Barlow Childrearing

“Get out, you poisonous little bitch!” Robert to Tracy at the close of Tuesday’s episode. Words to put on a loop and play over and over again. Tracy was at the Bistro, needling Leanne yet again about Simon’s out of control behaviour. Childrearing advice from Tracy. Indeed!

Too bad Robert’s words had no lasting impact on Tracy. Despite the immediate shock, her soul-searching next day was confined to coming up with justifications for her behaviour. And, of course, worrying about whether Robert was interested in Leanne. He must be, in her mind, since he kept defending Leanne. But Robert is loyal. He told her that, after all he had thrown away for her, he would hardly walk out on her now. Reassured, she could go back to crowning herself mother of the year.

The Barlow children, Amy and Simon, don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of growing up to be decent people. Amy is learning well the “poisonous” arts. She is being taught by a master.

Role models

Ken lives in the same household as Amy and spends a lot of time with Simon. One would hope he could exercise some influence in moderation, empathy and control. But then you look at his relationship with his children, and the grown-up products of his paternal skills. Not a lot of hope there.

Maybe if Deirdre were still alive it would be different? I think Deirdre was able to be a much better mother to other people’s children than with her own. Look at Tracy. Deirdre stood by her no matter what, whether right or wrong. Commendable sentiment, perhaps, but the result is a narcissistic, even sociopathic adult who is now rearing her own child in her own image.

Childrearing poison or ethics

Leanne, I think, is the most likely to be a good parent. She too is fiercely loyal to her child, and understanding of his fears and problems. But she has a moral code that she has fought hard to develop in herself and she wants to instil in him. She is hampered in this by her own insecurities about not being his “real” mother. Those insecurities are fed by Tracy and by Simon himself. If Peter were around, he’d probably feed them too if it served his purposes.

So the kids are growing up in a moral miasma. The ineffectual flapping about decency and respect from Ken and Leanne is countered by Tracy’s credo of defend yourself no matter what and attack anyone or anything that threatens you or your own. I pity the poor counsellor who has to take this mess on.