Did you take your vitamins today?

Do your parents think you're a little slow too? I've been noticing the comments that both children make about their parents, and comments parents make to their children, and I've made the official discovery that parents must believe their children are complete morons. Allow me to demonstrate:

Example #1: During the summer, when I'm leaving to go out to the bar or club, my mother inevitably asks me "don't you want to take a jacket?". Now, I am perfectly capable of determining whether or not I'm cold aren't I? Therefore, if I was cold, I'd likely remember to take a jacket. And yet we have this conversation each time I leave for the club. Apparently my mother doesn't have confidence in my temperature sensing abilities.

Example #2: A former colleague of mine got her driver's license recently. There was a second family car lying around, and her mother gave it to her. However, her mother withheld the spare set of keys. Now, a reasonable person would probably be able to a.) make a copy or b.) request the spare set. However, these steps would really only affect one's ability to drive if the original set of keys was lost. Is it just me, or does one have to believe their child is rather slow and would therefore believe that not having the spare set would prevent operation of the vehicle?

Example #3: Lest you think it's just mothers who lack confidence in their children's ability, allow me to proffer this example. My college friend kd had a cell phone that was part of her parents' family plan. Her father was a bit perturbed at the phone bill one day, and threatened to turn the phone off. Apparently rendering her incommunicado. However, this would only be an effective strategy IF a.) said friend was living at home and unable to get a different phone or b.) if she was unemployed and desperately relied on the cell phone. Neither of these things were true. Therefore, her father must have relied on her inability to arrive at a cellular phone retail store and purchase a cell phone, and pay the bill from the income she received from her job.

The moral of the story is, either being someone's child renders you completely inept, or parents don't particularly believe in their ability to raise competent adults. So tell me, which is it? :)