Waltzin' Papa

In response to the poem My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke, the most interesting line involved the mother of the family. It is clear the father is drunk, from the subtle clues that the child is struggling to waltz with the father's probable stumbling, to the blatant "The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy" line. In my mind, especially by the described look of the mother's face, she does not approve of Papa drinking around the children. Now perhaps she is upset about the kitchen being messed up, as described in the line, "We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf". Maybe she is mad the father is not putting the kid to sleep sooner, however I believe she hates the way the children seem to enjoy "playing" with their drunken father. I believe this is a totally reasonable response and approve of her disapproval. :)