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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1962)
EDITOR'S NOTE The Poets' Corner and the Communica tions column, which usually appear on this page in the Sunday Mail Tribune, will be found on Page 10A today only. MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON SUNDAY. AUGUST 12. 1962 FAMILY COUNCIL Carl J. With a large fam ily, we still have nowhere to turn now. Harriet N.-They turn down the help that's avail able. They want deluxe service. Carl J. My wife and I have a 14-month-old son. We expect a second child in two months. Despite the fact that we each have plenty of rela tives, believe it or not, we're at our wits' end to find some one to take care of Bobby while his mother is away. I'm on a new job, and we will be in a peak period. I can't stay home. We've never used a baby sitter because we can't afford one. When we go out, we take the baby along. My mother lives in Florida, my sister in Mexico. That lets them out. Bca's mother lives a few miles away, but she has no patience with her grandchildren. And Bca's sister is a block away, but she can't stand to look at j a diaper! A cousin of mine is willing to take Bobby, but i she has a mean daughter who always teases and hits him when we visit there, with not a word from the mother. Harriet N I'm Carl's sister-in-law, Bea's sister. They are making a mountain out of nothing. There are plenty people in the family who can ; take care of Bobby when Bea gives birth. But you'd think he's made of eggshells from i all the orders they give to any of us who try to hold him or play with him. No one can j satisfy them. They're too fussy. j My mother can mind a j baby without stopping every thing else. But no, Carl and Bra expect her lo push him to the park and amuse him on the swing, or else play peek aboo with him all day at I home. As for me, I'd have to j sign on the dotted line that I'd bathe and powder the kid every time he perspired. If those two could stop expect ing the fancy services of a British "nanny," they'd have nothing to worry about. Their son would live through it okay. The Council: Carl's predi cament puts us in mind of the Depression when in 1934 an ex-Secretary of the Treas ury Ogden L. Mills described "the paradox of want in the midst of plenty." The J's had been going along feeling rich and secure with "plenty" of relatives to fall back on in case of emergency. Yet, here's the emergency, and they find themselves falling back on thin air which doesn't cush ion or stop the fall. Their "wealth" has turned to noth ingness. Harriet's protestations are not reassuring to the parents of a cherished toddler who's never been parted from his mother. It's not asking too much to expect the mother substitute to fondle and cud dle the baby "in the manner to which he is accustomed" that is, ungrudgingly and joy ously. Evidently Bobby has had a better deal, thus far, than even the wards of the expensive governesses wuu attend to their feeding, play and sleep schedules. He's been steeped in TLC the warm responsiveness from parents which has been deemed as important as oxy gen to an infant's optimum development. Why risk sub jecting Bobby to a week of careless attention which may confuse him and. worse, may arid up traumatic ex perience? There's still lime to try for an alternative. Carl. Inquire of the Social Service depart ment of the hospital where Bra will be delivered. They will have some suggestions. Bnbhv may he too young for a Day Nursery (most of them rlo not accept children under 2) but an infant-care center may be found where Bobby ran Slav during the day and he called for by Carl in the evening. Also, your clergy man may have some leads. A motherlv homrmaker might be provided, paid for by wel fare funds for a week or so. to attend to the baby's needs In his own home while you are away. 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