The Washington herald., 1920-12-08
WOMANS AFFAIRS: RS:WASfINGTONANDEIS
Dorothy Dix's
Excellent Aduice
Copyright, 1870. wheeler
syndicste. Inc.
DON'T OvERPLAY YOUR
CHILDREN.


your one eternal subject. Of con-
versation.
OF course you realize that every
other woman who talks incessantiy
about her Johnnie and Mamie Is the
chief among 10000 bores. and peo-
pie fee at her approach IL there is
any avenue of escape open. But
don't refrain from monologing
about your children for the sake OF
sparing other people. Do II to spare
YOUR children.
Very likely you can't understand
how anybody could have been In
terested in the Presidential election
when your Tommy was trying to
make the football team. and some
thing really important was hap
pening. Nor can you comprehend
how anybody would want to discuss
the league Of nations when you
have bought q perfect love Of chif-
fon dress for Maud. The only top
les Of real. vital, heart interest to
you are your children. Naturally
you just bubble over with thrilling
information about them, and IL 1t
makes other people SO tired they
want to die, SO much the worse for
them.
Now. we all have an inalienable,
constitutional right to life, liberty.
and the pursuit of our favorite sub
jects, SO we do not really have 10
consider the feelings of our audi
ences. Let them defend themselves
as best they can. But every mother
should consider the welfare of her
children, and IL she only realized
the harm she does them by talking
about them continually. she would
be dumb as an oyster concerning
her offspring.
But, think Of what a ridiculous
attitude a mother puts her children
in when she goes about ceaselessl>
press-agenting them! Heaven, In
its mercy. ordained that every moth l.
er should see all of her black crows
white. and believe all of her geese
to be swans.
Hence the mother discourses by
the hour upon what a musical prod
ICY Mary Is. and what marvellous
talent J ohm has for acting, and what
a belle Susie is, and what brilliant
chances OF marriage Sadie has had
And when we see these small
phenomenons. we feel as did tho
small boy who wept to be taken out
OF the circus so that he could look
once more upon the thrilling bill.
board pictures. For Mary's music IL
merely tin-pan humping, Johns
recitation makes us feel like send.
ing out an o s call for chioroform
and everybody but their mother
flowers who never have any atten.
tion from men except such as they
get by feeding the hungry.
So while mother discourses about
her bunch of geniuses, everybody 4,
laughing at them in their sleeves
and they become a mocking and &
byword.
Mothers Dragging about her chill.
dren not only makes them ridiculous
but 1t docs the young people a great
injustice. For they, themselves, are
simple enough. and have no desir,
to pose as anything remarkable
Left to themselves and without
mothers exploitation. they woult
even be regarded as unusually brigh
and attractive young people, but
when mother tells you that a cir
with a small sweet voice is a SECOND
Melba, and a boy who is clover a.
amateur theatricals is about to pu
Otis Skinner and John Drew of the
stage, why. you Immediately beccm'
critical and disposed to deny then
even the merit they really have.
AS for a mother thinking that sh,
can boom her daughters into beint
bellies by representing them as beinl
besieged by young men. and spend
ing most of their time turning ava!
rejected suitors from their door
nothing could be a greater mistake
Many a nice girl gets shelved be
cause young men don't want hel
mother to go boasting that theil
scalps are hanging to her daughter
belt.
| talks about her children continually
creates a prejudice against them il
the popular mind. We get borcc
with them. We are so surfe!teC
with them that we don't want then
at any price, and that's a fats
thing to the prospects OF ANYBODY
Curiously enough, a mother neve,
succeeds in getting across to US tn,
| picture she wants us to have of he
children. When she spends hour'
upon hours ramming down ou
throats the superlative virtues o.
John, We don't get a picture of {
fine. and noble, and admirable
youth. We think Of John as a sissy
and a milksop. and the sort of bo!
who does tatting. and whom W.
would never select for any man
sized job.
And when mother spends wear,
and afflicting hours descanting oI
Sallie's fascinations, and charms
she has not piqued our interest II
her. She has killed it. We dom
want to invite her for week-ends
and to pay us a visit. We feel WI
have had all of her that we cal
possibly endure.
The real reason that so man,
boys have to leave home to go int
business, is because their mothers
have talked their chances to deatl
at home. People have been boret
with them SO dong that they hav,
become resentful, and want to b,
done with them.
Their stock Is below par becaus,
their mothers have exploited IL to-
much. After a boys mother has as
sured you every time she has seel
you for twenty years that her Sol
is the most marvellous phenomenon
the world has ever seen. 1t is dis
/ a apnofnfiner to 6pd he 10 opIr IN ordf