66 - PROTECTIVE PARENTS

PROTECTIVE PARENTS

20 x 14 inches

(My remodeled country school)

Protective parents have instincts about when to step in and when to step out—shielding intuitions. Even though we lived in the country, my parents wanted the best education possible for their children. They did everything they could to help keep us safe as well as comfortable.

Because of protective parents, our country grade school took on this new look in the mid-1950s. Rigid standards for girls dictated that neither slacks nor jeans were allowed; only heavy wool stockings held up by elasticized suspenders under dresses were permitted. I well remember what an enormous task it was to use the outdoor facilities.

Before remodeling this school, a single coal-burning stove sat at the front of the room. It heated the entire school while an outdoor pump provided water. Schools without indoor plumbing meant trudging through the freezing cold Nebraska winds and snow to use the outhouses. It was especially difficult for little girls.

In the 1950s, our parents added a basement, a furnace, and indoor plumbing to our little school. Our school suddenly seemed luxurious. Wise parents know when to be conservative as well as when to make improvements for their children.

I am so grateful for my very protective parents who instigated our country school upgrade.