The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-05-10
SAFEGUARDING MENTAL
HEALTH OF CHILDREN
Importance of Emotional Control
Stressed at Medical Meeting


Stressed at Medical Meeting
The Importance of emotional con-
troll and of other old fashioned traits
was stressed by DIR. Esther Loring
Richards, associate psychiatrist at the
Johns Hopkins Hospital, in an ad-
dress on protecting the Mind of
Childhood" at the annual conference
of Maryland health officers and boarcs
of health in Baltimore last week.
Many of the grown-up mental insists,
she said, are victims of poor habits
of mental hygiene that becomes estab-
lished in childhood. The mental health
of children can be safeguarded only
by the most careful watching of the
habits of child life as they manifest
themselves at home and in school.
Referring to the popular notion that
in this scientific age, with physical
hygiene taking care of the body of the
child and psychology and education
takeing care of the mind of the child,
the home can sit back and rest from
its labors," she said. mot a bit OF
it. Science offers no substitute for
the intelligent common sense training
of a real home"
Just as medical science has discov-
cred that establishing good physical
habits regarding food, sleep, exer-
else and play gives the growing child
a fair chance to develop without I'M
due strain, so, Dr. Richards said, mod
ern psychology has come to the help
of parents and teachers and has made
discoveries in regard to mental hab-
its and their equally direct bearing
on the child's mental health and on
the development Of his character.
One of the most important of these
discoveries, based upon tests made Of
thousands of growing children is that
all children are not cut out of the
same pattern and have not the same
intellectual capacity. Unwillingness
on the part of parents to accept this
fact often leads to undue intellectual
pressure on children untitled to stand
the pace. Such children become the
victims of parental ambition or van
ity and are forced into intellectual
competition beyond their powers. The
result is lack of success, unhappiness,
personal bitterness and maladjust-
ment.
A second discovery concerns the
habit life of the child and has shown
that habit formation in the manage
ment of emotions, impulses, craving,
appetites, begins in the very young
child and gradually becomes fixed.
Suggesting some of the ways by
which the mental health of children
may be safeguarded and developed in
the home, DR.. Richards said, "a good
start in emotional control is one CT
the greatest helps parents can give
ness having to do with such simple
matters as food, bedtime, study hour
punctuality at school, the going on an
errand. Don't nag at the child to sit
still, to pay attention, to be less
noisy, to stop shifting or batting his
eyes. Make few rules dealing with
what you expect of him in the way Of
necessary habit response and let up
on the rest of the worries. Having
made these few rules, never let the
child get away once with excuses.
"But perhaps the most important
factor in protecting the mind of child
hood is parental realization of the fact
that the personality of child is like
a highly polished mahogany table,
prone to take the dust and scratches
of all sorts of things in it's environ
ment. He inevitably takes sides with
father or mother in parental dishar-
monies; he senses parental attitudes
of mutual distrust; he senses parental
attitudes toward respect for religion
and for the observance of law. Every
slurring phrase, or sarcastic remark,
or angry rejoinder registers upon the
mind of the child no matter how alb
sorbed he may appear to be with play
or book and unconsciously fashions
his own growing attitudes and out
looks on life.
"Idealism must be practical to ap-
peal to childhood Sons and daughters
judge parents by the ideals they prac-
tice, not by the ideals parents express
in words"
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