I just want to know which kid in your satire got tripped into the pond and nearly drowned?
Seriously, my father thought he'd teach me to swim that way. Apparently, my panicking, falling to the bottom of the lake, gulping in water, and nearly dying was REBELLION on my part. If I were an obedient child, I'd have floated.
I wish I were making that up.
The casual "thought we'd make our kid think they were drowning" mention was one of the most nightmarish parts of that book for me
Excellent, excellent post - I've shared on all my social networks.