Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-11-25
Timornns Children.

Timorous Children.
The practice of frightening little
children is ofttimes INDUCED in by
children of larger growth just Tor
the fun of the thing. They do not
stop to think of the probable conse-
quences to their victim, but want a
hearty laugh at some one else's ex-
pense. There generally is In every
family one who is more nervous and
timorous than the others, and such q
one is always selected for the perpe-
tration ofsome practical joke. My at
tenticn was called to this tendency In
some children on hearing a little boy
screaming in the street the other day
because a larger boy had put spider
on his neck. The boy enjoyed his
agony, knowing that he had a natural
horror of spiders, worms, etc. COM
forted the child, explaining that
spiders would not hurt him, and re-
proved the big boy, who looked crest
fallen when [ told him to take q boy
of his own size to play his Jokes upon.
Some children cannot help being afraid
of seemingly insignificant things, but
still that is no reason for taking ad-
vantage of their weakness. | have
known little ones to be terribly afraid
of the dark, and work themselves up
into such a nervous state over being
left alone in it that they could not
sleep for hours, but would lie awake
imagining all sorts of horrible things;
and yet the mother, thinking that she
must do her whole duty, shuts the
child up all alone in q dark room, and
could not be induced to be 80 weak as
to allow a little light, arguing that it
would be humoring the child and he Or
she would outgrow the foolish fear.
We all know that it is better for per-
sons large or small to sleep IN the
dark; still I would advocate light,
or some company for child unduly
timid. You cannot force the fright
out of them; only gentle and careful
training will cure it In time. Mothers
are very culpable who command ODE
dience by resorting to pretext that
will so work upon the imagination as
to create strong fear in the mind of a
child. I have heard mothers say. eff
you don't mind me will give you to
the rag man, or do this right away or
| will call the black man down the
chimney" The poor child will do
anything rather than suffer any OF the
dreadful things before alluded to, and
the mother thinks it is so much better
than spanking the child. Children
who are particularly cowardly should
be repeatedly told that there are no
such things as black men who come
down the chimneys, ghosts or bOgies,
if you want to make them more cour-
ageous. Strange to say, the opposite
plan is often INDUCED in, in the vain
hope of making them holder by con-
tact. For instance, it is thought that
after a child has had a person Jump
at them unexpectedly sometimes
wrapped in a sheet to make the thing
more frightfuD two or three times he
will not be frightened again by the same
object. It may do in some cases, but
not in all. knew of one child who
was treated this way nearly every
week by an elder sister who enjoyed
the fun of hearing her scream, but the
frightened child never got used to it, and
always feared the corner of
the house from which the sheet
covered sister sprang. 1t had
the effect of rendering the child
more timid and nervous, and although
she knew it was her sister, the shock to
her nervous system was the same.
We sometimes hear of a child being
frightened into commissions, but Of
that will not speak. Parents should
not indulge in. the habit Of telling
ghost stories or tales Of any kind like
ly to raise fear in the mind of a child.
Much of the nervousness of children
can be traced to causes which infu-
enced them in their early years. Wise
mothers Will do well to study all the
Indications of nervous excitability in
their children, and firmly root out the
cause if it is possible. Do not allow
anyone to brighten them in any way,
even at the risk of offending an &C
quaintance, for your child's health is
OF greater Importance. Parents do
not think much on this subject as a
rule, SO long as the little one is not
seriously alarmed. They do not re-
allie how many hours of terror these
unduly timorous boys and girls spend,
or how much they need the help and
sympathy of their elders. Do not
laugh at your daughter when she is
afraid, but kindly reassure her and
explain her terrors away. For this
she will thank you in after life.