The Washington times., 1928-06-15
Child Authority
/. Gives Advice
to Parents
BY COnstanee Cameron

When you sit with bated breath
and tense, aching muscles watch
Ing yeur very small son struggl.
ing over some problem which re-
quires physical skill or patience
when you sit there straining to
keep from accomplishing the feat
Tor him you suffer acutely, with
out doubt. But just so long as
YOU DO sit and don't crawl under
the davenport after his ball, or
quickly with d deft flip of your
wrist turn about the chair which
ne is so vaIiantly trying to move,
You are giving him his birth
right.
When you jump up with all
good intentions and kindness OF
purposel and say: wait mother
4 viii get it for you" you are
cheating him and weakening him.
He Is learning that IL he waits
long enough and dallies about
task the other fellow will event
ually rush in and help him out
TO make your child self-reIiant is
TO let him DO things for himself
IS far as he is able. Your part
In the scheme is to use your ma
ture judgment in deciding what
things are absolutely beyond his
power to achieve, and keep these
back until he is ready to master
them.
If you desire to rear your child
20 be a successful man, give him
only tasks which he can accom-
plish with success. In letting him
attempt deeds beyond his develop.
Tnent, either physically or mentally,
YOU are irnplanting the idea of
failure. After he has completely
failed to do what he has set out
10 do a few times. he will hesitate
. try any more, feeling that he is
doomed to the scorn or ridictIle Of
whoever happens to be watching
him. In letting him fail too often
YOU are developing a shy, self
conscious child who win feel that
be is inferior to his playmates.
Al child should never be rushed
/ In school merely so you can say:
Mary skipped a whole grade this
year. She is q bright child" IL
Mary, in her higher grade, con-
Hnues to be healthy, bright, happy.
eats well and plays with zest, she
ss probably where she belongs.
But II Mary suddenly becomes
FILLED with fears she cannot ex.
plain, disdafns to eat her food. is
silent, morose and does not want
40 associate with her former com.
panions, the chances are she il
trying to do in school each day
work which is . step or so beyond
bher.
Give your child tasks which he
can do well. Then add a bit more
tc the following ones. Ii he copes
with the additional burden CON.
Anue, But DON'T let him FAIL.
Let him do things in which he
hxcels until the habit of success
fully executing acts has been
firmly ground into him.
Eve q small child can. be given
pertain responsibilities. Give him
- plant or a tiny garden and
J make 1t exclusively his, so that
sAta condition rests entirely with
him. Give him a kitten or a dog,
and give him the task Of caring
for it, feeding it, and seeing that
1t is always comfortable. Small
children like to dust. Give Mary
Zone chair which is hers to keep
clean. Do not touch it your
self. Let her do her best with
st, without comment from you
until the work is finished. Then
praise the work all you can, or
make kindly suggestions as to
cleaning certain spots better next
time. But let the child know that
you are depending on her for the
, doing Of certain things.