The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-26
WOMAN,S REALM
.RAIlkIt4B -
 {. Your :. Children
By Olive Roberts Barton

Possibly the greatest conflict oi parents today is whether to go along with the world as far as their chil- dren are concerned, or to fight it.
 Children are worldly wise today; the things they say and do indicate a wide knowledge of formerly ta- booed subjects. Just where they learn capitalization may be a nnys- tery to some, bu 1t me 1t IS quite obvious. Movies alone are a liberal education.
 Here are tile problems of hearts that won't stay put, justified in many cases by characterization and example. There are no longer the clearcut lines between the black and white of wrong and right. There never was; only as long as children thought so, their standards were easy to fix.
 We have also more cases in real life now, of entanglement and un- happiness. It is nothing nowadays to hear a neighbor frankly discuss ing her marital troubles before the world, where before she would have buried 1t in her heart, and died al- most before she mentioned 1t or al- lowed 1t to be mentioned.
 Children Do Observe
 In short, 1t Is an open age, what with radio, screen and new cult of frankness everywhere. How could children possibly escape knowing about human affairs today? This does not necessarily mean that they are contaminated, but merely wise.
 Now then, up against this situ- ation goes the mother with her own ideas of wholesome enlightenment for her family. Sae tries to tell her boys and girls that they must pay no attention to their eyes and ears. "Irregularity is wicked" she repeats.
 "Is it?" says Mary to herself with a mental reservation. "There was that lovely girl in the show last night who wasn't wicked. It was not her fault, and I thought she was a dear"
 Or, "Is it?" Bob says to himself. "Tf had that sour puss for 8 wife like Uncle Henry, and she wouldn't give me a divorce, I'd take up with a pleasant girl like Rose and not think was cheating anybody"
 We can say that growing children should not think such thoughts, but you see they ARE thinking them. Can mothers go on hoping that their children are blind and deaf? A se- rious situation, yes, but true never thelesS.
 Take Adult Approach
 The normal way would be to have young people grow in knowledge slowly, as judgment and experience qualify them to meet 1t. Thus for tified, and fixed in moral sense, they would be safer, there is no doubt. It is not SO much a case of what is best, but of what We can do with a situation that exists.
 If @ mother knows very well that her children are worldly wise, smart and "nobody's fools," 1t is hopeless for her to continue to treat them as infants who have heard not, seen rot, and talked not.
 She must face facts and take oil the binders. First of all she must not be shocked at their frankness' Otherwise they will put her down as the infant. And she still has infiu- ,ence, notwithstanding. She cal, show how self-control and unpleas- ant duty are the foundation of con- flicting forces. And she may drop the word wicked" if 1t irks her s''- phisicates, and substitute "unwise.
 Above all, she can dwell on the enormous dangers of free will and unhappiness that follows upon weakness and license.
 Copyright, 1887, NEA Service, 1nco