Evening star., 1936-11-24
PrOblennsOf
Y Ou n ger
Generation
More Personal Free
dom Is Demand Of
Today.
q RY ANGELO PATRI.


A YOUNG girl of today is beset by
many problems. Girls of the
older day had theirs, 1t is true, but
they did not have the complicated
lives of the present-day girls, and so
their solutions came easier.
Many of the girls in the upper
grades of the high schools come from
homes where the fathers and mothers
have sacrificed much to make homes
for them and to maintain them in
better circumstances than they knew.
Many Of these fathers and mothers
have carried along the principles OF
conduct that guided their lives in their
youth. They do their best to impose
those principles upon their modern
children and there Is consequent un-
rest and unhappiness in these homes.
The upper class girls. ready to be
graduated, have associated with boys
all through their school years. They
have worked and played side by side
with them and their parents did not
notice any untoward influence one
had upon the other. But the time
came when the dances attracted the
girls and the boys. Afternoon dances,
then the evening dances under the
supervision of the school. The girls
wanted to go with the boys and the
parents were frightened. Girls did
not do that Is years or so ago. That
could not be done.
"No, no, Marie. You cannot go to
a dance with a boy. Well, II your
brother will go along with you I'll let
you go this time"
"Who? Me? Why should I have to
tag along with her? Let her go along
with George or stay home. I'm not
going"
BY and by, after much coaxing and
persuasion and bribing, brother con-
sents to 60 along. The dance does not
begin until half after nine, the band
does not play Home Sweet Home until
1890, and the girl, her escort and
her brother do not reach home until
after one. Father is incensed and
shouts, Never again"
want to make plea for the hap
piness as we'll as the safety of this
young girl. How much thought have
her parents given the situation? For
instance, how did father and mother
come to know each other and to be-
come the parents of this girl? Some
body trusted somebody, that is GER
tain. How much training for per-
sonal responsibility have the parents
given this girl? Is she not response
BILE for her behavior? When Is she
going to be? What sort of associates
does she have? Are they dangerous
or are they just as well trained, just
as intelligent and just as responsible
as the girl herself?
1t is well to safeguard children, but
there is limit to safety in this world.
Shutting girls up In the house, for
bidding them the normal playtimes,
the normal associations with boys, only
makes their situation dangerous. The
normal interest in boys becomes
heightened, the acceptance of social
restrictions are broken down in an ef-
fort to escape confinement. Far bet
ter to accept such social development
as this interest in boys discloses than
to try to smother it by prohibitions
Know your children. Know the
children they associate with. Prepare
them for personal responsibility, and
then hope for the best.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten'
ton to inquiries from parents ant
school teachers on the care and de.
velopment Of children. Write him ir
care of this paper, enclosing q three.
cent stamped, self-addressed envelops
for reply.
tCopyriEht. 1850