The Child's Counselor and Friend

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 21, 1907

The Child's Counselor and Friend

Too much emphasis can not be placed upon the importance of a close intimacy between mother and child. The creation of this intimacy depends altogether upon the mother, for it should be started during the child's infancy and grow, as the child grows, just as a matter of course. It is the mother's part to see that the confidence on the part of the child is not lessened as it grows older.

If the child is taught at a very early age that mother is always a sympathetic listener to the heartaches and worries incident to childhood, as the child grows in years the same confidence will be observed if the mother has not relaxed her interest.

The wonderful work that is being done by Judge Ben. G. Lindsey, of Kansas, in rescuing children from depraved conditions, must appeal directly to mothers, and will undoubtedly go far toward creating a closer relationship between mothers and children in American homes. Through the exposition of the sad cases brought to Judge Lindsey's notice, many mothers will be led to question themselves closely as to how well they are observing their duty toward their children in this matter of confidence.

If the cases under observation were from tenement districts, they would be just as sad but less startling, because the conditions of such districts are not conducive to a high state of morals; but when they are found to come from the very flower of our civilization, the cultured and apparently refined American homes, the situation is serious indeed, and the mothers of our land must and will call a halt and commune with themselves on this subject. The result will be pure-minded children, who will not hesitate to go to their mothers with whatever questions they wish to ask; and pure-minded mothers, who will have no false ideas of modesty about imparting, delicately and freely, to their children, that knowledge which will protect the inquisitive, youthful minds from pollution when thrown in contact with grosser minds.—The Circle.