Evening star., 1953-09-04
Problems Today .
Boys Should
House Work
By Muriel Nissen


DEAR MISS NISSEN: My
next-door neighbor has a 13-
year-old boy who helps with the
dishes and does other work that
only a girl should do. He says
if he continues to live like this.
he'll grow up to be a sissy. What
should he do about it?
MRS. r. r.
ANSWER: You and your young
friend certainly came to the
wrong person for sympathy on
this one. Mine is an all-male
family, and from early childhood
my sons have pitched in at what
ever tasks befell them, including
washing dishes and making
beds. Nor has it diminished
their masculinity one whit. They
are now Stalwart young men.
and still willing to give a hand
where it's needed. One Of them
has just finished a period in an
army camp, where he learned, to
his own astonishment, that boys
who had learned cooperation at
home adjusted much more
quickly and completely to routine
of army life than did the lads
whose mothers had carefully
shielded them from all forms OF
houSework.
A family is a unit in which
every member contributes some
thing to the others of the group;
the greater this mutual give-and-
take, the happier is the family.
Simply because children are all
boys or all girls doesn't lessen
the cumulative effort that must
go into the making of a success
full household. The father who
only has daughters should no
more be expected to do all the
gardening, lawn moving, ETC.,
than should the mother OF sons
be expected to do all the house
work without help. No work is
menial except in the eyes Of those
who see it so. Men pride them
selves on their cooking prowess;
why then should they look down
upon the humble task OF dish
washing?
Your nelghbor is doing a fine
| job of teaching her boy, and II
you sympathize with him in his
protests against allotted work.
you are doing him, and his fam
| lily. great harm. Emulate your
neighbor instead of criticizing
her; her example is well worth
following.
DEAR MISS NISSEN: My par
ents want to select all my friends.
male and female, though I am
18, working, and giving most Of
my money toward the house.
think I'm Old enough to pick
my own friends. Who is right?
ALMA G.
ANSWER: Your parents have
failed badly at the job of bring
ing you up if they feel that at 18
you haven't acquired the dis
elimination to make proper
friends. Surely they don't ex-
pect to keep up this choosing
for you much longer! Some
time you must set out inde-
pendently and the longer they
postpone letting you go on your
own, the worse it will be for you.
DEAR MISS NISSEN: I am
10 and going with young man
of 20. I love him very much,
but since was once engaged. he
says I couldn't possibly love him
now. The engagement was
broken almost two years ago.
and by now I've almost forgotten
the fellow. H. j.
ANSWER: Any young man
who doesn't understand that
teenagers are capable of several
loves has a lot to learn about
human nature. If he's that
thick about one thing, he'll be
equally dense about others.
Muriel NiSSen 1Uin reply to
all readers Uto ask her help.
Write for free ledfet DIS,
What Age for Datin0?" In
all cases, be sure to incloSe
an addressed, stamped enUelope
and send request to her, care
of the WomGn'S Department.
The EUening Star. Washington
4, D. c.
4