IMPORTANCE OF RELATIVES

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31864, 17 December 1968, Page 6

IMPORTANCE OF RELATIVES

When grown-up brothers and sisters remain close—often held together by ageing parents—aunts, uncles and cousins play an important role in the lives of the next generation, says an article in the Parents’ Centre’s bulletin.

“If an unmarried aunt is not embittered by her state and jealous of her married sisters, she can find an outlet for her maternal tenderness in caring for her nephews and nieces.” says the article. “In our society, where it is easier for women to earn their own living and be independent, the unmarried aunt is less likely than in the nineteenth century to become an unpaid governess to children all too likely to despise her unprivileged dependence when they come lo need her less. “Her position is now more comparable to that of the bachelor uncle who, when interested in his nephews and

nieces, is a traditional bringeri of presents and giver of treats.. “It is, of course, possible; for aunts and uncles to be; much more than this. When a child is involved in conflicts with its parents, the aunt or uncle who is prepared to be interested is a safe person to receive complaints,- to talk things over, and get help in solving knotty problems.” The cousin group was less close and confined than that of brothers and sisters but it I could offer a wider frame-; work lhat still had some mea-: sure of security and perman-: ence within the family. “The claims of the poor relation and of the black sheep are traditionally a persecution. The poor relation, at; least, is a bogy which the welfare state has rendered less: overwhelming and unfair,” the; article says.

“Yet those family members} who have enough sense of individual and collective respon-; sibility to contain and mitigate the condition of their own! unfortunate relatives are the! necessary foundation of ahealthy community.”