It's quite interesting to me to try to piece together what we find out about the Musgroves as parents.

In Mary's view, her sons are noisy and unmanageable, their father spoils them, their grandmother is always wanting them over at the Great House but gives them too many sweets, her children will not mind anything she says (and it seems that little Charles actually does the direct opposite of whatever she says), they have much more respect for and will mind Aunt Anne better.

Meanwhile, Charles declares that he could manage them better but Mary always interferes. Anne is more inclined to agree with Charles, but he doesn't seem to be too involved as a parent either. He's anxious to go to the dinner party, even when his namesake and heir is still injured. I found it strange that when their 3 year old had such a bad fall, neither of his parents was anywhere around. I can only imagine he was outside with his nursery maid?

And Charles, apparently, has zeal only for sport, doesn't read at all, and has no real grace or powers for conversation. Is he a fine role model for his sons?

Meanwhile Grandma Musgrove finds them troublesome (and she raised a great many more children than this herself) and spoiled, and says she only gives them cake to try to bribe them to behave. On the other hand, this is the woman who raised the troublesome, hopeless, stupid, unmanageable, thick-headed, unfeeling, unprofitable and practically illiterate Dick Musgrove.

It's a little hard to figure out just where the fault really lies.