1. Columnist, correctly, told LW that none of this is his fault or his brother's.
However, I wish they'd stated a bit more clearly that LW's mother was wrong and did something wrong. Sometimes people need this spelled out for them, and let's be clear - what she did, what she said? It was wrong. If she can't get her feelings under control enough to keep her behavior in line, then she needs to go to a therapist and not dump that on her son. It's wildly inappropriate for her to act like it's his job to handle her feelings - and honestly, if she did it once, there's every chance that this is something she does frequently.
I know that this is not a usual situation, but if it really was a one-off I feel like she would've apologized. (Not that an apology guarantees that this isn't recurring, but it at least would suggest she's aware that her behavior and her words were wrong.)
2. Truth in advertising, that IS a weird problem! And the parents are making it weirder!
Zach should definitely get that genetic testing. Get everybody tested! And if that doesn't help - or, honestly, even if it does - he should be getting therapy, because wherever this came from, it's been allowed to escalate into a real problem. What sort of parents would rather see their teenage son miserable, and see him making everybody around him miserable, rather than addressing his concerns properly?
I would even advocate going behind the parents back to at least get that testing done, I'm so annoyed at how they're apparently acting. But that's my own feelings talking and I don't know if it's actually good advice to encourage Zach to sneakily get bits of hair or whatever from Mom and Dad.
no subject
However, I wish they'd stated a bit more clearly that LW's mother was wrong and did something wrong. Sometimes people need this spelled out for them, and let's be clear - what she did, what she said? It was wrong. If she can't get her feelings under control enough to keep her behavior in line, then she needs to go to a therapist and not dump that on her son. It's wildly inappropriate for her to act like it's his job to handle her feelings - and honestly, if she did it once, there's every chance that this is something she does frequently.
I know that this is not a usual situation, but if it really was a one-off I feel like she would've apologized. (Not that an apology guarantees that this isn't recurring, but it at least would suggest she's aware that her behavior and her words were wrong.)
2. Truth in advertising, that IS a weird problem! And the parents are making it weirder!
Zach should definitely get that genetic testing. Get everybody tested! And if that doesn't help - or, honestly, even if it does - he should be getting therapy, because wherever this came from, it's been allowed to escalate into a real problem. What sort of parents would rather see their teenage son miserable, and see him making everybody around him miserable, rather than addressing his concerns properly?
I would even advocate going behind the parents back to at least get that testing done, I'm so annoyed at how they're apparently acting. But that's my own feelings talking and I don't know if it's actually good advice to encourage Zach to sneakily get bits of hair or whatever from Mom and Dad.