DON'T REPULSE THE CHILD

A little older child sees the fowls, the dogs, or the cats, "mating,"
and then, rushing into the house, inquires what it is all about; and
unless the mother is on her guard some older member of the family may
show surprise and thus thoughtlessly convey to the child's mind that
his question is improper and entirely out of place. To the question,
"What are they doing, mamma?" quietly answer, "Just mating, dear, just
as the flowers mate; everything that lives or grows comes as the
result of mating."

Suppose that you were repulsed every time you approached a dear
friend, your husband, or some other member of the family? Take, for
instance, the matter of a caress or an embrace--how would you react to
repeated rebuff? And so with the little child; he comes into this
world full of confidence and trust, full of wonder and curiosity;
possessed with the spirit of exploration and investigation--everywhere
and all the time he asks questions. Usually, his questions are
answered thoughtfully and without hesitancy, except along the line of
one thought--that of sex. Do not think for one moment that he is
satisfied by your evasive answers. You have but to recall your own
childhood experiences, and remember that today the moving picture
show and general public sentiment has placed the age for such
knowledge from one to five years earlier in this generation than in
the past. I do not care what the child comes into your presence with,
be it the most shocking thing in this world, do not under any
circumstances let it disturb your mental poise, or raise your ire or
shock you; for if you do, then and there--at that moment--occurs a
break in the sublime confidence which the child reposes in you.

NECESSARY MORAL TRAINING

While we are using the plant and animal world as object lessons in
teaching our children the facts of sex and the secrets of life; while
we face the commonplace sex matings of the animals about us without
cringing, without appearing to be shocked when our children call
attention to these things; nevertheless, when the child is old enough
to take cognizance of these phenomena, he is old enough to begin to
receive some definite instruction from his parents regarding the moral
phase of these great biologic problems. We cannot safely and
indefinitely utilize the animal world as an object lesson in sex
education, without at the same time emphasizing the moral difference
between man and the be