The Basis of Parenting: Education, Reality, and Physical Injury

Parenting styles are often based on the parents’ beliefs and situation. Different choices may affect a child for the rest of their life. In the memoir “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, Rose Mary and Rex Walls’ parenting style can most simply be described as protective over their kids’ thoughts, yet somewhat lenient when it comes to physical issues. They are extremely focused on educating their children. They also try to protect their kids from the harsh reality of the real world. Even though they work so hard to protect their children in this manner, physical issues are not a prominent concern within their family. It is not rare for the kids to get seriously injured due to a lack of focus on potential outcomes of a dangerous situation.

Despite the everyday struggle of not having enough money, Rose Mary and Rex Walls are determined to educate their children. Rose Mary teaches their kids about reading and art while Rex Walls teaches their kids math and science. They were so successful in this that Jeannette Walls ended up being significantly more educated than her classmates when she lived in Blythe. She stated “I was in the first grade, and my teacher, Miss Cook, always chose me to read aloud when the principal came into the classroom” (44). All three of their kids are highly educated for their ages. Both parents also try to keep harsh aspects of reality from their children. They managed to convince their kids that stars were the best present they could possibly receive for Christmas even though they were just too poor to afford anything. Rex Walls tends to disguise reality more than Rose Mary. He told the children that they were constantly moving because FBI agents were after him. However, Rose Mary “told [them] that the FBI wasn’t really after Dad; he just liked to say they were because it was more fun having the FBI on your tail than bill collectors” (19). Rex and Rose altered reality like this to protect their kids emotions. No child would react well to being told they were too poor for Christmas or that their dad can’t keep a job because he is an irresponsible alcoholic. These small lies are a feeble attempt at making their lives a little bit better. Rose Mary and Rex Walls are preparing their children for a different future; they know that the kids will have to work incredibly hard to become successful. If they start now, a chain of poverty could be prevented.

Rose Mary and Rex Walls work incredibly hard to try to create a good future for their children, but both parents appear to be less concerned when it comes to injuries. Their main philosophy is to get it over with when you’re young and learn your lesson. This harsh philosophy is displayed even with very young children. Jeannette managed to set herself on fire at the young age of three while cooking hot dogs alone. Her younger brother, Brian, fell off the back of the couch and cracked his head open on the floor just a few days after the fire incident. The only comment that Rose Mary made on these injuries was “one kid in the hospital at a time is enough” (13). This wasn’t the only time Jeannette was injured in her toddler years, when she was four, she fell out of the car while her dad was driving. After waiting for awhile she came to the conclusion that “[t]hey might decide that it wasn’t worth the drive back to retrieve [her]” (30). No child would reach this conclusion unless they weren’t sure if their parents were actually concerned about them and their health. Eventually, her family came back, cleaned her up, and tossed her back into the car. This leniency reflects the parents’ attitude towards learning from your own experiences; a value which can be taught in many ways that do not result in physical injury. Considering the parents’ level of stress in their situation, they may be doing the best that they can.

Rose Mary and Rex Walls have a very defined parenting style. They strongly believe in educating their children, and deem it necessary to hide some horrors of the real world from their children in a feeble attempt to retain their innocence. They also manage to be rather lenient when it comes to physical injuries. Their main reason for that is to show the kids how to learn from their own experiences. They also don’t have time to watch their children constantly or money to treat their children which ends in serious injuries. This parenting style allows Rose Mary and Rex Walls to build a foundation for their children’s lives. Even if the kids end up getting injured a few times. Living in poverty, the kids remain educated and strong due to their unconventional parents. They also maintain a naive, childlike view of the world, which is challenging to do in such a situation.