Need Opinion of "Weirdness" Factor...

[crambone]

Okay, so I got into an argument with the wife last night because of this, and I want another perspective (or two) on this situation:

My wife is 26, and her sister is 40.  She is married to a 41 year old man, and they have a 7 year old son.  It took them 6 years to have this son, and they have tried for another kid ever since he was born.  They are both fairly well off, and the kid has pretty much everything he wants (and then some).  He's not too spoiled, but he also talks back to his parents so much that I want to drop kick him to New York.

We went to visit them this weekend (they live in Ohio), and I couldn't help but notice that they have an oil painting of their son when he was 3-4 years old.  It's hanging smack dab in the middle of their living room (which is incredibly large), in its own cubby hole with a light shining on it night and day.

Does this seem extremely weird to anyone else?  The wife and I got into it on the way home from the airport because I thought it was incredibly weird and annoying.  Let me know if I am being an ******* for bringing this up and critizing her sister, or if I am somewhat correct in my train of though.

Keep in mind that I grew up dirt poor (food stamps until I was 14) with nothing to my name and had a dad that would beat the sh1t out of me if I ever back talked him or my mother.  This may influence my reasoning here...

[nobull.Bulls]

Im a guy who grew up in middle class and I think thats very weird.

My personal "no actual clue of these people except for your post" opinion: Sounds like they covet that kid too much after 6 years of effort.

Very creepy.

The kid is only 7 thou...

[mikebeau]

no doubt there are issues there.  Weird parents worship their children's existence.  Then when the kids get older they take advantage

the other end of the spectrum...parents despise their children's existence and treat them like ****.

somewhere in the middle is normal.  oil painting are not in the middle

[crambone]

At least their are two other people in this world that I can agree with.

Thanks a bunch!

[jaym]

Definitely strange. Now wonder the kid has a God complex.

[Grateful Dad]

Let me know if I am being an ******* for bringing this up and critizing her sister

From the little information provided, in my opinion, yes you are.  There is nothing wrong with having a portrait of someone you love deeply hung prominently.  The separate issue, of allowing the child to exhibit unacceptable behavior, needs to be addressed.  But to make the jump to idolotry from allowing the behavior is a stretch based on having a portrait hung.  I have a nice portrait of my son hung in my living room (done for free by an artist friend of his) and I can assure you that he got it upside the head whenever he crossed the line.  My love for him expressed in exhibiting his portrait has nothing to do with what I will allow him to do in my presence.  There are a few on this site that know what I am going through with him now and they can tell you I am no pushover (he is now 21).

I wouldn't link these two fragments of information too closely.  It is their family, they can conduct it in a way that does not please us.  But you know them better.  We only know what you told us.

 

On a separate note, have you informed your relatives that you are very uncomfortable with his disrespectful behavior and that it ruins the visit?  You have that right and if you don't tell them, don't expect the behavior to change.  My two cents.

[BullsWinBucsWin]

My weird-o-meter definitely went off on that one.  Don't tell the wife I said so though, I don't want her to turn around and backhand me at any of the football games next season!

[Jihme]

whack jobs

[crambone]

No offense, Grateful Dad, but I think you may be a little biased because you are in a similar situation.  I mean, it doesn't seem weird to you because you have done it.  I was kind of wanting an outside opinion or two.  The fact that you were so adamant and stern in your response shows that I may have struck a chord, but that was not my intention.  I apologize if I did, and thanks for your candid response.

And yes, I did mention the kid's snot-nosed behavior to my wife, but nothing much came of it.  It really isn't my place to tell someone of another (non-blood) family how to control their kids.

[mikebeau]

ding ding ding!