Evening star., 1937-07-24
haring
Essential
In Home
Children Must Learn
Not to Abuse Their
Privileges.
RY ANGELO PATRI.

RY THE time fathers and mothers
~ have reared children to the age
OF self-support, or close to 1t, they
are bit weary Of the stress and
strain of social life. They like to
be quiet, especially father. They
don't want the noise and upsetness
that young folks gatherings bring
with them. Sitting in another room,
In another chair, using another lamp.
because the young people want to
dance in the living room is a nuisance.
But home is place where the family
live and home has to be shared by
all its members. Otherwise it is not
home. and the children go out to find
one to take it's place.
Sometimes there is a play room
where the young people can gather
and make all the noise they like with
out disturbing anybody. That is an
ideal solution. Sometimes father and
mother have an upstairs sitting room
sacred to themselves. That is an
other ideal arrangement. But failing
these the home must be shared. some
inconvenience must be suffered, and
the young people welcomed.
There are certain standards of
the day that fathers and mothers find
rather difficult to accept. Young
girls in their teens, smoking like
veterans, trouble the old-fashioned
father and mother. They find 1t hard
to believe that girl can be quite
all she ought to be and have such
habits as smoking. And the gowns
are so daring. And the lipstick so
raw. And the free and easy way of
the young men. 1t was not so in the
old days, and they are not certain that
1t ought to be so now, Nobody Is, but
what are We to do about it?
My notion of the thing is that home
should be shared with the children
| and that they ought 20 be free to en-
tertain their friends there at reason
able times in fairly reasonable FASH
ion. I mean by that, it is reasona bic
for young people to dance, but they
ought not to dance in a house until
2 O'Clock in the morning unless the
household has been prepared for that.
A late party ought to be rare in the
lives OF young people who are just be-
| ginning TO get out in the world. The
refreshments ought to have the ap-
! proval of the family, father and moth
er If they disapprove OF serving in
| toXicants to young people who have to
| drive each other home, the children
OF the house should Loyalty support
| them. The father and mother must
carry the responsibility Of any situa-
| ton that may arise out Of their hos
| pitality.
| We have to come down once more
| to the fundamental idea. Home is
a group idea No single member of
1t can demand his way There must
be a sharing, cooperation, always.
II, from the beginning, the children
have been trained to that idea, if
they have grown up, sharing what
ever comes to them with the parents,
! II they have grown up and remained
on friendly terms with their fathers
and mothers, sharing will be the only
| notion they will have. II not, then
| there Will be trouble, ana there Is very
little to be done about it.
Listen to what the young people
say and how they say it. Come over
tonight. Dad and mother will be
glad TO see you" That means the
relationship is set and holding well
"M-m-n, Well, III see. Maybe. II
I can get out They're going to be
home" That doesn't sound so we'll
Could you straighten it out?
Mr. Patri will give personal atten-
hon to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
velopment of children Write him in
care OF this paper, enclosing a Scent
stamped. self-addressed envelope for
reply.
tCopTisht. 1879