Once upon a time there was a family with several school-age children. They were not wealthy but they got by with careful budgeting. For the most part all was fairly harmonious except for the demands of the youngest son. He decided that he wanted a pony. Two of his school friends had one, and he decided he must have one as well.
His parents pointed out that they could not possibly afford the pony along with its upkeep, and, anyway, they lived in a suburban house, not a ranch, and had nowhere to keep the pony. The boy did not listen to these reasonable arguments; he must have his pony and that was that. He held his breath. He became rude and abusive. He went "on strike" and refused to do his chores or tidy his room.
His parents pointed out that the other children accepted the reality of their financial limitations. (One older sister really wanted a car to drive to college but, at least for a couple of years, had to settle for a bus pass.) None of this mattered and the dispute went on for years.
Eventually, the children grew up and found careers; the unreasonable child became a teacher.
As the years passed, several of the boy's siblings had children of their own. He was very surprised when they placed them in private schools instead of the school where he was teaching in spite of the fact that it was closer, more convenient and cheaper. During a family get-together, he complained loudly about this to his parents.
His brothers and sisters responded: "We saw how you behaved when you did not get your way as a child and we don't want to take any chance of that attitude rubbing off on our children. It is hard for us to afford the private school, but we feel it is worth it to protect our children from you and those who believe and act as you do."
Ralph Allan
Prince George
