I can empathize with the parents! My folks never did that to me but it's exactly the kind of thing they would have done if necessary. It must be an exasperating job at times to be a parent; there are no manuals, no sick days and no overtime and the job is 24/7 til you die. It's also often graded pass/fail.
It is not only 24/7 type of job. When you start to raise kids, you are still building your career and investment prtfolio. Also, your parents will probably be needing you for aging/health problems. AND there maybe some hidden incompatibilities between the parents which show up in critical times, when kids need you most. It is in those times you need all the wisdom that life has taught you.
Two years back, BOTH my sons were kicked out of college for poor grades, and I was drowning in my dad's aging & health problems. He was in another town and I had to travel alot. When he died, I "came back home" and was faced with a figurative wreckage.
One boy is back on track.
The other is still a challenge.