1937-03-30 — Page 8

THESE

ARE

Dr. Edith Summerskill

here discusses a problem which every mother must face.

When your child asks where babies come from, what do you say?

Do you tell him frankly or do you evade the whole question of sex and leave him to find out about it for himself?

How you handle this problem, she says, largely determines whe ther your child will grow up as your best friend or be a compara- tive stranger to you.

TOW girls

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 30, 1937.

PARENTS FOOLS!

blame.

Later he will find at school chil- other, then I shall be solely to dren whose parents have made no secret of the mysteries of life and death. And these children will have no qualms about sharing their knowledge.

This information acquired at school does not necessarily stop questions being asked of parents, and many small boys and girls lis- ten to the untruthful answers given to them with a certain youthful cynicism,

“For I should use my greater ex- perience to foster the relationship, and not expect my children to give their love to me simply out of gratitude for giving them life, food and shelter.

The sooner it is realised that a child has an individuality of its own which it must be allowed to express, and is in no sense a pos- session of its mother and father, the sooner will harmony be res- tored to many homes.

"My own boy began to question me when he was five years old. He not only showed the usual interest It is as instinctive for a boy or as to where he came from, but de- girl on reaching puberty to desire of manded an explanation of pictures to be with somebody of the

How many boys and regard he had found in some of my medi-sex, as it is for them to demthed

their father or mother as best friend?

This confidence

cannot

their cal text books.

be

food when they are hungry.

The I answered his questions direct-sex instinct is second only to that

of self-preservation.

a

A parent who deliberately frus- trates these desires risks losing the confidence and affection of his child.

This is where father can help, That is, if he has not already for feited his son's confidence.

There is nothing more calculate to bring that about than the un- conscious vanity of the average well-intentioned father.

A best friend not merely being ly, and in simple language, and he a good provider, but somebody who looked at me understandingly and who will help to solve those per-said: "Now I know why you say

the that my nose, is like yours." plexing problems which face

They Trust Me adolescent in the difficult years be- A

Michael is now nine. He mixes at tween fourteen and seventeen.

school with boys of his age and a steadfast companion who can

And it gives me consulted with perfect trust and little older.

great sense of satisfaction to knowW confidence.

be ob- that those honest eyes of my son tained by parents just for the ask-will never look at me while he in- ing. Neither

child be wardly registers me as a liar!

Shirley is five, but there is no wheedled into revealing problems which are not of a strictly mater-need for me to tell her what I told

asked first-born. She ialistic nature.

the brother, and Michael patiently ex- How familiar one is with

His advice to his son is often mother who wails that she has plained. slaved for her children night and So far my children trust me com-biased, because he wishes the boy day, sacrificed and scraped, in or- pletely, but it will be a far more to do just those things which ap- der that they may be well fed, and difficult thing to retain that con-peal to himself. well dressed, and that all she re-fidence when the bigger and fuller It seems that the common mis

the is base ingrati- life of young manhood and woman- takes that parents make in

treatment of their children are: hood claims them.

ceives in return tude!

Pathetic Mothers

a can

Not all these domestic martyrs are deserving of sympathy.

my

her

I believe that I have laid the foundation for a perfect friendship between us, and if anything should understanding of each

In his son he sees a reflection of himself, another self with all the advantages that he never enjoyed.

To evade the question of sex, and so create a barrier which can never be broken down in. later years;

To demand respect instead

of

Accenting Color

The deep cream and gold lace formal gown and moss green velvet evening facket shows above form a perfect setting for their wearer's olvid beauty. The dress is slit to the water in front, and held together by three little gold kid bosor, Margo, of the stage and screen, la 'the model.

trying to establish friendship be- tween equals;

To expect lifelong gratitude. 'This demand on the part of par- ents is completely illogical. How many married couples can truth- fully say that they brought a child into the world for its own sake?

