>Why does she keep enabling her kid when he's shitty?
>Why is her kid so articulate but childish at the same time?
The character of their calico son, as likely inspired by one of their actual kids, is autistic.
Autistic kids turn parents into fucking wrecks. Single-parents of autistic kids are barely even human anymore, they radiate this aura of complete pity. Their eyes are just dead, they look 20 years older than they should, and they've lost the energy/ability to express real emotions toward anything.
Depending on severity, have an autistic son is like taking care of a child well into adult age. They have these "necessary" routines they develop, that they become obsessed with, and if you ever deviate from any of the detail of one of these routines, they have a fucking meltdown and tard out - no matter their age or how often it's happened, they never ever ever get used to the change. It involves endless lessons in social conditioning that seem to never make any progress, and you start wondering if there's even anything you can do to help him, or if he's just stuck at that level for life. You eventually realize that his complete and utter lack of social skills, and obsession with organization, different models of airplanes, and insanely-specific eating habits, will ensure that you never see grandchildren before you die, and your family line dies out - with a fizzle, not even a bang.
