Do you think Pinkie Pie's parents are responsible for her unhappiness as a filly?

[Sepul-Coloratura 759]

It seems Pinkie's parents are very good people and they raised four great daughters as well. But I keep thinking, Pinkie has been quite depressed as a filly. And only by the luck of magical outside influence, she became Pinkie. It seems like Pinkie didn't had a chance or even an idea of being herself in that environment, and that environment was created by her parents (No talking, no smiling). Of course Pinkie could have turned out to be like Maud and Maud is one of the most awesome ponies of Equestria, but isn't it the parent's duty to raise a child for them to become what they truly are and give the opportunity for them to choose? What if Maud was like Pinkie Pie but only became Maud just because of the environment of the dull and harsh farm around her? What if the only reason Maud likes and knows so much about rocks are because she grew up having nothing but rocks around her? What if the reason she doesn't talk or laugh that much is just because her parents? How much is herself? I'm conflicted. Even they were very accepting of her when the party happened, but they didn't even know about it before.

Do you think Pinkie Pie's parents are responsible for her unhappiness as a filly? Is it inevitable in some degrees for the parents to not see it beyond the reality they are in? In what circumstances that the parents have to give up free choices for the children? (It was an uncommon concept in the old days) How necessary are non-productive entertainment and hobbies for children? Are children doomed to inherit the flaws of the environment created by the parents? What if the rock farm was too harsh that they had do work extra hard to make a living? This isn't just an MLP question (the issue would be diluted if it was debunked by the trivia from the show), this is a more broad question about raising children. What do you think?

Edited April 30, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Metemponychosis 1,244]

In my line of work, I've met parents that really didn't care. Literally, openly and explicitly didn't care. I believe that those are the minority and that most parents do the best they can, but may not know better. This is very typical in isolated communities (Brazilian indigenous communities) and stem from the way that they, themselves, have been raised by their own parents. There is also the problem of the lack of resources available to the community and the anecdotal evidence of 'my parents raised me like that and I turned out fine'. I think this goes beyond a conversation about the necessity for serious responsibilities. Well, children need those: they're part of growing up and learning how to function in a world where you need to be responsible, to provide for yourself. But other activities also provide framework for healthy social interactions. Children need limits and responsibilities, but they also need to be children, to be with other children being children, instead of small adults.

Another layer is that children and young adults that are raised in these such environments seldom feel like they're not being treated the right way, so they'll also not usually try to escape that sort of environment: that is normal, the others are the ones that are wrong, they are bound to their parents... There's a reason everyone thinks children should be protected from any sort of abuse or negligence from their parents. If you have a child that is completely isolated from the outside, and their parents do everything they can to prevent meaningful interaction with other groups, and no one can do anything about it, yes, chances are these children may very well turn into carbon copies of their parents, and will likely treat their own children that way. Even if they knew that they shouldn't be treated the way they are, they may not have the resources to change that. It's some of the reasons some countries have compulsory out-of-home schooling and NGOs dedicated to tracking these sorts of things and contacting isolated communities, providing support so that both adults and children can have a healthier life.