Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-10
DULL CHARLIE
BY H. Addington Bruce

BY II. AQQlnStOn bruce
~ CATERED through the land are not a
few parents who might learn helpful
lesson from the story of little Charlie
CRANE. Charlie, at the age of eight, was
Enthusiastically problem child. He had been
problem child almost from the day he be-
gan to 90 school Until then he had got
along we'll enough.
But. it was only too evident, he could
adapt himself neither to the classroom nor
the playground. He found other children
he complained, "too rough" And he COM
planned with equal bitterness that he found
his lessons 'too hard
The suspicion grew in his teachers MIND
that little Charlie mental defective
AS he seemed incapable even OF learning 10
| read, such a suspicion was hardly surprising
This did not mitigate his parents distress
when he was recommended for a medico-
psycholo gcal examination. NO slgnlhcan'
medical findings were made. Charle' IL ap
reared was in excellent physical condition
| barring a slight weakness of vision, so slight
that it could not possibly account Tor ms
mental dulness Nor, the psychological test
ing showed was the dizziness due to any In;
born weakness of intelligence.
He responded we'll to all the tests given
him, and in fact revealed ability to think
quickly and to grasp instructions readily
WHY, then did Charlie experience such DIFF
fculty in his school tasks? To answer this
question searching inquiry was made into
the social circumstances Of his life
Here somewhat condensed, is the report
on what this inquiry revealed:
1.-The boy was an only child and was some
what INDUCED and spoiled at home, and even
strangers made much of him on account OF
his attractive appearance. He was always a
| in 10 childrpn'S
ments at his church, and had been generally
petted
In talking with him. the i'll effects Of this
became still more apparent. He admitted
that he had no playmates at school. IN
school, instead of concentrating on his stud
les he was apt to sit and day-dream about
play.
THE chief cause of this boys maadiust-
ment was all that is implied in the situation
of being an only child. His energies were
too much drained by the effort to adjust TO
the group. and in wish-fulillment fantasies
concerning the play life which he was denied
by his inability to get along with other chill
dren"
Happily for Charlie. his parents were SEN
sible enough to take in good spirit the rec
concentrations made to them. Without abat-
ing their natural love for their little boy,
they ceased Overlooking and over-lnduIglng
him. No longer did they permit him to be
an object of admiring attention by visitors
to the household.
By kindly discipline they began to i'm
press on him the virtues of obedience un-
selfishness and constructive effort. Thus
they helped him to grow both in eagerness
to learn and in ability for group play. 1t
was not long before he completely cleared
himself of the suspicion Of dizziness.
And Charlie CRANES experience is by no
means unique. All about us are small boys
and small girls, too-similarly afflicted as
a result of parental mismana gement. The
measures which saved Charlie would likewise
save them. That is the point I would
en- phasiZe.
(Copyright, 1920