Self Knowledge and Guide to Sex Instruction: Vital Facts of Life for All AgesShannon, Thomas W. (Thomas Washington)
Philosophy
Self Knowledge and Guide to Sex Instruction: Vital Facts of Life for All Ages
Shannon, Thomas W. (Thomas Washington)
Sex; Sexual health
=A real transition.=--Few mothers begin to comprehend the mental phases
that attend the dawning of womanhood. The building of the new sex life
means a real transition from one distinct period of life to another,
from the experiences of girlhood to womanhood. For the first four years
of adolescence there is a constant clash in her mind between the feeling
of the girl that was and the woman that is to be. This is caused by the
creation of a new life, the sex life, whose immediate functions is to
change her from girlhood to womanhood. This new life is stimulating
rapid growth and changes in many organs of the body, awakening the
social nature, quickening every faculty of the mind and giving new
impulses to the moral nature. No wonder that the girl does not always
understand herself. The mother needs to be tact and wisdom combined, if
she is to understand her daughter and assist her in giving proper
direction to this new life. Inform your daughter that these strange
experiences are due to the changes that are taking place in her body and
mind; that she will often have tendencies to be peevish, irritable, cry
and take offense, to be sentimental and self-conscious. Remind her that
you have not forgotten the experiences of your girlhood, that you are
sympathetic, that you are interested in helping her overcome all wrong
tendencies and that you will gladly aid her all you can in the direction
of this new life to the development of charming, ideal womanhood.
=Important advice to mothers.=--Gradually everything pertaining to her
womanhood should be told her. Instill into her mind slowly and
cautiously the beauties of wifehood and the sacredness of motherhood and
teach her that these glorious honors in their perfection come only to
those who know themselves, think pure thoughts and live pure lives.
Don’t tease little girls about sweethearts. Don’t rush them into
society. Allow them to remain innocent, playful girls as long as
possible. When fourteen or fifteen, tactfully impress upon her mind that
unkissed lips will be the most queenly gift that she can offer her king
at the marriage altar; that virginity of mind and body will be
appreciated by him as of more value than the most costly jewels. Teach
her to demand a white life of her male friends and admirers, and, to
demand as pure a life of her coming prince as he will demand of her.
NO ONE HAD TOLD HER.
She was just in the bloom of life’s morning;
She was happy, and free, and fair;
And a glance in her bright eyes would tell you
Of nothing but innocence there.
She was waiting for some one to tell her,
As she stood with reluctant feet,
On the banks of the wonderful river
Where childhood and womanhood meet.
She waited, but still no one told her
The secret of life so sublime;
And she held not the safeguard of knowledge
In life’s beautiful morning time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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