Frank's Fatherly Advice, ca 1925

Some time back, Joan Mamanakis of the Cheney Historical Society gave me a box of papers. Seems these had just been left on the Society's doorstep and so Joan had no idea where/who they came from. They were all sorts of business and personal papers of a family that had lived in Cheney. I tracked down a descendant and passed most of the box full on to them. One letter I just had to share, the letter to new-father Frank Parker from most likely his father. Since Father's Day is  upon us, I thought it was a timely piece. 

This was a hand-written letter to “Frankie” (Frank Parker) and unsigned and undated.

Dear Frankie,

Being as how we fathers has been through the mill and you ain’t, here’s some powerful good advice that’s been writ and prepared for an expectant father or papa.

1.     Never take the little chap and whirl him around by the heels until he’s a month or 6 weeks old, cause you might hit his head against a chair and break up the furniture.

2.    Never hold him up high and let him look down on your cause he might lose is lunch and you’d gain one.

3.    When you put the three corners on him be careful you don’t stick your fingers. If you stick him, he’ll let you know about it, if you stick yourself he won’t need to.

4.    When he gets colic use a board and not your hand. You won’t have to get up so often.

5.    If you want the baby to suck its  thumb just help a little by putting its thumb in your mouth and it will soon learn.

6.    Don’t let them kid you it’s a He for it might be a She.

7.    When you have to get up in the middle of the night to fix the baby’s bottle then you’ll begin to wonder.