THE article, 'Tell me a Modern Story', (South China Morning Post, September 19) dealt with a very important issue of the 90s - children's education. The article mentioned various new children's books that introduced and discussed issues such as domestic violence, death, drugs, and bodily functions. This is where the question arose: 'Should children learn about such subjects at such an early age?' If anyone has the least common sense about the education of a young child, the answer would be that it wouldn't be prudent to talk about such subjects without discretion. In this day and age, children are forced to grow up faster than ever before. The last thing they need is for adults to introduce such 'adulterated' issues to them prematurely. Do we want our children to grow up with a dark and dreary picture of the world? Children are supposed to be happy, not worrisome over adult problems.
At the same time, this is not to say that children should grow up ignorant of the world because that would be a fallacy in itself. Thus there is a fine line that must be traversed in order to ease children into the world, and not to corrupt them before they are ready. As elders, we are to make the transition from the age of innocence a gentle and smooth one.
The books discussed in the article, by almost any standard, involved unsatisfactory topics to discuss with young children without any warning or preparation.
It is the responsibility of the parents to choose books that will be helpful to certain children. For example, if a child's parents were divorced or often in fights, a book like Mommy and Daddy are Fighting would be a wise choice. The most important thing, however, is to present the book with care and caution. A young mind is a terrible thing to carelessly damage.