the world was making a little more sense” as she read the papers and projects of her mother’s students (Walls 205). Her parents had such an opposition to the outside world that she hadn’t gotten every aspect of

A parent’s parenting styles are as diverse as the world we live in today. Nowadays, parents only want what is best for their children and their parenting styles plays a crucial role in the development of children which will in the long run, not only effect the child’s childhood years, but later prolong into their adult life as well.

The positive outcomes of the Walls parenting methods were largely the important values the children learned. They learned the value of standing together as a family, and the importance of having something to aspire for as they matured. The children also learned the value of appreciation, loyalty and forgiveness. The Walls children survived many

However, with her alcoholic dad who rarely kept a job and her mother who suffered mood swings, they had to find food from her school garbage or eat expired food they had previously when they had the slightest bit of money. In addition, when bills and mortgage piled up, they would pack their bags and look for a new home to live in, if they could even call it a stable home, since they would be on the move so often. Jeanette needed a dad who wouldn’t disappear for days at a time, and a mom that was emotionally stable, but because she didn’t have that, she grew up in an environment where she would get teased or harassed for it. Jeanette suffered so much, that even at one point, she tried convincing her mother to leave her father because of the trouble he had caused the family already. A child should be able to depend on their parents for food and to be there for them when they need it, and when that part of a child’s security is taken away, it leaves them lost and on their own, free and confused about what to do next.

Parenting is not one of the easiest jobs in the world to have; you either are responsible enough to parent or you're not responsible enough.You have to be able to raise a child from birth and teach he/she all the necessary tools to succeed in life. As said in The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Work, “Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood” (245). All parents will raise their children in different ways, whether they are very strict or they’re lenient, others can be easy going and strict depending on the situation and the way they group up will shape them into who they become as adults as shown in The Glass Castle with Jeannette Walls and her parents.

Parents have a significant amount of influence on how their children will act, behave and do certain things in today's world which base off of their skills. Not all parents will acquire impressive parenting skills and be able to raise their children properly in society. In a memoir called The Glass Castle, by author Jeannette Walls shares her life story and how it may be perceived as normal. In Jeannette’s life, she along with her siblings are raised by a father and a mother who raises their family in a way that society would view as unusual or problematic. Parents are the adults who have certain ways and skills on how their children are raised in which could be considered a problem, society, on the other hand, has certain views but isn’t necessarily the problem.

At one point in the book Dad wants money for alcohol, so he has to persuade Jeannette that the family will be okay without the extra twenty dollars.

His father began to branch out and converted into well-known pastor. His father’s success was the reason for the family’s wealth. Over time things among his parents began to spiral downward. Between the age of 7 and 8 his parents had acquired a divorce. Jeremy’s father left the keys to the house and the cars with his now ex-wife, with no money. This major event force Jeremy, his mom and little brother to move back to New Orleans. Years went by and the two brothers were breaking into houses and vending drugs off the streets.

There is a world where there are good, caring parents, and the ugly parents who just do not take proper care of parents. In any case, Rex Walls and Rose Mary are not fit parents because they do not always look after Jeannette and the parents fight about many issues.

I used to believe that Rosemary was feeling very sorry for the situation that her children were in, even if she was an unconventional mother. The last part of the story I just read, convinced me that she had mental problems because not even a mother who loves her children would do what she did. Even surviving in such a situation was fluky for the children, and that’s why the government should’ve taken them from their parents.

In the beginning of the story John and Lorraine are prank calling people and they happen to run across Mr.Pignati’s number in the phone book. Lorraine calls Mr.Pignati and tell him she works for a charity. Lorraine starts wondering if the old man is depressed or just in need of someone to talk to. Lorraine asks Mr.Pignati if he wants to donate money to the “charity” and he said he would donate but Lorraine feels bad for using him. John says it fine and he cashes in the check that Mr.Pignati gave them. Lorraine doesn’t feel right about taking the money so she goes to the zoo with him and John, Mr. Pignati enjoyed the zoo. The three of them end up spending a lot of time together and Mr.Pignati buys the kids things because he thankful for the

The mother reported that she feels the father is making statements to the child which leaves the child knowing that the father needs him. The reported that Hudson often asks how come he is with each parent for different periods of time. She indicated that Hudson reported to her that “his father wants to spend more time with him, but his mother has to agree to it”.

“Why can’t my grandpa be a rich nut, that own a big company, and gives hundreds of dollars to me,” the teen muttered as she riffled through the numerous bills. Pulling out three twenties, she sighed, and handed it back him. “Put that back and don’t loose it.”