wait wait wait wait. So hol' up. Is it abuse because she had malicious intent behind it? because my father has had me and my sisters doing yard work since we were little. Like stacking wood for our wood burning stove that gives us heat for the winter. I don't think fetching water is abuse rather just a chore? What would make it abuse was the fact that she planned to use it as an excuse for shaming him. but the moment you are quoting it was only implied that she was going to do that.
In some life styles that would be normal. Yes, he is a noble and they have servants. But would you say that the peasants are abusing their children when they ask them to do a similar task? No, because that's a normal life style. What if the mother wasn't actually planning it to be a form of abuse and was trying to teach him to be humble and independent rather than relying on someone else for everything.
I don't think this is comparable to doing a little yardwork, like sure that's normal to ask your kids, in this case however it's not an age appropiate task. It'd ordinarily be too heavy for him to get the bucket from the well and he'd get rope burn from trying to pull it with force and failing to because he's a small child, if it was something easy like using a water pump it'd be do-able as a task ofc, tho the filled bucket might still be too heavy to lift to transfer to the pitcher and drag it inside
Ah, you make a very fair point. I admit that I may be wrong. Thank you for this information.
Her general attitude is why I made this statement, my mother also treated me like this and it really harmed my mental wellbeing. I thought I was worthless since I couldn't make her tea properly, and that if I did everything she would praise me. It never happened, she took advantage of me as a young child and shes doing the same to him.
it's not "practically" it IS abuse my boy