Our Boys and Girls

How to properly bring up our boys and girls is a great question.  A great deal of time and thought has been given to this question not only by parents but by officials who have to do with making and enforcing the laws.

The training the child receives has much to do with its permanent moral character in later life.  Curfew laws are passed in some towns and cities.  If parents kept their boys in at night such laws would be unnecessary.  In almost any group of boys there are some who have knowledge of things that they impart to others in an improper way.  Vulgar and immoral language is used and evil practices are taught to others.  Many parents would be much surprised to know how much masturbation is practiced among both boys and girls.  As they grow older the promiscuous  mingling of the sexes gives opportunity for sexual relations and all physicians know that this often occures even before puberty.  I know of one case where a boy of but seven years of age contracted a loathsome venereal disease from a girl of seventeen.  Parents should know these things.  There is much harm done by concealing the truth about these matters.

In many cases our schools are at fault here for our boys and girls mingle promiscuously with children coming from all kinds of homes.  This is perhaps as it should be but they should be watched over carefully or they will learn habits that are unnatural and immoral.  Juvenile courts are being established and the judges state that these immoral practices are not confined to the poorer classes.  Judge Lindsay of Denver has made a great fight against impurity and there are other judges who are now working zealously in the same direction.  It is time for parent to wake up to the danger that threatens their boys and girls.  Parents are not blameless.  Business and society cause them to neglect their children and they are often entirely brought up by servants.  No one will do for your children what you fail to do yourself.  Too many children and especially boys, grow up making light of virtue.  Not only this but masterbation is practiced to an extent almost beyond belief.

This is an unnatural practice and children should be instructed as to the awful effects upon both the mind and body.  This habit is taught them by older boys and girls but they are not instructed as to its ruining effects.  Parents should not only warn these children against these practices but they should instruct them as to the effects and why they are harmful.  Children are sure to learn about these things by they only learn part of the truth and it is well know that "a little learning is a dangerous thing".   Is it not better that children learn about these things at home in a proper way?

Children often learn to masturbate involuntarily.  The habit is sometimes learned by rubbing the itching privates.  Often they are not kept clean and the filth produces intense itching.  See that the private parts of the children of both sexes are kept as clean as other parts of the body.  Whenever the child is seen doing this the chances are that they are unclean.  Do not let the child become an involuntary masturbator through your neglect.

Parents should teach their children about themselves.  Do not let them grow up in ignorance of what their re-productive organs are intended for and of the evil effects of their misuse.  Before the first change comes to a girl and she begins to change in form, tell her what she may expect and what it means.  Tell her about the "flow" and what the sexual relations means and how babies come.  They will find it out in some way and often to their lasting disgrace.  Do not let your children go astray through lack of instruction, that you might have given them.  Parents should treat their boys and irls in such a way that they will take them into their confidence in all things.  Tell the little ones why they should not associate with immoral boys and girls, and when the crisis comes that changes them into men and women tell them what it means and what care they should take of themselves.   To my mind it is criminal for parents to bring up their children without some knowledge of themselves.

* from The Peoples Home Medical Book - T.J. Ritter M.D  1910 - Cleveland, Ohio pages 383 - 384