Response

Some of the most shocking things I had read from Alternadad came from the responses that he receives upon explaining the problems of his child's biting problems to the world of the internet. I have trouble believing that people would ever say the types of things that he quotes and I absolutly can't imagine anyone saying these things to either Neal or Regina's face. There is something about the anominity of the internet that allows for enough distance to make it ok to completely rip out the heart and sould of other people and stomp on it. It also seems pretty terrifying that this anaomous croud of dissapointment is still close enough to home to find Regina's email address. This world seems ten times scarier than the bad neighborhood right outside their front door and Regina is obviously affected by all of this criticism.
Earlier in the class we talked about the fact that Regina feels guilty about sending her child to school. It seemed to us to be a good idea to try to relieve some of that guilt for the mental health of both parent and child. However, when strangers judge you to be such awful parents that you deserve to have your child taken away from you it is hard to see how you can not feel guilty and that you are not living up to the rest of soiciety's standards. As Neal says in an earlier chapter the world excpets alot from moms.
Every child will have their own issues and no matter what happens you can only do the best you can with parenting. Regina and Neal seem to understand this, as do the 1 out of 3 responses to the biting episode that are positive rather than judgemental. Especially since these well informed parents were so panicked that they listened to bad advice from a supposedly reliable source of their school it just doesn't seem fair to place all of the blame on only them.

The only other thing that I had to say this week is slightly extracurricular. I am playing for the drama school's production of Into the Woods this week, so I have so far listened to they entire show about 20 times (only 4 more to go) which has let me mull over the plot and symbolism of it alot recently. It seems to tie into this class very well because the main plot is about a quest to concieve a child and what happens once lives have been ruined in the process of getting that child. It has alot to do with how that child is raised and grows up into adult hood as well through other side plots. It has absolutly made me think about the fairy tales that I want to see being passed down to children and this line of thought reminds me greatly of Neal deciding which books to read and even deciding which music to listen to, the lyrics of which are obvoiusly teaching Elijah as they go. The media that children are exposed to is so important but I feel like its impossible for parents to control this entirely and it is definitily not possible for them to be able to inepret what their children see for them. That will be Elijah's responsibilty and right and there is nothing that Regina or Neal can do about it. Into the Woods drives that point home for many of its characters and I would recommend it as a relevant show to this class.