I didn’t think you could make this shit up, honestly
My sister works as a contractor and has run-ins with private schools occasionally and whatever you’ve heard about these parents, it’s worse than you can possibly imagine. I never would’ve thought someone would be so proud of the fact that they treat their children like pawns and clearly something to check off on a life list or some bullshit.
I am struggling to wrap my mind around it. In the year 2023, it is common to ask two dating people when they plan to get married and have kids. Which alone wouldn’t be a bad thing, but these questions are so fucking ominous now that I have this knowledge. Fuuuuuuuck me
My parents had a scheme when I was a kid to raise me into wealth, but they believed in the whole "get good grades and you'll be rich." So they tried for a while, taught me multiplication tables when I was like 4, taught me world history and stuff. I could read and write way before I started school. I could even use a computer, which was a rare skill for even adults back then. I did become fairly advanced by the time I was 6 and the school district offered to let me test out of grades 3 and 4. (Parents didn't like that idea since they said I wouldn't be able to network as well if I skipped grades)
Problem is my parents were racist, unprepared, and not too bright themselves, so their lessons didn't last much further than 3rd grade. They exhausted what they knew, so my grades dropped fast because of anxiety and pressure. Also I'm not actually smart or motivated
The attempt to get my grades higher always centered around them. They wanted me to become rich to buy them a house and nice cars. They wanted me to be on TV so I could praise them in front of crowds. Elon Musk wasn't famous yet, but they wanted me to be him in every possible way, including the racist parts. That's what they would always describe, they wanted me to be a business scientist rocket engineer, except not an idiot fraud like Musk. I think part of this scheme was motivated by how my parents were the poorest of all their siblings. I was from the "poor" branch of the family, so it must have been embarrassing for them to show up to family gatherings and our uncle is showing off his new boat, or our aunt has a new diamond necklace. Then my parents are there driving the same truck they had in high school
Nowadays we don't talk much. Their plan failed and also I'm a communist
Yeah, a lot of energy gets poured into that pipe dream. Sorry you went through all that
I know exactly what you're talking about and I've always found it so wild that we are that atomized that peoole don't even help their families and just accept this as natural. I know why it is, and i know yhe US is and has been that atomized for a long time. Intellectually i get it, but i can never get it emotionally. It'll never make sense to me
My dad's side of the family comes from above average wealth. They own property all over the west coast, house or two -in- San Francisco, multiple cares, river boat property+boat and so much more. Like legitimate wealth and plenty of it. I never understood how I could go visit my wealthy Grandma in Georgia yet we always had to deal with having no clothes/ broken shoes and a scrap of dignity. How could anyone look at our family and just say "yea that's normal"? Even as a kid, I could see my dad already broke down and debased his dignity to stay alive and keep the family floating along. It stings because looking back even now, I hate that side of the family even more. They convinced my dad he deserved it.