The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-04-13
FAVOUR
 CHILDREN
9 Olivs Rcbsfss Hsrtee . -. tEl'z tit .yI q -.

Dear Mrs Barton: have n 16- year-old boy who worries me to death. He won't study and he gets | perfectly furious if I tell him to do anything. He just wants to lie around and go to the movies !"
 And so forth, and so forth. All the letters I get about 16-year- olds read about the same. A mother recently asked if I would suggest taking her boy to a psychiatrist. The protagonist of the story is at the slumpy age. Shorts at everything, sleeps a lot. won't even change his shirt. And this distresses his mama beyond words because she adds. "l had thought this was the fxy age. Everyone told me that Hal would be a regular dude when he was 16.
 Well, he isn't. He Is more careless than ever. haven't much to spend but l do manage to get him clothes. He throws them on the floor and half the time he looks like tramp"
 They're Self-conscious 
 For the minute am going to be kind. I am sorry for the Hals who are such misfits in the gen- eral scheme of things. No long, CT children, they are still far from adult. Too old for childish play, they are too young, or so the other young bloods, think, to count seriously in sports and other activities. They are doing their fastest growing, too. and feel awk- ward and self-conscious.
 Right now they are more sen sitive than at any other time of their lives. They have the feel ing they are no good, and the world is against them or laugh ing at them. Some of them be- licve that if they dress up they will be leased because there must be a Martha smith somewhere about.
 While I am still feeling health- fly sorry for these young chaps, let me suggest that two things help. One is to get the boy in- terested in something he can get his teeth into, and back him up if possible in whatever hobby he has. The other is to try and find some young man of 20 or so who likes the poor kid and is willing to do a little sacrificing of his own time.
 The influence of fine friend will work wonders when all the rest of the world fails. This idea Is used by camps everywhere, and the Boy Scouts. A boys father should be his best ally at this age. But fathers often have too little patience, or are too busy or too indifferent.
 Don't CodIe Them
 But these growing lads so out of step with the world, often en- joy being just what they are. They carry it too far. They love to be considered loutsh. They love being coaxed into line. They work the brlbe-act overtime. They use their tempers to black mail favors. They take pride in scorning cleanliness and neat ness. They decide school is un- worthy of their tired efforts. They eat like horses (right) and sleep around the clock (naturaD.
 The parents with this problem, who have done all they could to make their son into a self-respect- ing nice boy, and still failed, can take away his privileges and make him useful. He might en- joy the lamb stew better If he has dug the garden or beaten the rugs. Watch that he does not lift too heavy loads. but other- wise work won't hurt him. Lots of it. Don't nag him. Just stop looking on him as q baby. Stop trying to please him. He'll wake up to the tSuth. If not. then something back along the line Of his whole training has gone wrong, and it's too bad,