“MUMMY’S BOYS”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 21, 6 January 1928, Page 8

“MUMMY’S BOYS”

ENGLAND'S NEW DANGER. MEN WHO DON’T MARRY. London, Dec. 30. “When a young man remains unmarried because he does not want to leave his mother, people say, ‘How beautiful!’ The plain truth is that lie ip still a baby, afraid to break the matwnal tie.’’ This is the startling opinion that Dr. Alice Hutchinson gave about the only sons who remain single. Dr. Hutchinson was lecturing on the psychology of parenthood. In the course of her lecture she blamed birth-control fo r the large numbers of single-child families in England “The only child is a terrible monstrosity,” she declared. “He may replace drink as Britain’s greatest curse.” “Birth-control,’’ said Dr. Hutchinson, “had wrecked many marriages. Young people marrying at 20 may not be able to continue having children until they are 40, but if. on the other hand, the maternal instinct remained unsatisfied the wife was inclined to harbour animosity against the husband.” Brothers and sisters quarrelled at 'James, said Dr Hutchinson, in discussing the most-complained-of “discomforts’’ of large families, but that was because the superficial discord of the parents worked havoc with the family. So-called excellent parenth" ■ methods often made the child selfish and prevented the development of the best citizens.