RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30536, 3 September 1964, Page 30

RANDOM REMINDER

PARTY LINE

There’s nothing like sharing a child’s fears and joys to keep one young. Ask any mother, if you’re not too frightened. Always be on the alert to listen, at night, -for requests tor drinks of water; it may only be that the child is frightened of the dark. And if you are required to leap out of your chair four or five times to tuck the little one in again, it’s only because they don’t make proper blankets these days. It helps to read stories, too; but be careful not to fall asleep before the listener does. It can lose a mother face. Keep in touch, that’s the thing. Ask them about school, and why they keep

kicking the toes of their shoes in. Share their little problems, about how difficult it is to keep a cap or a book or a pencil for a whole 24 hours. And always, always make them feel wanted, by agreeing to their requests tor birthday parties. Be like the Prebbletoo woman who recently told her small son he could have a party for his sixth birthday. He was pleased, and so they came to terms. He mentioned the names of five little friends, and his mother thought that was not too many. This discussion took place at approximately 12.52 p.m. on a Friday. At 3.04 p.m., when she drove to the school to pick up tar Utile

one, tar car was surrounded by chattering children, ail thanking her for asking them to David’s birthday party. A quick count was made: 17 boys. Before she could drive off, a pre-school child approached her, fixed her with wide eyes as blue as the sea, and said: "Mrs X, you forgot to ask me to David’s party.” Eighteen. The work of preparing for this ravenous host is immense. She has not even considered the cost. But it will bit her, later on, when she finds how little is left of her housekeeping allowance, and when she starts to part out, one by one, on 18 presents for the parties to which David will be invited, in return.