Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-08
CHILDHOOD TRENDS
SEEN IN MATURITY
Mental Hygienists Shown I'm
portance of Infant
Training.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

Early infancy may decide person
in good or bad, weak or strong, gentle
or cruel, stable or neurotic.
Importance of events in those dark
years below conscious memory and in
the succeeding playtimes of childhood
and adolescence were discussed from
many viewpoints before the World
Conference on Mental Hygiene here
today.
All the qualities of the adult per-
sonality generally are present in the
3-year-old, said Prof. G.. c. Ferrari of
the University of Bologna, Italy, one
OF the worlds foremost authorities on
adolescence
While the child's life is controlled by
adults these qualities may remain sub
dued and hidden. DR.. Ferrar1 said,
but the coming of adolescence awakens
them and the boy tries to assert HIM
self with an exuberance and violence
that seems proportional only to the
length of time he has been forced into
silence"
Adults Intrude Clumsily.
Generally, the attempt of adults TO
penetrate the shut-in emotional world
OF the adolescent is not successful" he
continued. 1T is always clumsy, as
when the parents intervene when they
come Unexpectedly on the tears that
the child seeks to hide"
Some of the most important events
in life happen in the first two years,
said DR.. Marion E. Kenworthy of the
New York School for Social Work.
The uppermost activity in the infants
mind Is feeding and any notable revo-
luton in the feeding routine, she said,
may give rise to such emotional express
q fl1l1V1h Fol ND
stammering. These bring threats and
punishment from the parents, causing
further emotional involvement which
may eventually warp the whole char
acter.
Child Geniuses Lonely.
The child genius is likely to lead a
lonely life.
While society spends millions on
fee ble-minded children gifted young
sters, who are likely to contribute much
to the progress of the world, are ne
elected, Prof. Leta S. Hollingsworth of
Columbia University told the congress
today.
drifts In school unrecogniZed, his
abilities never genuinely challenged, and
receives daily practice in habits of
idleness and day-dreaming. On the
other hand, If he is accelerated in grade
so that he is able to function intelli-
gently with real interest, he will be mis-
placed. A child of eight graded with
12-year-olds may be able to do intel
lectual work as well as they can, but
Is out OF his depth socially and physi-
cally.
The American college is a fruitful
field for the psychiatrist, DR.. Arthur H.
Ruggles of Yale University told the
congress, stressing the number of break
downs and suicides among college stu
dents and the number who fail to
amount to anything after graduation.
Wnen We read in our daily paper"
he said, "of three suicides among COL
lege men in one day We must realize
that either our college material is not
well selected or that some of the well
selected material is put under too much
stress and strain"
together with changing conditions in
the American home. are bringing new
problems in the training of the younger
generation, said Mrs. Sidonie M. Gruen-
berg. director of the Child Study Asso-
citation of America THE modern
home" she said, has lost certain edu-
catonal and disciplinary opportunities
which existed before the introduction
OF labor-saving improvement-the dis
cipline OF dfsagreeable but indispensable
service, the challenge to ingenuity and
invention and the daily exercise in
adaptability.
Both conscious and unconscious re-
sentiment against the control implied by
economic dependence are unavoidable.
Inc opportunity to earn should be a
part OF every childs experience.
Detectives Can Earn Living.
Many mental detectives can be trained
to earn a living and still be kept in
their own homes. said Evelyn Fox, sec
rotary OF the British Association for
Mental Welfare. The establishment of
occupation centers for imbeciles and
low-grade feeble-minded children, rath-
er than institutions, was advocated.
Even a murderer in Holland may get
OF with fine of 80 cents and a day