The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-11

away childish things with strange
suddenness-these charming children
| of ours-and leave us breathless as we
watch their sudden and sometimes
amusing, assumption of young man
hood and young womanhood. E
The boy who has just begun to think
! of life as a serious business, breaks out
in irrepressibe socks of riotous color.
If he has high ideals of manly clothes
he devotes much time to the selection
of ties that match the various hues of
green, and lavender. and blue, and pink
with which his aesthetic soul is ap.
peased in the matter of hosiery. Even
the hat band on the absurd little straw
hat will be selected with acre. And
thus the mother knows that her hob
ble- e-hoy boy is beginning to I'M
agine himself man. She knows he IS
still just little untried boy, but for
the sake of his seIf-respect she STILES
the smile of amusement and endeavors
to treat him as seriously as he feels he
has a right to be treated.
The girl has been insensibly prepay
ing for the change for months. An
inch at a time her dress is heightened
till 1t is no longer the frock of the
child, but the gown of the young airl
that mother works over with such low
| ing thoughts. The long braid Of hair
| is given a most becoming twist abou.
| the dainty head and the attitude to-
ward the boy chums of yesterday sur
fers a sudden change. Not exactly
more formality enters into the pleasant
and sexless relation of the brief y ears
that have passed so rapidly, but duo
difference is paid to the long trousers
and radiant hosiery and other outward
signs by which the youth takes the
place of the boyish playfellow. Due
Difference is also given by the long lad
die to the upturned braids OF shining
hair wound so demurely about the girl
tsh head And the heightened skirts
envelop the sweet child in a most of
dainty young girlishness very charm
ing to see.
Here are the critical days for moth
ers and fathers. The days when this
new dignity must be reckoned with and
wounds to self-respect be avoided.
Sons grow away from their mothers
and fathers more rapidly between the
years of 10 and 81 than any other time
/
withdraw condolences and live in a
world apart when they are but little
way into their teens.
What is the matter with the parents
who allow this? Do they really think
the boy or girls old enough to follow
their own immature paths without the
guidance? Now is the time for the
most earnest work on the part of the
mothers-and should be strenuous
time for the fathers
The trouble is that most of us forget
our own youthful days. DRIVE remem-
Der too we'll!
We. do not wish our children to do
some of the things we did ourselves.
/ That is, perhaps. all right. We must
learn better ways of living If we would
progress.
! The question is, How to induce the
child to accept the point of view which
we have been life-tim in attaining 2?
You must identify yourself with the
child Perhaps you do not like the idea
of your girl flirting a, bit with her
youthful admirers. but is that going to
eliminate the pretty girlish preening Of
feathers? Not a bit of it. Human ma
ture Is the same yesterday, today and
forever.
Since you may be sure commands
will not prevent a certain change in
the attitude of the girl or boy which
you deplore. why not enter into the
1 game yourself? Keep your children's
confidence by sympathy in their little
| affairs. You may be able to guard
them from many pitfall If you have
| the secrets of their hearts. Provide
simple and pleasant methods of enjoy
inent--for one of the inalienable rights
of boyhood and girlhood is .happiness.
Play with your boys and girls-and
4 If you have not built Chinese wall of
stern disapproval of all the small gay
cites that make up 80 large a sum
E of their lives, you will at least know
what they are about and be in the
game.
4 And remember the joys Of your own
youth and let the children be happy.