Explore the harsh truths of parenting and its long-lasting impact on children. The discussion draws on F. Scott Fitzgerald's observations of the Jazz Age elite, revealing how spoiled children often reflect their upbringing. Parenting shapes behavior, and issues like entitlement and attitude can often be traced back to family dynamics. The argument emphasizes personal responsibility, urging parents to recognize their role in their children's development. Ultimately, it's a call to action for better guidance and awareness in fostering positive traits.
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insights INSIGHT
Spoiled Rotten
F. Scott Fitzgerald's observations of the Jazz Age wealthy revealed a link between indulgence and carelessness.
He highlighted how parents and upbringing play a crucial role in shaping these traits.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Parental Responsibility
Take responsibility for your children's behavior, whether positive or negative.
It's never too late to make improvements and teach them better.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Offshore Pirate" is a short story that explores themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. The story follows a young woman who is torn between two lovers. Fitzgerald's signature style, characterized by its lyrical prose and insightful character development, is on full display. The story's exploration of love and its portrayal of the emotional turmoil of its characters make it a powerful and memorable work. It is considered one of Fitzgerald's finest short stories.
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan. The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
F. Scott Fitzgerald knew the long term damage of being spoiled rotten. Not only was he a prime and painful example himself—as we’ve written about—but as he observed and studied the rich men and women of the Jazz Age, he saw how indulgent people quickly became the “careless” monsters that he portrayed in The Great Gatsby.
In Fitzgerald’s stories, the rich are always expecting life to be easy, expecting their money to exempt them from consequences; they’re selfish, naive, insufferable, and superficial. As the subjects of his stories, this makes them fascinating heroes and anti-heroes, but Fitzgerald also wanted us to know who the real villains were: the parents and the families that raised them. As he depicts in one memorable exchange in The Offshore Pirate, a story about a young, beautiful girl who refused to listen to her guardians:
“You’ve grown unbearable! Your disposition—”
“You’ve made me that way! No child ever had a bad disposition unless it’s her family’s fault! Whatever I am, you did it.”
This truth applies to all of us, not just fathers and families whose incomes put them in the 1%. We must blame ourselves or no one, remember? If our kid’s not a hard worker, that’s on us. If our kid’s a bully or acts like they have an advanced degree from “dick school,” that’s on us. If our kid has an attitude or gets into trouble, that’s on us. They’re kids. It’s our fault for not teaching them better… and it’s even less excusable if we throw up our hands and say, “That’s just the way they turned out.”No, whatever they are, we did it. And it’s not too late to make improvements.
The Daily Dad 
