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Show PARENTS PROBLEMS By Donald M. Ma.yna.rd How an; parents to t-ax-h their children the value of keeping clean morally? I suppose fear of the stigma at-atehed at-atehed to immoral behavior has been a factor in some cases in keeping one morally straight, so far us behavior itself is concerned. At the same time, it is quite apparent appar-ent that this fear has not been too effective in the past. The basic cause for wholesome, clean living is not so much fear of the stigma that may be attached to a violation of the moral code, as it is an intrinsic appreciation of all that which is fine and true and good, and a respect for the sacred-ness sacred-ness of personality. This appreciation apprecia-tion must be developed through the years and begins in early childhood. It develops in a home whine parents and brothers and sisters maintain high ideals and have happy experiences together. One cannot overestimate the importance im-portance of example. everything that they want, whose whims are always catered to, and who grow up utterly self-centered and selfish, have not developed those inner disciplines that provide a steadying force when faced with temptation and the pull of intense emotional desires. We have two children a boy of seven and a girl of three. How can we handle this business of Santa Clans? Is flu-re danger of disillusionment disillusion-ment when the children find out about him? This problem of what to tell their children about Santa Claus is a real one to many conscientious parents. It may be helpful to look at three differnet ways parents have dealth with the problem. 1. There are those who feel it is wrong to tell their children there is a Santa Claus. A young man brought up in such a family as this, reports that so far as he can recall, he and his brothers and sisters never did believe in Santa Claus and that their Christmas was as joyous as was the Christmas of those in homes where Santa was the center of attention. 2. At the other extreme, we find parents who scoff at the above viewpoint and feel that it robs Tint example is not enough. Boys and girls need to be educated about sex and its place in life. As their questions are answered honestly in the home, as they are helped thru books and classes in boy and girl relationships to understand the other sex, as they have, opportunities opportuni-ties to consider with skilled and understanding teachers what is involved in-volved in preparation for marriage, they are receiving the finest kind of foundation for clean and wholesome whole-some living. Let us not minimize, also, the contribution of religion to the building of high ideals and standards. stand-ards. An appreciation of the sacrcd-ness sacrcd-ness of all persons and a desire to help others become their best selves are tremendous deterrents to immoral behavior. It should not be forgotten, furthermore, fur-thermore, that our boys and girls need to learn the art of self-discipline. self-discipline. Children who are given children of one of the most precious prec-ious memories of childhood. They frankly tell their children that there is a Santa Claus, that he lives at the North Pole, that he receives re-ceives letters from boys and girls, and may even go so far as to say that he is especially eager to please "good" little boys and girls. There is no hemming and hawing on their part when children ask questions about him. They take the position that when a child becomes old enough to know different, he will realize the truth without any great disillusionment. Experience suggests that whereas this is true for many children,1 for others the discovery that Santa is not an actual ac-tual person is a tragic experience. 3. Between these two extremes are the parents who neither tell their children there is or there isn't a Santa Claus. At the same time, they go ahead and talk about Santa Claus, and may even encourage en-courage their children to write to him. In their conversation about Santa, however, they frequently refer to him as the "spirit of giving;" giv-ing;" they encourage their children to notice that there are several Santas in the stores at Chrsitmas time; and as the children get older and begin to share gifts with others, they talk about "our playing play-ing Santa to this child or that." With respect to your seven-year-old boy, is it not possible 'for you to talk to him about how much the idea of Santa Claus meant to him when he was young and that now he has an opportunity to help his little sister - enjoy the make-believe story of Santa? Help him realize that gradually his sister sis-ter will realize it is a make-believe story, but that in the meantime all of you will go on playing Santa at Christmas. |