The Indianapolis times., 1930-05-07
Poor Parent
Who Forces
EUiI ON Son
BY MARTHA LEE


There is something abnormal about
a parent who, either through negli-
gence or wilful management, puts
his own children in the way of
ruinous temptation.
And yet, inadvertently many a
mother and father are doing pre-
cisely that thing today.
If parents only could get it
through their skulls that children
are not half as concerned with what
their parents say as with what they
do, some of the thoughtess exposing
Of undeveloped mentalities to temp
tation would be removed.
Here's a pretty good example Of
what 1 mean. A mother wrote me
letter. She was pretty heart
broken over an experience she had
with her 16-year-oid daughter. The
girl had seen her parents drink.
When they had friends in 70 dinner,
they usually had several cocktails
They thought nothing Of it.
The girl started to have dates. One
night when she came home her
mother smelled wine on her breath.
She asked the girl about it. And
here was the child'S comeback
We'll. mother, you and all your
friends drink. The boys and girls
had some wine so 1 drank some too.
If it we're wrong, you and daddy
wouldn't do it."
Tongue in Cheek
And the mother had to convince
the child. with hollow meaningless
words. that it was all right for
parents to do that, but children
must not think of it. The girl
listened with her tongue in her
cheek. And made up her own mind
on the point. Simply because her
parents example was much more
meaningful than all their talk pos
sibly could be.
That's what I mean by inadvert-
emily exposing your children to
temptation.
That's one problem. But when
parent forces temptation that is
very apt to prove unfavorable in
the progress and development OF
his own child, it can not be any
thing but a form of abnormality.
Prohibition was supposed to re-
move the temptation of liquor from
life in the United States. And most
especia Y it was supposed to remove
it and its subsequent evils from the
class of people it harmed because
it robbed them of necessities.
A woman, who signs herself "A
Drunkard's Mother" proves that for
one family, at least, such is not
the case.
Dear Miss Lee-I am in great trouble.
I am so and have three sons. NY hus-
band has always drank and have tried
10 put up with it for the sake OF my
children Two Of the boys are working.
For the past three months nv husband
has been drinking more than usual. the
result being he would spend his wages be-
fore he got home and all the bills would
keep piling up.
Three weeks ago. he and the two boys
we're to be paid I have arranged so that
the bills would be taken care of with
their salaries. I prepared supper and
waited and none OF them came home.
was used to nv husband not coming
home But my sons always came. They
came home at in the morning. all three
so drunk they could hardly stand up. I
was so heartsick I didn't care whether I
ever saw the light OF another day. The
next day I talked with them. and their
father had taken them to the place where
he buys LIQUOR and had gotten them in
that condition. They said they were sor-
~ and I forgave them. But I told them
never to let it happen again. And Miss
Lee thev did the very same thing last
week. Should I take nv Youngest boy
end leave. or stay on here. perhaps to have
his father do the same thing to him?"
You can not help matters by
leaving. You would worry yourself
i'll about your other two sons. who
seem to need you rather badly right
now Your husband seems pretty
hopeless. But demand from your
sons that they respect your wishes
in this matter. When they do not,
make them leave until they can.
Surely the example of their fathers
life should be enough. If your boys
love you. and you understand them,
you can manage them all right It's
one of those times to trust your
mothers intuition. No outsider can
tell you what to do