I once told you that, after years of being adored, it was hard for me to adjust to the harsh reality of grown-ups and rebukes.
But Father and Mother are largely to blame for my having to put up with so much.
At home they wanted me to enjoy life, which was fine, but here they shouldn't have encouraged me to agree with them
and only shown me “their” side of all the quarrels and gossip. It was a long time before I discovered the score was fifty-fifty.
I now know that many blunders have been committed here, by young and old alike.
Father and Mother's biggest mistake in dealing with the van Daans is that they're never candid and friendly
(admittedly, the friendliness might have to be feigned). Above all, I want to keep the peace, and to neither quarrel nor gossip.
With Father and Margot that's not difficult, but it is with Mother, which is why I'm glad she gives me an occasional rap on the knuckles.
You can win Mr. van Daan to your side by agreeing with him, listening quietly,
not saying much and most of all... responding to his teasing and his corny jokes with a joke of your own.
Mrs. van D. can be won over by talking openly to her and admitting when you're wrong.
She also frankly admits her faults, of which she has many.
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