The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-23
EEYoUR CHILDREN
- :.
M c)lMp Robetts esstea 2

Dear Mrs Bartons Our boy of eleven Is very lazy. He has had his tOnsils and adcnOlds' out. but still he is as ''dOless" as an old man. The doctor said he has no thyroid trouble, but if he is not sick what makes him behave so?
 He cats pretty well. but he won't drink milk as the doctor ordered. He goes to bed at nine. He won't study, and he Is get. ting so careless about himself ! am ashamed of him. I always heard that they picked up about this age, but he gets worse and worse. He used to be a happy little fellow and now he Is so cross and dlsObcdlcnt hc docs not seem like our boy at all. He has older friends. Would it be that? What can I do to get him stirred up and back, to his sense of duty?
 Dear Writer: I think he is just tired of his sense of duty. Life turns drab and uninteresting for children at times as well as the rest of us. They get in a rut. and the world turns sour.
 Besides it is the end of winter and who isn't likely to have car- bon-monoxide blues? In this case he probably has geography jitters and arithmetic aches too.
 A good dose of castor oil, or sul- phur and moiasses, or bone-set tea or sassafrass might dispel his green and yellow melancholy and bind UT the raveled sleeve of care and even help to keeu his cuffs clean. But I think be IS just tuckered out spiritually. TEe same old thing ir the same old way. day in and out He isn't even very important with those bigger fellows who have started to hang around soda foun. tains after school. Yes. He needs young friends.
 Turn Job Over to Father.
 But here you cease to be usefu except as suggester. The sug- gestee should be this young mans daddy.
 Get that sport page before he can bury his nose in 1t and say tc him, say, Horace, my love. Jim- my needs friend and from now on 1t has to be you. My apron strings are too thin.
 "He has let go and now he's not got a thing to hang onto but him self. He is too little and he is lonely. have taken him as far as I can except for gargling and wheat cakes, 50 now it is your turn"
 Horace will make a face and say, What can do? I do make him snap out of 1t, don't I? l licked him day before yesterday and made him clean the mud oil the porch last night. Here, give me that paper" If Horace does not say this he is sick. All dads say 1t.
 Don't Give Up the Fight.
 But stick to your story, lady. You are fighting for a lonely boy and perhaps a discouraged. rather confused one, past babyhood, soon past boyhood. perhaps nervous, skinny and a peculiar tumble or angles.
 "You, Horace" you continue. ''are going to begin to tell him all about those baseball heroes you used to know, and you are going to teach him trick holds and play with him. You are going to get some boards and show him how to make things. You will take him fishing and walking and let him see that you care a little about where he steps besides walking the chalk mark.
 Just you wait another year. my good man, and 1t will be too late. If you don't get him now and shine his life up bit, don't expect him to meet you half way later. Tell him about every interesting thing you know. When he sees you care about him he will start to car about himself. Women can't do it all. That is what fathers are for"
 Copyright, 1885, NEA Service, Inc