The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-27
PTeCOCiOXS
Child Faces
Difficulties
BY MARTHA LEE

What do you do with a precocious
child? There is a problem that frets
any mother who has one, and well
it may. But it doesn't fret the par
ents half as much as it does the
child. The parents have an external
problem, which may be solved by
rulS and regulations, but the child's
is a soul problem, a psychological
one, that is not governed by rules
and regulations. but that grows
continuously, until it looks like a
mountain.
BY a precocious child. mean one
who is developed metrally, or phys
ically beyond his years Most es-
pecially mentally. If he is advanced
for his age in his school work, he
is being constantly thrown with
boys and girls who are older and
more sophisticated than himself. He
finds no pleasure in being with chill
dren his own age, because he has
come to think as these class mates
OF his think, and ne can not find
interest and enjoyment in the COM
pany of those whose years number
with his.
Whose fault is it? Perhaps the
parents for allowing him TO advance
too rapidly. I doubt that. If a child
is intelligent beyond children of his
own age, he should be allowed to
advance, but with the advance,
parents must expect to encounter
the problems of children old before
their time.
I have letter today from girl
who is confronted with just such a
problem. She is not a child
prodigy, but she is advanced in
school beyond her years. Her
parents, from her letter, also have a
problem. That was the reason for
the letter. She says:
Pear Martha Lee-I, am a girl IA years
gone with older children, so naturally feel
older myself: But here is my problem.
na MY d mother thinks ! am too young to
act their real age, and if was like these
girls; would understand my mothers at
am senior in high school and belong
TO a high school sorority. After meetings
on on Friday nights. nearly all the girls have
SO many times to go any way. and have,
put put l nate to do things on the sly. 1t
=, I would love to have good time like
the other girls in my class do 1 think
notner would do anything to help me
have, good time except when it comes to
Mo cd -.
don't know what shelf be ike TX H When 4EiIe9
older; bgt # is right now I'm, thinking
s err S6S har st b BY 81 nd Ma al ny Of me
friends have dates and good time.
My dear, if any one would ask
me offhand whether 1 approved o.
a girl of IA having Gates I would
say, emphatically, No. You must
be older than your years, to be a
senior in high school, to have been
accepted by the older girls in your
class as a sorority sister and all that.
But your mother and her points
She wants to keep you a little girl
at the time when you should be a
little girl. She probably did not
think of that when she allowed ;ou
TO advance so rapidly in school.
But these are the years that count
in your life, the years when YOU
develop your talents to even higher
achievements. You are outstanding
now. Why don't you take up some
outdoor sport, swimming, tennis or
golf, with the idea of becoming out
standing in one of those?
Don't waste your precious time
sitting around wishing you could do
what the other girls in your class
are doing. You have enough intel
ligence to make the best of an un-
pleasant situation, not only make
the best of it, but improve your
self in the time you have. If you
are not fond of sports go in for
music or writing. You have no idea
how fascinating these can be. In a
few years you will he old enough,
and if you distinguish yourself, you
will be more sought after than ever
before. Write me again, my dear.
and tell me how you are coming on.