| Show Pursuit of Happiness Parents Just Cant Can't Afford State of Being Too Busy By HUBBARD HOOVER AND ISABELLE MACRAE l HOOVER HOOYER Isabelle did you notice that young couple with the lovely little girl You mean the child with the light golden hair and flashing brown eyes Indeed I did Hub- Hub bard I had a long talk with her mother this morning morning morning-couldn't couldn't re resist resist re- re finding out more about them Im glad you did I have neverseen never neverseen neverseen seen a finer family relationship and Id I'd like to know how they worked it out The little girl has such good manners and yet she doesn't seem depressed How old do you think she is Shell be six in November And the happy family relationship is no accident You'll be surprised to learn that a couple of years ago little Marjorie w was a a. problem child I What do you mean a problem problem lem em child Ever Every child chUd of spirit is something of a problem A child that hasn't enough imagination to get into mischief will never amount to much Mischief l Plus Well it was more than mischief with Marjorie Her mother said she seemed to take pleasure in tormenting them breaking things they gave her and deliberately disobeying disobeying disobeying dis dis- obeying them They couldn't understand understand understand un un- it it especially as the maid declared that Marjorie was a perfect perfect perfect per per- angel when her parents weren't home And she was on the best aest of terms with all the neigh neigh- bors They adored herAt herAt her At that time the parents had just opened up a business of their own They left together right after breakfast and didn't return till late afternoon Even when they were home they thought and talked a good deal about the problems problems problems lems which had come up in the course of the day They always planned to spend a definite time with their little girl evenings and week ends but often urgent matters whittled this time away to almost nothing And the few hours they actually spent with her were usually clouded with the anxieties which are a part o of every new business They felt t guilty about this and tried to make it up to her with costly exciting toys But after a moment of pleasure pleas pleas- ure in these gifts she seemed t to lose interest and to devote herself hersel f again to thinking up ways of annoying annoying annoying an an- her parents Things reached such a a. pass pas that Marjories Marjorie's mother decided t to work at home for a week keep her he eye on her daughter and see i if she could find out what was wrong But as soon as breakfast was over the little girl would pick up her he toys or a book of childrens children's phonograph phonograph phonograph phon phon- records and go over to a neighbors If her mother told he her hernot r not to go she would become a perfect perfect per per- feet little fiend shrieking an and stomping and flying fling into a rage At Wits Wits' End The parents were at their wits wits' end and finally consulted a His diagnosis was Vas th the e child was jealous of their wor work k and that she had reason to be He H pointed out that since the business was never wholly off their minds they never gave their undivided attention to Marjorie Children are quick to sense a thing like that tha t and resent it it Marjorie was when her parents were around because she had discovered that naughtiness was the one sure way of ot getting their full attention They agreed they were greatly greats to blame and set about at once one convincing their little girl that she is very important and very precious to them She now gets her full share of their undivided attention She has started school l and has her work to do there an anthis and this helps her understand that he her r parents also have work that must be done But the thing that has helped most is 18 that they take timas time tim e as a family to have fun tun together Copyright 1948 Hubbard Hoover |
