Father and Son

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12247, 19 September 1925, Page 15

Father and Son

A WORD OF WARNING I

, “Isn’t he the image of his father?” the young mother said, gazing proudly at her four-year-ola son and heir. “And he’s like him in every way—always pulling his toys to pieces to ‘see how they ore made,’ and trying to put them together agaiu. Tom and I both say that he will make a fine engineer to carry on the business. . Young Tom is fourteen now, but he show's not the slightest bent for anything mechanical. 1 He adores art, and already paints so well that I can foresee a prosperous future for him. But his parents feel vaguely disappointed—he has not turned out as they had planned. It always leads to trouble. this planning of a child’s career while he is still in the toddling stage. Just because the small son is like his father, young parents let their fancy roam: they see ‘young Tom, in twenty years time, almost a replica of ‘old Tom. with the same hobbies and tastes, pursuing a similar career. If the child develops along different lines, they are hurt, 6ad at his failing. . . There is no accounting for that wonderful thing—individuality. Tl\e child may be ‘the image of his father, hut his nature, his abilities, his ambitions, may he quite the reverse. Wise are the parents who realise this, and wlm help him to develop himself—working with not ’ against his natural instincts. After all. isn’t it inordinate vanity to wish to see our commonplace, ordinary little selves repeated? Isn’t our finest hope for our children that they will be bigger, hotter people than we can ever hope to be? —S.G.