Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-04
Through a
Woman s Eyes
DlSIIIkING OUR PARENTS AND
HATING OUR CHILDREN
BY JEAN NEWTON

are you VI, 10 date! DO you keep in
formed on the latest scientific revela
tionS OF this age of psychology
psychiatry and psychoanalysis? Ther
YOU know the latest theory-no, no,
Prof. Einsten's. that's old by now
but the brand-new one about the par.
ent Offspring animus.
iarehts, we are told, hate their
children. the sentiment is heartily
rcciprocatcd. and it is time that We
stopped dellding ourselves on the sub
iect.
No. say the learned fathers of this
theory. the idea that parental love and
il!ial affection come naturally is an out
worn fallacN. Science. this new science.
shows that they cannot.
How can II be natural; it says, for
II woman to love selfish little animal
, that gives nothing and is always max :
ing demands. that takes her time and
her energy. ties her down and keeps her
from doing everything in the world that
she wants to do?
How can il be natural for a man TO
be wrapped up in what keeps his nose
TO the grindstone and brings him moth :
ing but worry and discomfort?
No, if they will look the facts in the
face. parents will find that they really
hate their children.
TN the other hand, how can il be
natural for children to love the source
of the perennial thou shalt not" tho
hand that is always showing them back
on the road Of diS;tgrceablc things when
they want TO do as they please? 1t is
natural for them to hate their parents
and they really do. 1t is time, we arc
Sld, to Quit fooling ourselves.
] wonder il the long haired men and
strange women who belong to the circles
where they start these things find them
to be true of thcmsclves--or do they
think they are exceptions?
i'oeS the young poet who is chanting
free verse think it was hate that made
MS mother toll and scrimp to get him
through college or that it is ntment
now which makes possible her en-.
couragemcnt. her faith in him. her one
desire to see him succeed before she
passes content into an easier world:
And does he think it is antiuathy TO.
ward her tlihl makes him want to got
there mainly to see the JOY and pride he
mas learned to read in her eyes? Oh. no
even with his prrvcrtcd pruting of
'Nrlrhrr and new thought. with all his
silly lwaddle, even he isn't unnatural
enough not to lov" his mother
Science may be- able to tell US things
we don know about ourselves, but il
cannot tell nature that it isn't. Real
science Is nature. discovered and classi-
hed. And ! am sure il is only the
"hnfing dish scientists who would try
to tell mothers. who from the first
luickCning of the new life within them
h0v" known no greater love. that il is
not natural for them 10 love their chill
drcn. or who would try to tell those
children that they hate their parents
! have known LIGHT headed children
(houghtlcss children, II few selfish and
unsratcful children. But | have never
known any with an antpatay for their
parents or any in whom the natural
love for their parents that is an in
trgral part Of them did not at some time
or other come TO the surface.
| have known q foolish parent. an
unwise parent, even selfish parent,
but never any who were not, according
TO their light at least, doing the best
they could for their children. v.