Ex-submarine captain fires salvo at his ‘inept’ kids

Kids are a pain, teenagers are monsters and, as for 20, 30 and 40-somethings, they are the worst of all if they happen to remain emotionally dependent on mum and dad.

If you are not convinced, ask Nick Crews, a retired naval officer who blew his top when his son and two daughters suffered broken marriages and failed to fulfil their career potentials despite years of careful nurturing and tens of thousands spent on their education.

After years of frustration, the former captain of a British nuclear submarine fired off an email salvo to his three children. Bemoaning their lowly jobs, and the effect of broken marriages on his grandchildren, Crews, 67, from Plymouth, did not mince his words.