letter to my ex

Dear ex, I know that it is important to you that our daughter think you are the cool dad, that she like you. I know your need to be liked and good. But I think that in your need to be liked you have overlooked a fundamental truth about parenting children which is this; being liked is a bonus that you receive at the end of it all, when they are adults and they decide that not only can they actually stand your company and conversation, but they want it. Being liked is not the ultimate goal of being a parent, it is merely the icing. Raising a good citizen who attends to their lives with passion and dignity and respect for life is the ultimate goal, perhaps with a few extras thrown in for good measure. Having the desire to be liked be your modus operandi of parenting will inevitably lead to the creation of a child who is undisciplined, selfish and dishonest. How do I know this you scoff? I know this because I see it in our daughter. Our "gifted" child who understands that whatever I do to discipline her, you will not only undo, but throw in a "your mother shouldn't tell me what to do in my house" for extra punch. Our daughter who knows that you cannot bear to have her suffer the natural consequences of her actions or lack thereof, especially when it means missing out on something "fun". I think, dear ex, that missing out on the fun may be precisely the point of discipline and that it might be exactly our jobs to teach her this valuable life lesson in a safe way-one that does not carry too much risk to her liveliness. She knows, dear ex, that by giving you a sad stoy of her hard life, her extreme lack of expensive material goods splashed with someone else's name across the front at my home, you will not hesitate to buy her said goods just to prove to her that you are indeed the good and just parent, the one who wants to see his daughter happy. You teach her how to divide and conquer. In lighter moments I advise her to take advantage of this aspect-after all a woman not schooled in the fine and subtle art of manipulation will most likely not get ahead in the world of men and diamonds and will most likely have to sing hard for her supper.
Just a thought , dear ex, for you to consider. The raising of daughters is a tough job in our world and there seems to be such little margin for error. Forgive me if I overstep my bounds onto your big masculine feet. Perhaps a little manipulation on my part might be more effective?