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Show Tell Children Facts of Life When They Ask Br MYRTLE MEYER ELDRED Nona of ua, however f lib, la always al-ways prepared to say Just the right Mnghenurhlldrenaskua point blank questions about the "facts of life. Fortunately for tne modern parent, conversation about tha coming of babies ia so frank and nonchalant that most of us have lost our self-consciousness about the subject. I .ark Courage But there are still plenty of questions ques-tions which tax our knowledge and determination to be "matter-offset." We flounder about endeavoring endeav-oring to treat with courage tha subjects sub-jects which our own education haa made ua feel are too delicate for discussion. One mother said that she waa well aware that she ought to be approaching ap-proaching tha subject, but hadn't tha faintest Idea how to atart or what to aay. The chances are great that when her child approached tha subject herself, with tha naiva curiosity cu-riosity of four or five years, the mother evaded the question because be-cause "that little thing what would she understand?" Yet the child's Inqulsitiveness Is Indicative enough that the time la rip f"r fl.n.lin hllia. her age. It ia never In soma far off day that It will be easier, the time is right when the question la asked. Tell the Truth While no one can put exact worda Into a parent's mouth or do more than warn her not to appear embarrassed embar-rassed or upset by the questions. It Is true that the simplest general rule to follow la to answer the question ques-tion truthfully. Remember the truth Is never shameful. It ia only what we ourselves make of It that gives it an aura of illicit discourse Wa need not tell a child all we know at any time. The child could not absorb It. But endeavor to answer an-swer each question and be ready to repeat the aama answer no matter how often the aama queation is asked. Bit by bit. without embarrassment, embarrass-ment, tha child will build up the knowledge that will become explicable explic-able aa experience clarifiea It. Our leaflet on "Telling Small Children the Facta of Life," may be had for a self-addressed and J-cent J-cent atamped envelope sent to Myrtle Myr-tle Meyer Eldred, care of tha Your Baby and Mine department of The Salt Lake Telegram. |