Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1925-04-17
TWO WAYS OF HANDLING
TANTRUMS
Florence BascOm Phillips

I III ClASC A@eboSOAAA 4 AAAAAARR
Mammal I want to go out and
play" four-year-old Flossie an
nounced one morning.
Not today, dear" answered her
mother. 1T is too damp and rainy.
please, Mamma" cOaXed Flossie,
Il like rain"
mo. Flossie, you can't go out
doors now" answered her mother
firmly.
After more teasing to no avail,
FlOssie resoTted to a new scheme
which she was sure would bring
Mamma to time, that of berating all
her mothers friends and relatives.
"Grandma's bad! Grandpa's bad
Aunt Mary's bad" Flossie paced
the floor as she made the announce
ments.
To the child's utter cbagrin, her
mother ignored her completely.
Anything would have been better
from FlOssie's standpoint than to
be ignored; even a spanking would
have been preferable, for she
would have known she was making
some impression on Mother. She
soon wearied of that scheme when
she could see no effect at all. Then
she resOrted to the only means she
badleft to bring Mother to time,
that of having a tantrum, the first
and only tantrum she ever had
FlOssie was not angry when she
began her tantrum, merely deter
mined to gain her pOint-You see
have a perfect right to tell you what
FlOssie thought, for l was FlOssie.
Flossie lay down on the floor and
kicked furiOusly and yelled, 81 want
to go out doors and play, l dol"
Still. Mother paid no attention
whatever, and after a few minu-
ties FlOssie wearied of her One-sid-
ed game and began playing with
her dolls as good humOredly as ev-
er.
Contrast Flossies experience
with that of young Charles. When
was about two years old he |
developed the habit of screaming
for what he wanted and crying fur
iously if the other children did not
give up to him. If this did not bring
the accustomed, Let the baby have
it, Children" from Mother, or,
Give that to Charles this instant.
You ought to be ashamed to make
4 little boy cry" from Father,
Charles bumped his head, kicked
MS heels, Suffered himself and bel
lowed, until one of his distracted
parents would give the desired CON-
nand to the other children. Then he
would grasp the coveted article
shut his jaw defiantly ard grunt one
Ong Ugh" after another until the
spell subsidized. This course was fol-
owed until Charles became so
ldept at gaining his point that, eV-
IN after the arrival of another ba-
by, he continued to hold sway. 1t
Vas the baby " no had to give il to
Jharles. not Charles TO the baby.
Charles soon learned that the
ShOle family stood in awe of his
mad spells" and he made use of
lis supremacy on every possible
occasion. Eventually, his parents
TeaTied of having a great big four .
oar-Old lying on the floor kicking
lis heels and SCI canning at the top l
# his voice a dozen times a day II
nd began furnishing him for it,
nd while they eventually succeed
d in putting an end to his tan
runs by this method, he is still
t eighteen years of age, so dis
greeable that his family can scar
ely live with him, for the selfish
ess which was cultivated in him III
abyhood has grown to monstrOus
The first time any child shows
termination to have it's own way
n defiance of better judgment or at
he expense of others, whether by \
7ilful disObedience, crying, holding
he breath or tantrums, that is the
me for the parent calmly but GER
linly to prevent it. One decided
ictory on the part of the child
leans constant trouble for the III
arents from then on, trouble for III
lch teacher the chilli ever has, and N
erhaps the reform school Or peni- III
,ntiary eventually. for the child II
he learning in the home Of Obedi-
ace to parents and respect for the
ghts of others is the foundation
" obedience to God and respect for
lc laws of the land. III
Labor to keep alive in your III
'east that little spark of celestial III
c.-cOnscience, wrote Guor3e III
ashingtOn wien Il sclOoihoT, AMI III
manhood this fire burned clearly iii
NJ steadily. Little children are i'm MI
,ssiOnable and the beautiful AMI u
Oh appeal to them. We cannot iii
lard their early ye.lr.' too ca 'eful- III
. In the kindergarten the little III
'ople learn lessons OF lasting So III
al value. Is there a kindergarten I
+ the children of your neighbor- MI
'Od. The National kindergarten lIl
8 West 10th Street, iii
ew York will gladly aid any per- iii
n desiring to get one established. lIl
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