Personal Reflection...
My daughter was a preemie and had many issues when she was young, but I did my research, contacted professionals to assist, and worked with her one-on-one at home. She was a very tiny, quiet, shy child, she sucked her thumb, and was extremely attached to me.
I had the local health nurse come to see her every few months and when she was two, I put her in speech therapy. The therapist was really helpful, but my daughter responded better when I did the exercises with her at home. I enrolled us in many mommy & me programs, and arranged several play dates a month so her socialization skills could improve. When she was three, I also put her in Pre-school 2-3 times per week.
Her thumb sucking was hard to stop and I was extremely concerned about dental issues (she ended up needing braces as a teenager). So, we started a reward chart and it took a few months, but slowly she stopped depending on thumb-sucking to calm her down. However, she just would not give it up at night. Nothing I tried worked, so I just went into her room several times a night to pull out her thumb. But like all things, she did eventually grow out of it.
She was also a pretty defiant child, and one day she wouldn't listen to me and fell hard on the floor. Her mouth was bleeding and her two front teeth were loose. We immediately took her to our pediatrician so he could check if she had a concussion and he got us an appointment with an emergency dentist to inquire about her two front teeth. They had to remove those teeth that day, and told us to follow up with a dentist every 6 months.
When she entered Elementary School, I explained to her teachers that she had some delays and they arranged extra assistance to improve her reading and math skills, plus I read with her at home and helped with her daily homework. By the time she reached middle school (grade 6) she was all caught up.
I am by no means a perfect parent, but I tried my hardest and I always put my daughters needs first. Today she is taller than me, and about to start her third year of college, with a B average. She still lives at home, and we have a very close relationship.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that Anna & Jonathan are incapable of seeing past their needs and putting their children first. They can't be bothered to focus on their children and get them the help they need. Speech therapy, assisting with homework, regular dentist & doctor's appointments would all conflict with their 'me time' and they are not willing to adapt their lives around their children's needs.
Those kids are doomed if they don't have parents that will help them, or fight for their future. Those kids may have a nice house, gifted vacations, and private school but all of that means nothing if they don't have their parents love and attention.
