Perfect Peter's starting to annoy me, and as for those parents, AIBU to report them to social services?

[FluffysBeenBittenByAVampire]

Poor Henry.

Just misunderstood....

Emotional abuse, if you call a child horrid/naughty enough then they start to believe it and behave this way. It's a self fulfilling prophecy.

Peter's a sly, sneaky boy, purposly winds poor Henry up. Evil child!

YANBU.

Even ds(5) was complaining about henry's mum being mean cos she tells him off even when he's been being good.

Poor Henry is definately the scapegoat of the family.

Now his teacher's locked him in a room. Poor child.

There's a whole day of him on CITV, I'm getting very depressed. Poor child.

we've switched over to cbeebies now for a bit of a break.

I know it's only a story but I feel so sorry for that child.

Have you read the book of when they were babies? It is heartbreaking.

(am feeling very slightly hormonal at mo so getting to me more than usual).

No, I've not read that. I feel so sorry for Henry, he can come and live with us. He'd thrive with a supportive, nurturing, caring family.

"Don't be horrid Henry" ARGH!!!

YANBU.

It is quite clear to me that Henry "acts up" as he is lacking attention from his parents. They do not even try to hide their blatant favourtism towards their youngest child.

IMO the way forward would be a course of family therapy, concentrating on the dynamic of Henry being the scapegoat.

He's actually quite a nice little boy - has saved his brother several times.

I agree he would thrive in a loving family.

The book about them being babies is how Henry was a screamy pooey horrible baby and how Peter was all lovely and smiles.

Then whenever Henry gets annoyed with Peter he is called horrible, but whenever Peter hits him or breaks his toys he is told off for complaining.

It makes you want to cry.

I think parenthood came as a bit of a shock to the parents and they didn't cope with it well taking it out on poor Henry.

They should have sought help for this years ago. I fear they have left it too late.

They could really do with some social services support. I don't know how much longer poor Henry's self esteem can last. Poor child. I rarely see praise, even at school. He's crying out for love (sob)

And of course 'mum' seems quite keen on humiliating henry at every available oppotunity - saying she will email photos of him dressed as a fairy to Moody Margaret (that girl needs a slap) and Miss Battleaxe.

Why would you do that?

Poor, poor Henry.

and they never encourage his interests. They never take him to the concerts he wants to go to or the theme park. But they encourage Peter's and always take him the places he wants to go.

I am going to have to leave this now and remember he is a fictional character. Far too hormonal for this.

I bet there are children like poor Henry all over the country

Yes there are.

And it is awful.

I think it is a hidden form of abuse in a way as something social services wouldn't get involved in - the child is fed and physically cared for. It's the emotional fuck ups which are harder to 'prove' to other people.

You only have to read a lot of the stories on here to see how much it affects your adult life.

Emotional abuse is just as bad as the rest, it also causes long lasting damage. I read alot of posts on here aswell, it's heartbreaking.

The thing is is while some of us see Horrid Henry as a victim of bad parenting - others see him as just a horrible child.

I just googled to see what I could find and there was only one blog out there saying that she felt very sorry for the child and uncomfortable reading the books. The rest just said that he was horrid and they were fun books.

The more I read/watch them the more uncomfortable I feel and it has been made worse by ds going off them because he sees henry's mum as being mean and unfair.

But contrast that with the wide swaths of people who think there is nothing wrong, or if there is that it is because the stories might lead their child astray.

Maybe that shows why emotional abuse in familys is allowed to continue unchallenged - people just don't see it.

Interesting theory Armadillo. I don't see them as fun, I see a character that is emotionally abused and has a miserable existance. There's deep undercurrents with the books.

I think you're right - there are deep undercurrents in the book.

However I don't think the author meant to put them there. And I don't think a lot of people either see them or agree.

And that I find worrying.

Yes. Children are really undervalued in our society. I took ds to see a classical music concert last night and we had grief from the old fart in front because ds sneezed, sucked a few wine gums and whispered to me a couple of times to chat about the performance. It's rediculous that they are seen as in the way and adults are allowed to say whatever they want to them. I'm not surprised children grow up messed up.