Thinking about how Horrid Henry wasn’t a bad kid, he was just neglected by every single adult in his life and written off as a ‘problem child’, leaving him desperate for any sort of attention thus causing him to act out. It could be suggested that his treatment directly parallels how neurodivergent children (especially if they are undiagnosed) are misunderstood and repeatedly failed by the education system and society as a whole, in this essay I will
I am watching Horrid Henry and all that I can think of that the show should be renamed to Henry’s Horrid Parents or Horrid Adults. What Henry’s parents do to him and Peter is awful. Henry is being called horrid even if he simply disagree with something or wants to behave like a regular kid and he is punished severly. He has to wake up early even at the weekends to do house chores because Godforbid to let your kid sleep in once in a while. He has to take care of a baby everytime Vera is there evethough he supposed to be the unreliable one. And his parents force him to eat the same vegetables if he misbehaves or they ban him from tv/ games for a whole year. There was also a time when they forced him to go swimming evethough he was terrified of water or when they forced him to go withouth electricity aka he was freezing when it was cold and he couldnt even take a warm shower. Like who does that? Isnt that child endangerment? They also let him go to school in his pjs and even left him home alone one time. Even the other adults are crazy. They cut the line in front of Henry and was pretty ok with child labour but Henry is the horrid one because he asks questions about his school friend or the thing he ordered. And the teacher punishes Henry because he didn’t raise his hands because he didnt know the answer evethough the other kids did the same thing? Like what is going on? Henry is everybody’s black sheep they can let their fustration out?
And poor Peter is a sociopath in the making. In the past he was just a confused kid who tried to be well behaved so his parents pay attention to him too/ to let his parents relax after Henry but now he manipulates them and he makes Henry’s life miserable on purpose. He gets extra privilages like pocket money, tv time, every presents he wants and sweets ( a whole cake while Henry cant even get a slice).
I wouldnt be suprised if Henry would get depressed later on in his life or would try to run away. (Which he already did a few times) And Peter would get into serious trouble because of his blackmailing.
It is also horrible how the parents pin the two boys against each other instead of helping them to become good brothers.
The dad was a little bit better tbf but that rat of a mother can suck my toenail
okay can we please talk about the fact that horrid Henry’s parents were actually meaner than him? like he’d be given carrots for every single meal for a week and when he gets annoyed about it he gets grounded for like a week? like this show should be called Horrid Helen or some shit