The lesson it's supposed to teach is to be helpful to others, and that disobedience can lead to punishment. A fairly basic part of parenting, employment, fighting in the military or many other things that boys grow up to do.

This is a lesson nobody should learn. Blind disobedience ~never leads to anything good, and if you can be imprisoned forever because you were afraid of the rain, maybe it's society that is wrong.

> The lesson it's supposed to teach is to be helpful to others, and that disobedience can lead to punishment.

Unquestionable obedience to the company owner under the threat of immurement is not a basic part of parenting.

I also question how formatting our children to unquestionably accept fighting and dying in armed conflicts as being healthy and in their best interests.

The Fascist motto was “believe, obey, fight.” It is in line with the ideas you're trying to pass off as good parenting.

"Tell me you don't have kids without telling me..."

Tell me you're a shit parent without telling me.

Again, that interpretation only makes sense if you are treating Thomas as a sci-fi novel for adults about sentient trains and the capitalist system, rather than as a fairy tale for children. Of course you will invariably butcher what the story was actually trying to convey.

The lessons of the episode are simple:

- you will not get what you want if you are selfish, mean, and unreasonable (Henry's paint is eventually spoiled anyway)

- if you disobey your parents, there will be consequences (like timeout). Note that Sir Topham hat (as a parental figure) while firm, was very patient with Henry.