PARTIES THAT SPOIL THE CHILD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18458, 17 April 1922, Page 8

PARTIES THAT SPOIL THE CHILD

“I say, will you dance with me?” Master Twelve-Year-Old, immaculate in Eton's and white kid gloves, made this request to a small fairy-like girl m rose-pink taffetas, who was also a guest at a large children’s party where I was assisting the hostess to entertian her small friends.

“Sorry, you don’t dance well enough," was the unexpected reply of Miss Eight-Year-Old, and he retired abashed to find a kinder partner.

“Tell me, Gwen”—Miss Eight-Year-Old is an old friend of mine “are you enjoying your hoidays?” “Yes, rather, Auntie; I’ve been to eighteen parties, and eight of them have been evening ones—and one was a the dansant. . . Oh! yes, all right. What’s your name? This in response to another would-be partner, of whom she evidently approved, and after carefully consulting her programme and writing down his name, she turned to me again.

“I hope to have some more parties next holidays,” she confided. “It is such a nuisance that the season’s over now.” And then, before 1 could frame suitable reply, she had been “claimed” by a favoured partner and was whirled away.

Eighteen parties in a little under four weeks! No wonder the child was irritable at home and that simple playthings and amusements failed to interest her. By the time she is grown up little Gwen will have tasted nearly all the joys of “being out,” and it will be surprising if she is not thoroughly blase. The majority of these children’s parties are modelled on grown-up entertainments. There are usually a sit-down supper, a jazz band, programmes, all the rttest dances, sit-ting-out—in fact, some of the parties I have ben to lately have been veritable miniature balls. Even the smaller babes have had their parties as well. Tiny mites two and three years old ory in their urses’ arms or wonder what all the fuss and noise is about, while adoring mothers make efforts to amuse, and succeed in amusing themselves more than the wee folk, and wonder later on why the latter are so queru - lous and upset instead of being their own sweet selves.

The more I see of them the more I think that children’s parties, on an elaborate scale, are a mistake. Gatherings of children to play games or to dance Informally can do no harm and are to be encouraged, but surely the other type of party, when rich refreshments, wonderful decorations, and grown-up ideas are introduced, can only make children precocious and disillusioned?

It is well for a girl to have some new pleasures to which to look forward when she grows up, but if she has been an inveterate party-going child she will have none; she will have lost her childhood almost before she has gained it. and that delightful simplicity which is its charm she will never know.

I wonder if mothers who accept indiscriminate, invitations for their children have realised this. Every year entertaining for children seems to be carried out on a more elaborate scale. I would like to know if the children really appreciate it.