The bewilderment .of such mar our mothers is pathetic to see. They have denied themselves for many years in order to attend to the de- mands of a growing family, but their pre-occupation with the dom- estic problems of family life has Cut five grapefruit and one le bananas, pine-apples and preserved Cook ten minutes in double boiler, blinded them to the psychological mon into small pieces. Stand them cherries, some whipped cream and stirring constantly, Cool before needs of their sons and daughters.in an earthenware bowl for twenty-sugar to taste. Return the mixture spreading.

The development of a child's four hours, together with the pips, to the orange skins, put a pre- mind during its early years should tied into a muslin bag. At the end served cherry on each and make a “basket” with a receive as much attention from the of this time remove the pips and handle for the parent as the body. And neglect boil the fruit till tender. Then add piece of angelica. of either leads to mental or physi-11b of preserving sugar to each cal warping which cannot be rec-pound of fruit, and boil it till a tified in later years.

few drops put on to aid plate begin to jelly." Put into jars and cover down.

TRY THESE RECIPES

*

*

Orange Caramel

Orange Frosting Grated rind of one orange. One teaspoonful of brandy. Half juice. This recipe comes from America One tablespoonful and dates from the old days of the juice. South "befo de wa'."

Orange Ca

A quarter of a cup of butter One cup of sugar.

Two egga.

Half a cup of milk. One and a third cups of flour. Two and a half teaspoons of baking powder.

a teaspoonful of lemon

of orange

Yolk of one egg. About half a pound of icing au-

igar.

̈Add rind to brandy and fruit juices. Let it stand for fifteen min- utes. Strain, and add gradually to yolk of egg, slightly beaten. Stir in sugar until the mixture is the right consistency.

Even in these days when sexual questions are discussed and debat- ed in public, when Freud and his works are quoted by eminent medi- cal authorities, we still find par- Peel six oranges, cut them into ents who hastily change the sub-thick pieces, remove pips and ar- ject if the child of six asks where range fruit in a bowl. Mix some of babies come from,

the juice with 4oz, of sugar and The secrecy which is maintained cook for a few minutes. Cool it and

the oranges.

Cream the butter and sugar, add on the subject by otherwise well-pour it over

Make a caramel by cooking 4oz. of the well-beaten eggs and milk. Mix meaning people is often the start-

the flour ing point of a child's estrangement lump sugar in a little water for the baking powder with from its parents.

ten minutes. Pour it into a tin to and add. Bake in two sandwich Do you throw away your orange harden and then beat it to crumbs. tins, and when cold put orange fill-and-grapefruit peel? Keep it, and Sprinkle some of it on top of the ing between the two halves. Cover use it for this dish for dessert. fruit. Pile whipped cream over it the whole with orange frosting. and decorate with almonds and the rest of the caramel.

It leams for the first time that some things cannot be discussed and are bad. It is bewildered to find that some of the most interest ing things about life are placed in this category, while the uninterest- ing things are good. Another bad effect of this evasion on sex mat- ters is that children learn that the parents lle to them.

The six-year-old may have beer put off for the time being by som fable about a gooke berry bush, or a stork, but his questioning will not end there,

Orange Baskets

Crystallised Peel

Cut three or four orange or grapefruit peels into slices, point- Orange Filling

ed at both ends and about thres- Half a cup of sugar.

quarters of an inch wide in the mid- Two and a half tablespoons of dle. Soak them overnight in cold water. Bring them to boiling point. Grated rind of half an orange.

Do this four times, Make a syrup quarter of a cup of orange of two cups of sugar and enough water to melt it. When the syrup Half a tablespoon of lemon juice comes to the boil, add peel - and

This is an excellent dish and re-flour quires no cooking and very little preparation.

Cut off small rounds from the juice

y oranges as are tops of as many needed and take out the contents with a spoon, removing all pips and skin. Mix the pulp with sliced

One egg, slightly beaten. One tablespoon of butter. Mix ingredients in or

given,

cook till syrup is evaporated.co

Dry on ofled paper, sprinkle with sugar, and keep in tîn box.