Lessons From Slovenly Peter
In an old trunk I found a copy of Slovenly Peter I received on my 4th birthday. It was carefully inscribed, “ Happy Birthday! WE LOVE YOU! Mommy and Daddy.” I must have been a difficult child who needed strong strict guidance. The drawings and stories are dramatic and by today’s standards abusive. Clearly parenting through fear was encouraged. I looked at the pictures shocked how quickly their realities rushed back. I have carried the illustrations around for years in my mind’s eye…still familiar and still too scary. All of the illustrations were in black and white, dramatic and shocking.
Slovenly Peter stands with dirty hair and hands. He never cut his nails and his appearance is disgusting. My German mother was sure I was bathed everyday, was well scrubbed and probably never wrinkled. I remember knowing early that no slovenly was welcome in our home. Cruel Frederick was wicked. He caught flies and removed their wings. Frederick also killed birds, broke chairs and threw kittens down the stairs. He even whipped his nurse and his dog. Pauline played with matches and eventually caught fire. The drawing of her clothes burning was indeed dramatic. None of the stuff would have received a G rating.
Conrad sucked his thumb. His mother left him for the afternoon and the great tall tailor cut his thumb off with large sharp scissors. The lesson was clear. Don’t suck your thumb, as violent acts would follow. Other dastardly children’s deeds are addressed such as Frank the Liar and the Cry-Baby who eventually went blind. The Cry-Baby picture shows her trying to find her way as her eyeballs have fallen from her sockets and are down on he ground. The poem urges young children to rise and try to be cheerful everyday and avoid the terrible experience of your eyeballs falling out. My father often told me to go to my room and come out smiling. I am sure I did. I was learning how to behave at four. Peter was quite a teacher.
My father gave me other books that were amazing with wonderful illustrations. Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, and Victor Hugo were authors with which I was well familiar. My father understood great authors, the importance of books and the power of language. He had no idea how to parent, however. He had no idea that a four year old needed to be been heard -not shushed. He had no idea that a four year old needed reassurance - not threats. Slovenly Peter was the only “you better behave parenting” book he could find. I didn’t like Peter and his gang of thugs and scribbled all over the cover.
I read recently that illusions are the truth we live by until we know better. We now know children need to be raised gently. We know that little ones ache to belong, to be loved and to be valued. The Chinese say that fear and love cannot eat off of the same plate. Children raised with fear view the world differently then those raised with love. How fortunate for my children that Slovenly Peter was replaced by Mr. Rogers.
Slovenly Peter stands with dirty hair and hands. He never cut his nails and his appearance is disgusting. My German mother was sure I was bathed everyday, was well scrubbed and probably never wrinkled. I remember knowing early that no slovenly was welcome in our home. Cruel Frederick was wicked. He caught flies and removed their wings. Frederick also killed birds, broke chairs and threw kittens down the stairs. He even whipped his nurse and his dog. Pauline played with matches and eventually caught fire. The drawing of her clothes burning was indeed dramatic. None of the stuff would have received a G rating.
Conrad sucked his thumb. His mother left him for the afternoon and the great tall tailor cut his thumb off with large sharp scissors. The lesson was clear. Don’t suck your thumb, as violent acts would follow. Other dastardly children’s deeds are addressed such as Frank the Liar and the Cry-Baby who eventually went blind. The Cry-Baby picture shows her trying to find her way as her eyeballs have fallen from her sockets and are down on he ground. The poem urges young children to rise and try to be cheerful everyday and avoid the terrible experience of your eyeballs falling out. My father often told me to go to my room and come out smiling. I am sure I did. I was learning how to behave at four. Peter was quite a teacher.
My father gave me other books that were amazing with wonderful illustrations. Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, and Victor Hugo were authors with which I was well familiar. My father understood great authors, the importance of books and the power of language. He had no idea how to parent, however. He had no idea that a four year old needed to be been heard -not shushed. He had no idea that a four year old needed reassurance - not threats. Slovenly Peter was the only “you better behave parenting” book he could find. I didn’t like Peter and his gang of thugs and scribbled all over the cover.
I read recently that illusions are the truth we live by until we know better. We now know children need to be raised gently. We know that little ones ache to belong, to be loved and to be valued. The Chinese say that fear and love cannot eat off of the same plate. Children raised with fear view the world differently then those raised with love. How fortunate for my children that Slovenly Peter was replaced by Mr. Rogers.
posted by Ada at
10:09 AM
