The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-11-24
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

believe the experience of every mother
will bear me out in the statement that
it is the child of the extreme nervous
Temperament whose training is the most
difficult It has certainly been my OBJ
servation that this is true, and that in
tense mental and physical energy are
the characteristics of such a child that
go furthest toward making it hard. The
nervous child is usually restless. and even
the great activity of his mentality does
not always meet his demands for the
furnishing of an outlet for his surplus
nervous energy.
1t has been my observation that this
child of the nervous temperament is
quick to anger, gives himself in com
plete abandon to his affections. and
suends himself completely in either pas
sion His play is both exhaustive and
exhausting. He s ina ginative and high
spirited full Of questions, quick to grasp
explanations. absorbed in a great per
sonal interest in the go of the whole
world. He has an abnormal store OF both
mental and physical energy, which, II
not directed into some practical Occupa-
tio", will, in most instances, bring MIN
into all kinds of mischief.
Nature is averse to monotony, There
are. Of course, variations in the type.
But. however much cases may differ in
disposition. think the mother will recog-
nize in every nervous child a surplus
nervous energy that requires some Spe-
CiaI guidance from her-sOme practical
outlet.
Very well. then Ccnceding to the
mother Self-control sufficient to avoid
friction and antagOnism through her
own nerves what can she do? How is
she going TO direct this surplus energy OF
her nervous child, or perhaps nervous
children for it is quite possible there
is more than one in the family.
The mother who is in a position to
teach her child cor Children) to know
and to love the great out doors, will
teach a valuable lesson indeed. Growing
things appeal To the average child; and
while he is learning to know them, the
air and the sunshine will strengthen him
physically and quiet his too highly
strung nerves.
When We teach the child to know and
love thu woods We instill a lesson that
will draw him close to God. not only
in childhood, but in after life; we give
to his mind and soul wealth that no
adversely in life may deprive him Of;
fund of knowledge that cannot be gained
in school and that no man may steal
away.
The air. tn" sunlight. the thrOb of
the earth-these are the things that will
go far in building physical and spiritual
life. and ar things 80 essential to the
Well-bein@ of the nervous child that no
mother can afford to fail in making out
of-door recreation and out-of-dOor work
attractive to her boy or girl.
Animals Appeal to Children.
With winter coming on there will be
many days when the children will be
confined to the house They should be
supplied with interests sufficient to keep
their time and their minds occupied.
For this there is nothing that so ap-
pealS to them as animal friends
! have seen little children watch the
gold or silver fish in AN attractive
aquarium 10y the hour deIiShting in the
grace and Elimmer OF the little fish.
II taught to consider it her own spe-
cial pet. a LITTLE girl will spend much
time with a canary bird, both in attend
ing to its creature comforts and in an
endeavor to copy notes in its song.
| know A mother who has taught her
chair with her dolly when the canary
in with her baby habble, and spends
this happy occupation.
a normal growing boy will ask for no
better cOmpanionship than that of dog
that he has raised from puppyhood and
that is mis- very own. 1t is clean. sweet
friendship that springs up between boys
and animals, and one that every mother