The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-10-07
American ParenthOOd
From the Viewpoint
Of a Sufragette Mother
Mrs. Mary Ware bennett
Tells How She Trains
Her Children and Says
She Thinks the Father
Ought to Ciue Hours of
His Time Daily to the
youngsters While the
Mother Is Away.
Marguerite Mooers Marshall.

The Spartan mother in the person OF
fnony In the case OF Or. Adolph Ber-
ginsky W. the American mother. DR..
Berginsky, you will recollect. inveighed
heartily against the foolishly indulgent
attitude Of American motherhood, and
declared that tho mothers were to
blame for the large number Of sickly.
ill-disciplined children In this country.
To-day let us hear what the suffrage
mother has to say to this indictment.
She exists IN Increasingly large num-
bsrs. despite the doleful REPRESENTATIONS
Of the ants. And she can ask for no
better representative than Mrs. Mary
Ware bennett. Secretary Of the Ma
ttonal Woman Suffrage Association. and
the mother Of two fine young sons.
I'm the first place" declared Mrs.
bennett, ut Is not American mother
hood which should be brought to the
bar. but American parenthood. foa
say Dr.. Berginsky suggests that tho
United States Government found schoois
for mothers. j say that l believe all
education should strive to fit persons TOT
the duties and responsibilities OF parent
hood, but the instruction Is just as ne
cessary TO the young man as TO the
young woman.
"Ths American father must
learn that he II not doing his fun
luty by his children whom he pays
their bills and plays VITA them
nights, morninSs ana sundays.
He must manage TO give them
moro Of his time and attention,
ana to take at least an sQaal share
Of the responsibilities Of their up
bringing upon his own shoulders.
HIS development as a parent can never
quite equal that OF woman. because
she alone can bear children. Therefore
Ats all the more important that he
should play his part for all there Is IN
A. after the enlfdren come into the
world"
But how can he spend with the chill
Aren the time he has to use In earning
money for them?" asked.
FIVE HOURS ON AND FIVE
HOURS OFF.
IT think that mos; Informed and pro-
gressAve people are agreed as to the
necessity OF economic independence for
lac married. NOUlaIl' Ttpiicu -'.S - 80"
nett. III the mother Is waSe-earneT
the fathers task vii, be simpllfed. In
stead OF his spending ten-hour WORK
ing day outside the home. we SHAH
some time have the mother and father
alternating fve-nour periods OF work
with FIVE hours IN the company OF their
children. And the whole family VIII be
better OF for the change.
The average mother IL apt 10 get TOO
close TO her children 20 know how bes;
TO satisfy their needs other than the
purely physical ones Her sense OF per-
spect!ve Is destroyed. You often hear
mother complaining because father. who
comes homo and plays with the chill
dren before go!nS to bed. won't under
stand how naughty they really are. But
~ she could get away from her young
stsrs now and then she would lose mel
nervousiy exaggerated sense OF their
deficiencies"
II was obvious that IN discussing the
proper care OF children Mrs. bennett
preferred to use the adjective parental
and not maternal" Therefore I said
What are your parental principles
DO you believe In the methods OF Solo
mon or OF DR.. Woods Hutchinson
II think that there Is great deal o
good In each Of what may be called tn
schools OF repression and expansion.
she averred. IT, really seems a pitt
that the advocates Of the two dlfferen