Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-05

GIRLS have champion, however. in
~ In man who has three daughters
and several granddaLghtcrs and is ar
educator and student OF young femi-
nine psychology. Hc Is enthusiastic
over the happy, athletic, care. free
self supporting girl of our time. and he
believes their mothers don't understand
them.
Fathers and sons are pals. and
fathers and daughters are mutually
ahectiOnate and indulgent. hut some
how mothers are always shocked aud
IN fear of their daughters going wrong.
They seem 10 have morbid suspicion
oi every one and of most peoples mo-
tives. THE average woman does not
understand girls declares this man in
public speeches often. The mature.
married, settled woman Of middle age
gets into a rut and is comrlncent and
determined to hay" her daughter follow
exactly in her footsteps. 1t is the
hardest thing in the world for her to
grant to her girl child the right Of
initiative in deciding about her own
life and Of freedom of choice. The boy
may early determine that he will not
take up mis- fathers profession, and
Although the parents may be disap-
pOonted, they see he is strong willed
and has sensible notions as to his tai
ents and desires, and so they bow to
the inevitable and pretty soon are boast.
ing of their boys initiative and SUCCESS.
But not SO the mother toward the wishes
Of her daughter.
TT HAS been dc'recd for centuries that
1 girls must be cooks. and so. if the
young woman has no taste or talent
whatever for culinary pursuits. she is
regarded as a black sheep by her
mother. Likewise it used to be quite
the thing for every girl 10 take piano
lessons. and We have known mothers
who forced daughters to grind away at
the musical instrument when both the
child and all hor auditors were in
agony, simply because Of the tradition
that she ought 70 have this parlor ac-
complishment, when any spark of com .
mon sense ought 10 have dorrped that
hundreds of dollars were being nhso- :
lutely wasted.
The older man who has studied gir>
30 many years says that their mother
are so prudisl a. 10 instil fear and
folly into them instead of being frank
and open mud assuming that life will
be sensible, normal experience. He
says that the average healthy, Jolly girl
does not complain of being "misunder-
stood" by her boy friends; she regards
them as joke, just healthy. amusing
young animals. But it does irk her
Ind even grieve and irritHte her tc
realize> that the mother. whom she Sc
wnrshiped as child, shows such a
lack of real understanding of her OK :
elements and frvolticS and sontimen :
tn!ities. Always there * that prudiNh
shrinking from tho real issues. thar
warning and fussing and suggestion OF
negative things.
TT WOULD be so wonderful to have
& = "A mother who was sympathetic an,
q ssgOod sport and comprehcndcd up.
I, ,to-date ambitions d longings. Why
the business girl knows so much and Il
IN such close contact with the big, hi.
world and men of affairs that she al
most looks down on her mother will
contempt II the parent chatters of triv,
1af domestic happenings, and is un
aware that there is any great worl'
with problems and activities outside
All this NAV seem cruel and migrate,
full to the mother who has been aux
:. ious for the girl to grow mp good an,
happy and do just what her fcmiSin'
antestors have done. but IL is also hare
N the girl to feel crampod and sroldei
and suspected and misunderstood.
NJ 10 be our daughters ronfdaDto 4
1Gst vital. and these suggestion
/. anSoly are worth very careful consid
o1nm our part.