The 10 Children of Charles Dickens #charlesdickens

Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine had ten children. Despite initial excitement and enthusiasm, Dickens gradually became disillusioned with the progress of each of them and lamented “having brought up the largest family ever known with the smallest disposition to do anything for themselves.”

He monitored every aspect of their lives – discipline, education, careers and relationships. He demanded neatness and punctuality but was always disappointed by their lack of effort , a lassitude of character, he blamed on his wife who suffered postnatal depression after every birth.

A very demanding father, wonderful at times with his energy and high spirits, but increasingly cold and distant as they developed personalities of their own and his attention wandered elsewhere.
Some turned to drink and gambling, others inherited his sleep disorders and others left to live as far away as possible.
It can’t have been easy growing up knowing you were a disappointment.
Music: College Horpipe-Kildwyke CC3.0

[Emsies]

Yes, controlling and abusive behaviour doesn’t really “bring out the best in others”.

[stellagrau]

Dickens wrote novels.Some of them very interesting.He depicted the life of deprived childhood.However good at his job he was a cold father and a cruel husband

[shaun]

Lack of love is the cause of most mental health issues. 😢

[triumphantpeanut]

“It can’t have been be easy growing up knowing you were a disappointment” Dang that’s cold as ice 😂I need to use next time I’m dealing with a rowdy customer 😂😂😂

[CharlotteStockton]

Sorry, but Dickens sounds like a jerk. It sounds like he was very controlling and hypercritical. And to top it all off, he blamed his wife for their children's behavior. He sounds as if he was unsufferable.

[dshe]

It sounds as though he had no idea about children.

[davidboney]

If we look for the best things in our children and are thankful for them we can never be disappointed.

[ria]

Charles Dickens daughter Catherine (Kate) was a successful artist and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy, the Society of Watercolour Painters and the Society of Lady Artists.

[uutdiegodzilla]

If your parents (or in this case, one of your parents), overly controls every single aspect in your life and never lets you decide anything for yourself, you will automatically become a dependend person.
And it is the same with paying too much attention to superficial values like obedience, punctuality or the like. At one point or another in their development, children are simply unable to fulfill all the high standards their parent/s might have, and letting them know they are a disappointment will just convince them that there is no use in even trying. Children need forgiveness for their failures and praise for success to apply to our rules, because they are not just little adults.

Imagine the resilience it must have taken for these kids to grow up with such a cold hearted, unforgiving father, and still develop their strengths and talents!
Kudos to the Dickens kids!! 🤗

[robinrubendunst]

Not a nice man. He had a tremendous ego, and referred to himself as “The Inimitable, ” was increasingly horrid to Catherine, separating from her and forcing her out of the house, threatening to disown his children if they wanted to go with her. He took an 18-year-old as a mistress, Ellen Ternan, when he was 45 and still married, and although devoted to her, never acknowledged her publicly.

I love his writing, regardless.

[HevenlyBody]

Lets be real, Chaz was a bit of a creep

[ThomasAllan-uptd]

Charles Dickens wife had ten children. He only contributed his semen. And when he got tired of them . He simply took up with a girl young enough to be his daughter. And blamed it all on the mother of his offspring. Laud him all you like, he was a hypocrite and an inventive liar.
But so too, was Shakespeare.

[gloriaf]

He didn't learn anything from the stories he wrote about his fictional characters. What a shame !

[kathleengarrison]

Wow he sounds like a real selfish person like my step dad.
Dickens might have been a good author but he was a disappointment as a father and husband.
That is my opinion based on what I just heard.

[lolohellokids]

Oh wait, another male genius who hated his wife and children? How surprising

[OokwaYikmagwa]

Reminds me of my narcissistic maternal grandfather - an art teacher who had seven kids, lorded it over them, and was unimpressed by them all.
Schopenhauer’s belief that children acquire their intellect from their mother and their will from their father looks supported here.

[deewesthill]

Before marrying Catherine, Dickens had first fallen deeply in love with her sister, who sadly died at only 17. Catherine may have been depressed that he did not love her the way he had loved the lost girl.

[franzpaten]

What the Dickens!!??
His poor wife and children could have obviously done with something called love, understanding, and emotional support at home. To hold such high & unrealistic expectations for others is nothing short of a disappointment waiting to happen.
Tragically, an unbearable legalistic spirit is known to divide, wound, and eventually kill relationships.

[melanieashman]

wow what a hard man to get on with, maybe like Peter sellers he had manic depression and this is why he was so

[ctlo]

So many seemingly well accomplished ppl turn out to have little honour.