Evening star., 1961-05-14


lily grows larger.
Is there something differ
ent about us that we can
stand the wear and tear and
commotion caused by our
larger families? Maybe there
is and maybe there isn't. I
don't know. How many or
how few children you have
isn't really the important
thing. however: it's your atti-
tude toward life that is i'm
portant-that makes the diff
ference in your ability to
cope with whatever situation
drops into your lap.
For one thing, my hus-
band and I have learned
that our problems shrink
into nothing in comparison
with the troubles and trage-
dies that other people en-
dure. We have learned to
laugh at ourselves. Life is
a pretty grim affair at times,
but it is not so awfully bad
that we have to go around
all the time with our heads
bowed down and the weight
of the world on our shoul-
ders. Wouldn't we look silly,
now?
The Best Show
Here we are surrounded by
the most fascinating of all
human beings-our chill
dren. We watch them grow
from helpless babies. to tod
ding busy bodies, to noisy To-
year-olds and on into the
exasperating teens and sud-
denly into grown-up young
men and women. We have
the best and most continuous
show on earth, and we have
developed the capacity to
enjoy it.
Sometimes it goes like this:
One morning the garbage
men were walking down our
driveway-that Is, one was
walking down our driveway
and the other one was walk
ing down the other side Of
the hedge and they were
talking. One said to the
other, boy is this house
noisy" And the other one
said, II think this is the
noisiest house in Bur-
lingame-there is always a
racket going on here"
Things are different now.
The kids listen for the gar
bage truck and make every
body observe 3 minutes
of silence while the garbage
man comes down our drive
way. I guess he wonders yet
whatever happened to our
rackety house.
Another summer morning,
after picking his way through
seven sleeping bags (com-
plete with seven sleeping
boys) and moving seven bikes
and kicking assorted base
ball gloves, skates and junk
out Of the way before he
could get to the garbage can,
one of the men was heard to
remark that he was going to
charge extra If he had to
hunt for the garbage can all
summer.
No Fancy Feathers
When I first became a
mother. I had some, rather
SNUG (smug - they were
downright weird ideas about
how things should be done.
I also had some rather fancy
ideas Of how my house should
be kept. I've learned a cou-
pie of things since then.
First Of all, I learned that by
eliminating the fancy
feathers, we were able to give
our babies a lot more loving.
These children of ours need
lots Of loving, punctuated at
times, naturally, by a good
swat on the rear.
I have learned that as far
as knowing everything about
raising children-I know a lot
less than I did when I didn't
have any. A young doctor
asked me the other day what
we did about colds. WELL"
I said, mostly I just blow
their noses-you're the doc
tor, why ask me?" He thought
with my vast experience I
ought to know something.
He didn't know what else to
do. either.
AS far as I can see, there
is no pat formula for raising
children as long as you give
them a good basic training
which includes love of God
and a working knowledge of
his commandments. The Ten
Commandments belong to
everyone Catholic, Prot
estant and Jew. If it's been
a long time since you looked
them up-well, look them up.
1t might take a little time
and give you a little jolt, but
try it anyhow.
Children want rules to live
by; they want to be told