Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-01
Preserving Individuality
= Children-Some Are Permitted to Develop
: According to Own Bent.

Some parents devote a good deal OF
time and thought in the attempt To
train their children according TO set
pattern which they consider ideal.
They often forget that each child
has its own individuality. They do
not allow their children to express
themselves in their own way, with
the result that the children's tastes
and developing talents are sradu-
ally disCoura ged by lack of sympathy
and co-opera ton.
From the early days of babyhood
q child's individuality should be re-
spected. If one boy shows a decided
Interest in books and pictures while
his brother delights in initiating the
gardener and working in small
garden of his own. YOU should give
both boys scope to develop, each ac-
cording to his own taste.
If your little girl loves drawing
what she calls pictures. but what
you consider silly scribbleS. do not
discourage her efforts with ridicule.
but try to set at the thought be-
hind the Inadequate expression OF
her pencil. You will probably he sur
prised at the very definite thought
and feeling she expresses about her
drawing.
Children are very intuitive and are
quick TO sense ridicule. miSuuder-
standing. or an impression that they
are being foolish or incompetent.
They will withdraw their confidence
Immediately and either drop the
occupation that has been ridiculed
or pursue it in secrecy. 1t may he
a great grief to musical mother
that her little daughter displays no
taste for the piano, but Will devote
hours of leisure TO creating original
doll clothes Under these cirCum-
stances it is useless to persist IN
trying to make the child musician.
1t is far better to make her sue
ceSsful dress designer. expressing
herself in her own way and later re-
ceiving expert training. Talent can
be fostered or repressed by parent,
but 1t cannot be created
Each child should he carefully
watched during playtime and in quiet
minutes to see in what direction his
or her talents lie. When an idea
OF any particular preference has been
obtained the child should be enCour-
aged to develop along those lines. II
a child shows no preference l all
new hobbies should he introduced and
the child then be helped to observe.
think and experiment for himself. 1t
matters very little whether child
preferences are varied and snort
lived Each preference will teach the
boy or girl some new experience;
each will aid toward the ultimate
that will bring happiness and sue
cess.
Home Study.
Experienced school teachers know
when there has been an interest
hi 81
and they will tell you that even if
such child is not as bright as
some of the others. he or she will
get along better and have clearer
Yfndersta ndins of the various sub
iects if a home interest has been
shown Very freque entity child Is
interrupted in the recital OF the day $
happenings at school. and sensitive
children rarely risk a second rebuH.
A child learns by teaching. fact
learned and repeated once or twice
TO others fingers long in the memory.
That is why we should encourage
children to tell us what they ha(e
learned at school. SO that they will
make more rapid progress ana he
happier in the bargain.
Imaginative Children.
my children haven't scrap OF
lima gina ton. They actually OBJECT 70
fairy stories" said a mother the other
day. Then she added: They are rather
selfish. | fear.
-Matter-of-fact children are RE-
nuentlv accused of being selfish when
they are really nothing of the kind.
They are simply lacking in imaGlna-
ton, so that they are unable To enter
into the feelings of other people. Any
thing that comes outside the scope OF
their experience simply does not exist
fog them. They cannot imagine others
being in pain or want unless they
themselves have been in the same pre-
dicament. and as the chances are that
they have never experienced these
things. they are unable to sympathize
with those less fortunate than them
selves.
Since most Of the suffering in the
world is aused by lack of ina gination
rather than by lack of desire to help, II
Is important that faculty should he
developed in matter-of fact children.
There ia no need to force fairly stories
on childINn unless they like them.
Even matter offact children like act
ing, so they should be encouraged TO
take part In little plays, whereby for
the time being they become other char
acters, and they should read and hear
shout other countries and their Gus
toms. and he encouraged to picture the
lives of the inhabitants.
A ChiId's Possessions.
Its mine NO, il isn't. it's mine.
Mother make Charlie give me my
pencil box"
How often mother is called upon to
settle little disputes of this kind. A
childs possessions are very dear to
him, and it is worth while noticing
that the instinct of acquisitiveness is
very strong in young children.
Some parents, shocked at the appar-
ant selfshness of the 4year-old child
who claims toy as his, make him
give it up to the c-year-old child
teach him to be unselfish.'' Incidental