somehow I missed your post before.
I thought wonder kid's dad is very over the top unrealistic. It frightens me to hear such a behavior is deemed realistic. How can a person be so... I have no words for this.
Does no one say something about it? Also why would one want to be friends with such a person?
I’m surprised you’re surprised. You probably do know people whose parents kept moving the goalposts on them, so that they can never truly satisfy or meet this standard the parent has set. It’s not always something that’s in your face and it’s not always overtly abusive. Often it’s a case of the parent has this template in their mind of how they think their child should be. So they overlook how awesome their child actually is, because their definition of awesome was something different.
It’s not even something most people seem aware their parents have done to them or that they’re even affected by it. If you’ve ever tried to point it out to them that that’s what you see, there’s often denial or a simple shrug.
As for interfering in this dynamic, if you can even see it in action at all, if you’ve ever tried to do it, you learn soon enough neither the parent nor the child want that. They are locked into this thing and only one of them will wake up and snap out of it. I know, because my own parents were like that. It took me awhile to recognize the dynamic. I was in my teens I guess. I pointed it out and to their credit, they were both intelligent and good enough people to make it right. Though sometimes we still need to course-correct. They’re in their 80’s now and I’m in my 50’s, and I’m surprised how important they still are to me. My mom has dementia yet still gives great advice!
I think your question was meant to address why would someone be friends with the parent who is like that. I’m friends with the adult kids, though one of my friends does seem to be trying too hard to mold his kids into a particular vision. I’m not messing in that because the kids frankly are learning to be strong on their own and stand up for themselves. There’s no way to “ride to their rescue” that’s not going to end badly.
Now Jamie Tartt’s dad? If I had a friend like that I’d deck the SOB myself.