MOTHER’S THIRD TALK--CHOOSING A CHUM
=Early Adolescence.=--You are now entering upon that period of a girl’s
life known as the adolescence period. You are now passing from girlhood
to womanhood. This period will be about seven to eight years long. The
first four years will be the most important years of your life. This is
true for many reasons. During this period you will be largely a girl and
partly a woman. The mind of the girl that was and the woman that you
will be, will occasionally cause you to have confusing experiences. You
will have many new and strange feelings, emotions, impulses. During
these years you will need the advice of those older than yourself.
=New social desires.=--One of the new experiences you will have, will be
the desire for social privileges. You will want a little girl chum. This
is perfectly natural. God has given you a social nature. You should
cultivate your social gifts. This will enlarge your happiness and
usefulness.
=Why a girl wants a chum.=--The reason small girls desire chums is because
the new sex life stimulates and awakens the social nature. This is a
period in a girl’s life when she is especially interested in things
romantic and sensational. Girls naturally choose their special chums,
and it is so easy for them to engage in conversation that they would not
want their mothers to hear. This sensational friendship might lead to
exaggeration, disobedience, and the secret meetings with other girls or
boys. It is not hard for a mother to see how her daughter might become
thoughtless, rash, indiscreet and be overtaken in some very great wrong.
=A girl needs two chums.=--In this period of life little girls need two
chums, her mother and a girl friend. She will often need her mother’s
advice in the choice of a girl chum.
=Choosing the right chum.=--If you wish to have one or more girl friends,
you should exercise great care in your choice. If you find a girl
inclined to exaggeration, to use by-words, to use improper language
while talking about her boy friends, to desire secret meetings with
boys, however attractive she may be, you should not be chummy with her.
To form intimate friendship with such girls would be a great risk. You
will find it safest always to be chaste, sincere and dignified in
conversation, even with a girl chum. This does not mean that you should
not have innocent fun.
=The wise girl.=--The wise girl will take her mother into her confidence
and ask for advice in the choice of her chum. Mamma will always
appreciate the opportunity to be to you a chum, a friend, a companion
and a mother.