Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-11
PARENTS, LOOK AHEAD
By H. Addington Bruce


~ nee, ten years ago, had occasion to
demonstrate with young mother re-
- garding her obvious overindulgence of
her children.
"Why do you let them do just about as
they please?" I asked her. ''Why do you
permit them to think of nothing but being
entertained? Why do you give them the
expensive clothing and all the pretty things
they crave, even to the extent of skimping
and sacrificing yourself?"
'I do not feel that I am making any
sacrifice" was her almost indignant re-
spouse. 81 love my children, and l want
to show them my love and make sure they
will love me. do not want them to grow
up hating me, remembering that I deprived
them of things I might have given them
Nevertheless" / warned her, you are
taking precisely the course that will make
it more and more difficult for you to hold
your children's love as they grow up.
'They cannot always be pampered. Some
day self-denial and serious effort will be
required of them. Then you will have to
begin to discipline them, and they will re-
sent and rebel against your authority,
which now you might readily exercise for
their future good and your own peace of
mind"
The pampering policy was not relin-
quished. On the contrary, the young
mother devoted herself even more eagerly
to making the children happy" She was
determined to keep them carefree, laughing,
smartly dressed and always having "a good
time" The more fun" they had, the
greater her delight.
Alas! Today she is far less familiar
with delight than with anxiety.
The children, now on the threshold of
maturity, have typical jazz minds. Bright
enough if they would only exert themselves
to study and to work, their unwillingness
to study and work has brought serious
trouble on them. They seem interested
only in dancing, the theater and good
clothes. And they are singularly self-willed
and resistant to advice.
II cannot control Them" is their moth
er's wall. 81 have no influence over them.
What shall do, what shall 1 do?"
Her problem is the problem of many
other mothers her grief the grief of other
mothers And almost always the origins
Of the problem and the grief are as in the
instance l have cited.
1t is all very we'll to talk to the flapper
VI LOuoy, Md16 duu I6Iudl01 as q pFOQuCC
of the feverish, restless life Of the modern
world. 1t is all very fine to try to find
excuses for the flapper in changing social
conditions.
The fact is that most flappers are what
they RECOMMENDATIONS groundlings Of de-
plorable self-centeredness-be of train
Ing errors of their early life. For what
ever reason, their parents failed to look
ahead, failed to take properly into account
the truth embodied in the adage, GAS the
tW1g is bent the trees Inclined"
The foundation Of all success in life-as
OF all enduring happiness strength of
character Strength of character is not an
Inherited gift. 1t is something that must
be acquired.
And the one way to make sure it will
be acquired is through a wise rearing of
the young-rearing which has a basis in
discipline, and which is motivated by love
that would build instead of weaken by let
ting life become for the young a cease
less round of selfish pleasure-seeking.
Copyright, 1929