Milford chronicle., 1934-03-02
HOME EDUCATION
HELPING Orr CHILDREN GROW
Up
Helen Gregg Green


DO you know" complained little
Mrs. Mowbray, Il bought Freddie a
new bicycle. one really couldn't
afford, so that he would he our fam
lily errand hoy. and particularly so
he could go TO the village post office
TO collect the mail for our roOmers,
but now that the novelty of il has
worn off he sulks every time ! men
tion an errand or the mail
But my dear" Aunt Emmy Lou
evpOstulated. why don't you make
him feel his responsibility? Now
that he has lost his father. why don't
you impress upon him that he's the
big man., the head of the house ?
And that there are duties you eN-
pect him to take upon his young
shoulders"
oh" wearily sighed Freddie's mo-
ther. such strict discipline takes
too much out of me. He'll change in
time. suppose. But just now he
never does any of those little cOur-
teOus things his father always did
for me. In fact, he doesn't even pick
up his own clothes after he has drcs-
sed."
Excuse me if seem little en-
phatic. my dear, but if to discipline
thOughtless. unmanly young son
takes too much out of you. what will
a selfish grown man with no sense
of responsibilities do to you and
others" There was enough of
twinkle in Aunt Emmy LOUIS eyes to
belle the bit of a sting the question
held.
Aunt Emmy Lou" said Mrs.
Nowbray. thoughtfully, after little
l.lore conversation, its fine to have
you to help me and to be interested
in my problems. | guess ! needed To
be awakened To my duties: ! had
been thinking only of Freddie's. At
ter all, life is a profoundly real
thing and helping a healthy, grow
ing boy to realize his responsible |
ties is the realest job can have. !
have been evading this. But | won't I
any more" And as if eager to get at
her task the mother hurried away. :
with a very happy light in her eyes. !
A few months later Aunt Emmy
Lou said TO me. Have you seen our I
new paper boy?'
You mean Freddie Mowbray who !
rides a bicycle?" | asked. !
THE very one" answered Aunt
Emmy Lou. We'll, he has an adver-
tisement in the paper: DO you need
a dependable errand boy? Give me
the job"
II guess you are responsible for
the growing up that Freddie has
been doing" | remarked.
NO, it's his mother who has
grown up. You see she had always
roddled Freddie-made all his de-
cisions for him. She, herself. admit
led that she hadn't stimulated his
initiative or encouraged his sense OF
responsibility. Yet it was not the
hought of her negligence that made
1er unhappy but its consequences.
But I wish you might see her now.
She looks so young and happy and
speaks of my SON with great pride
md he certainly has developed re-
narkably since she took this new
attitude toward him."
This is only one example of en-
and expecting a child to
nature and accept his share in the
of life. AS parents
We must stop following the lines OF
east resistance, we must wake up
o the realization that our children
iced to be prepared to meet the
hadows of life as well as the sun {
hine; otherwise. we are interfer- {
ng with their development. Incl |
entally, our children will respect
S more for encouraging and stimu- {
ating the growing-up process. It's
in which they take pride
nd pleasure. And a boy or girl will
evelop character much faster when
is understood that a parent looks !
Or cooperation than when treated ID
s Mothers little darling"