Evening star., 1938-02-08
Misfortune
by
Family
AGrave Mistake to
Shield Youngster
From Hardships.
By ANGELO PATRI.

ny ANuELO 1h1Nl.
MANY people make the mistake Of
sparing children the daily ex-
periences Of life. II trouble comes to
the family the children are not told.
Poor things. It isn't their fault.
Why should they suffer-"
Is 1t anybody else's fault that ILL
ness, loss of money, loss OF friends
and relatives, accidents OF one sort
or another befall? Could it have been
avoided in any way? Somebody may
have been at fault, but how about
those who were faultless in the mat
ter. but who had to bear the burden?
II life could be made easy, if it
could be relieved Of all sorrow and
hardship for child, or for anyone
in the world. there might be some
sense in shielding the children from
life's woes. But every child will grow
up to face trouble in plenty. Shielded
from infancy, how is he to endure it?
It is far better to allow each child
to take his share Of whatever befalls
the family. AS long as it is family
matter and not personal one, the
family ought to share it.
know there are things best kept
from some children. Common sense
is essential in every relation with
children. But suppose there is a boy
of 18 in the family. Father loses
money that was needed to carry on
in the usual way. Mother decides that
son need not know. She will econo-
mize, go without. stint in every way,
but son will go on as usual. That is
wrong. A family misfortune like that
may be the salvation Of boys char
acter il he is allowed to understand
it and do his share in facing it. 1t is
a grave injustice to him to keep It
from him.
Sickness comes to the family.
Mother and auntie, both past their
first youth, take hold. They 60 with
out sleep, they work steadily to keep
the house as usual and attend to the
patient at the same time There are
two or three children of high school
age, one of college age, in the family.
But they are not allowed to know
about this illness except that it Is pres
ent. They go on as usual with their
work and their play. That is wrong
Sickness In the family is COM
mon experience. 1t is a family situa-
ton and ought to be faced by the
children and shared by them as far
as possible. Not that the burden of
worry and work should fall upon
them heavily, but that they do their
share toward helping the family over
hard place. There are many things
young people can do in such circum-
stances and they should be allowed to
do them. They should be taught to
do them.
Nobody likes to see the shadow OF
sorrow fall across a child's life. but
who has anything to say about il?
That shadow falls upon us all. II We
have been trained. by degrees. in the
school Of experience, to face the sor-
row and to carry our share of it
bravely. We will come through in bet
ter cheer. 1t is cheating children OF
needed strength to shield them from
every hardship and allow them to
think they have nothing to do with
such things.
Teach the little child to step softly
because father is taking a nap. be-
cause somebody has headache. Then
send him out to play at safe dis.
tance. Teach the growing girl tn SIT
by the bedside of her ailing brother
and give him the little attention in
her power, just for an hour. In tina,
hour she will experience something
that will enrich and deepen her char.
acter. Tell the older children that
trouble has come and show them how
they can help bear it. 1t is their right
And they will surely profit by the
personal experience. They won't
stand helplessly weeping some day
and say. Mother always did such