Other People’s Children

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 15

Other People’s Children

I %

ANN TRAVIS

Five-year-old Dolly stood regarding me for a full minute before she pipedy out for all to hear, “You aren't so pretty as my mummy.” Dolly’s mother—my hostess—beamed affectionately. “Isn’t innocent childhood just too beautifully irjink and loyal? My little girl is always saying j amusing things like that; such quaint little remarks! Such vivid opinions! Really she is remarkably developed for her age; because, I suppose, I let her come everywhere with me.” “I see,” I murmured—quite politely, considering that Dolly was developing I her vivid personality by dropping but- | ter on to my shoes. And for the rest of our call we visi- ! tors had undiluted “Dolly.” Either she was flopping all over us with dis- I astrously sticky fingers and niaking I rudely personal remarks, or her mother was carrying on the glad work by long anecdotes of her .doings and sayings. When I took my leave, one of my | fellow guests came too. As we turned

\ out of the gate, she- sighed. ft l have, on occasion, smacked my hostess's dog," she remarked. “What' a pity it is that one is not allowed to chastise her child!" Every mother naturally thinks her child is perfect, but only the blindly j adoring one fails to understand that other people may not agree with her. Tho naive remarks that seem to clever to her, are possibly considered unpardonahly rude by, those who are not particularly interested in the child's men- , tal development. i Other people's children are not attractive, to us unless they are welli behaved and orderly ; we dislike being t nauled about by them, and wisU heartily that their .parents would realise j tho uses of a nursery. ‘ Of course, if they behaved like our own children, all tfould be well —or arc we as fondly blind as other parents ? Perhaps a nursery m every home—even j ir. ours—is the best place for the youngsters when guests arrive.