Evening star., 1942-02-13

You Deceive
Children
They See Through
Flimsy Excuses
Or Insincerity
By Leffice Lee Street,

By Letice Lee Street,
Little children sense much more
than we may realize. They feel,
rather than comprehend, many
truths about their parents and their
environments, and their under
standing would amaze many an
adult who patronizingly thinks, ''he's
just a kid, he won't know what we
are talking about" A child's honest
eyes are often able to pierce through
our fimsy or shabby wells of adult
deceit.
Why some grown-ups think they
can fool a wide-awake, sensitive
youngster by such ruses as spelling
out words, or by making an insin-
cere statement such as, "go outside
and see If Johnny is in his yard, I
am sure he would like to play with
you," and so on, Is inconceivable.
The child must feel only resentment,
or pity toward perpetrators of such
q crime against honesty and good
manners.
If you cannot say something that
is on your mind before child, leave
1t unsaid until you can. A young
ster would much rather have his
mother tell him, II want to be
alone with Mrs. Jones, Bobby, so
please 60 outside and play" than to
make up some cock and bull story
about the boy next door wanting to
play with him.
A child will take advantage Of a
parent who stoops to silly excuses.
Children should be made to realize
that there are times when grown
ups want to be alone.
A case of the way lack of hon
esty in dealing with a child can
eventually impair the youngsters
respect for his parent was brought
forcibly to mind not long ago.
A woman I know has delightful
16-year -old daughter, a lovely look
ing girl with a frank, open face and
very winning manner. When I
first knew this child she was a
cuddly 3-year-old cherub, as pretty
as q doll baby. 1t was with profound
shock that learned she eloped last
week.
Her mother was then, and has re-
manned, a super-sentimental type.
She fairly drips sweetness and light,
and belongs in bottle labeled,
sugar coated pill, worst 1890 vint-
age
When her daughter was a little
thing, and all through her life, this
mother put up great show of spas
modic hugs and kisses, fussing over
her little girls appearance and her
health one week, and completely
neglecting her the next, bursting
into tears because the child got into
mischief one day, and allowing the
same naughtiness to pass unnoticed
the next.
AS the child grew older she drew
away further and further from her
mother and became very secretive
about her friends, her school, her
dreams and ambitions. For a long
time she has known, without recog-
nizing her own feelings, that her
mothers extravagant and spasmodic
display Of gushiness is but a cheap
counterfeit Of love.
What children need and want Is
sympathy, serious interest in their
own important small problems and
cheerful companionship. Sc t j.
mental words, violent embraces and
lavish presents are not nearly so
welcome and have no effect in win
ming a child's devotion. Actions,
and not flowery words. where love is
concerned, are what count.
Children respect parents who do
not try to fool them, parents they
can trust day after day, year after
year, to be as honest, consistent and
fair in their affection as they are
in their discipline. A child who is
thus wisely handled will more than
likely be the one who rushes to the
door with q big hug for Daddy or
who, of his own accord, smothers
his mother with sticky kisses for ap-
parently no other reason but that he
has to tell her he loves herl