The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-05-18
SAFEGUARDING THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF CHILDREN

n The Importance of emotional con-
troll and Of other old fashioned
traits was stressed by DR.. Esther
Loring Richards, Associate Psychia-
trist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital,
in an address on protecting the
Mind of Children, at the Annual
Conference of Maryland Health OIL
GERS and Boards of Health in Balt1-
more, last week. Many Of the
grown-up mental insists, she said,
are victims Of poor habits Of mental
hygiene that became established 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 educa-
ton taking care OF the mind of the
child, the home can sit back and rest
from its labors, she said: mot
bit of it, Science offers no substi-
lutte for. the intelligent common
sense training of a real home"
Just as medical science has dis
lowered that establishing good physi-
cal habits regarding food, sleep, ex-
ercise and play gives the growing
child a fair chance to develop with
out undue strain, so, DR.. Richards
said, modern psychology has come to
| the help of parents and teachers and.
thas made discoveries in regard to
mental habits and their equally d.
rect bearing on the chlld'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 child
rem 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 I'M
due intellectual pressure on children
united to stand the pace. Such
children become the victims of par
entail ambition or vanity and are
forced into intellectual competition
beyond their powers. The result is
lack of success, unhappiness, person
al bitterness and maladjustment.
A second discovery concerns the
habit of the child and has shown
hat habit formation in the manage
nent of emotions, impulses, craving
aupetities, begins In the very young
child and gradually becomes liked
| 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 of the greatest helps parents can
give their children-habits OF re-
sponsiveness having to do with much
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 atten-
ton, to be less noisy, to stop smiling
or batting his eyes. Make a 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
children is. parental realization of
the fact that the personality Of all
child is like a highly polished ma
hogany table, prone to take the dust
and scratches of all sorts Of things |
lin its environment. He inevitably
takes sides with father or mother in
parental disharmonies; he senses
parental attitudes of mutual dis
trust; Nhe senses parental attitudes
toward respect for religion and for
1.-THE observance Of law. Every slur-
ring phrase, or sarcastic remark or
angry rejoinder registers upon the
mind of the child no matter how abb
sorbed he may appear to be with
play or book and unconsciously fash
ions his own growing attitudes and
outlooks on life,
"Idealism must be practical to ap-
peal to childhood. Sons and daugh-
tiers Judge parents by the ideals they
practice; not by the ideals parents |
express in words"