The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-09-14
WOMAN,S REALM
.RARENTs-..
Your
Children
By Olive Roberts Barton

When does a young girl begin to
look at the boys, and the boys to
become girl conscious? Mighty
early, we assure you.
I seldom write on sex, but now
the typewriter is warning me that
I must. It is saying, TITS high
time to put things plainly, and
open to mothers a vista Of the
truth. They know the truth, be-
cause they remember their own
thoughts and memories of very
young girlhood, but they refuse
to acknowledge that today's girls
are the same"
Listening to this dictation, I take
my courage in my hands and pro-
coed.
Sex, like teeth, does not surren-
ly become apparent over night. The
girl does not 60 to sleep one day
q tennis fan or hampton SWIM
mer and wake up the next a Helen
Of Troy whose sole interest in life
is to vamp the youths Of her king
dom and conquer whom she may.
No, she has always had the latent
qualities Of all women, to be at
tracted by the opposite sex and TO
wish to be attractive to it. She
begins as a little girl, too. Unless
she is just a bit more anxious to
hear Bills approval than that Of
his sister Jane, she Is a bit diff
ferent from most girls of her world.
It Is as natural as breathing for
very young girls to want the appro-
baton Of boys.
Adolescen.s No Longer "Cute"
We think it most attractive and
cute when tiny children take to
each other and declare they are
going to get married some day.
But let a few years go by and, even
before adolescence, If they like to
be together in the same innocent
way, we begin to worry and frown
and comment. From then on there
Is redoubled effort on our part to
discourage the companionship. 1t
may even be whispered about, as
though 1t were a sin and shame.
Usually the scene changes, and
Bill who was so dear a month ago,
gives place to Don. And, in his
turn, Don thinks that the way Dot
can paddle q canoe Is more thrill
ing than Betty's batting. The point
Is that If we dug into the secret
hearts Of our children we would flnC
dreams, and preferences, the be-
ginnings Of the lovely STRINGS that
plant must feel when 1t Is about
to bloom.
Therefore, J say 1t Is time to de-
bunk the fact that sex is something
that should be suppressed as ridic-
ulous until late in the teens. An
other matter that needs clearing Is
that sex Is an obsession. 1t Is part
of life, but not all of 1t, by any
means. We parents have a way OF
making 1t seem paramount by harp
ing. II 1t is recognized from early
days as natures very essence and
not natures great faux pas, 1t will
put q more healthful element into
the child's growing life.
Realistic Attitude Needed
This does not mean that the child
should not be protected and expert
" directed. I think 1t accents the
necessity for wise handling. blame
the present attitude Of many par
ents, who refuse to accept truth,
and try to discourage 1t, for much
Of the vulgarity and surreptitious
conduct Of the day.
Lack Of frankness either makes
for false completes or, in the
stronger willed, distrous emotion
al explosions that shock the world.
It is not so much sitting down one
day and telling the girl the facts
of life, as incorporating in her whole
being, from childhood, her respon-
sibility toward herself and the boys
she knows.
Copyright, 1896, NEA Service, Incl