The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-10
Bad Temper
Injurious to
Child, Adult
BY MARTHA LEE

Anger, the bitter, CALLING anger
that is the result Of temper. has a
way Of backing up. Instead of in
turing the person who has provoked
that miserable. choking feeling that
a spell Of temper gives one, it is very
apt to react upon the angry person
himself.
Anger itself can be as serious as
a sick spell. It shakes one on the
inside until sick feeling results.
And anger is Just the result of
giving way to a bad disposition or
temper.
When two persons are having an
argument or quarrel, the angriest,
most quick tempered usually is the
one who is vanquished. And the
funny part Of it Is he vanquishes
himself, just by his own anger.
Argument Is Hopeless
Temper and bad dispositions can
be detected in children at an early
age. At the first display on the part
of a child the parents must, for the
future welfare and happiness OF
themselves and their child, take
definite steps to uproot it before 1t
becomes the dominating part OF the
child's character
It is singularly peculiar that. al
though one can not reason with a
small child who has a bad temper,
because he would not be able to fol-
low the line of argument, 1T is just
as hopeless to argue with a grown
person who is a victim of angry
fists" BY the time a man is grown
and able to reason, or understand
reasoning, his anger has become a
strong enough factor to overbal-
ance his power Of reasoning.
Different With Child
There isn't much to be done with
a grown person who has temper,
except to study ways and means Of
avoiding arousing it. But with a
child it is different.
Dear Miss Lee-I have been married ten
years and have two children. boy seven
and q girl fve. Ny husband is good
man. but he has a terrible temper. In
fact when he is angry I sometimes think
he loses his mind II I do say it myself.
I have a rather good disposition, or 1
would not be living with him today. II
1 had as bad a temper as he has. we'd
both probably be dead
Now my husband knows he has bad
temper. ard he knows 1 do everything
possible to keep him from getting mad.
But even at that. when I do happen TO
do anything to displease him Ter the
children either) he raves just the same.
I have noticed for some time that our
son is beginning to show signs of having
a disposition just like his fathers. I
would like to help him overcome 1t be-
fore he is older. because know how much
misery and unhapptness have come to US
because Of my husbands disposition. The
boy viii get mad and throw things. and
when I say anything to him to correct
him he says well daddy does that"
Can you suggest anything I could dos
WORRIED MOTHER.
Sense Of Honor Helps
II your son has a sense of honor
toward you as his mother, you can
help him some merely by acting
hurt. Furnishing him will do no
good. But if he loves and respects
you, you can accomplish world of
good by acting disappointed and
heart broken in him when he loses
his temper. 1t may be a long time
working, but it will help.
Some time, when you are talking
to him, explain how disastrous it is
to a man to be i'll tempered. Do not
mention his father. Do not bring up
his father as an example. Simply
cite cases where an inability to con-
troll ones temper has proved very
serious. Teach him not to be i'm
petuous.
Father Is Boys Ideal
Offer him a reward for stopping
to count ten before he says or does
anything when he is angry. Teach
him to allow for others shortcom-
ings and make him understand that
without harmony, human relation
ship is nothing. You are not start |
ing any too early.
If your husband realizes how I'M |
happy he has been and caused you |
to be because of is disposition, you
might tell him about the boy After
all, sons look upon their fathers as
ideals, and what they see their IA
theirs do they also will do. You may,
with the proper manipulating, cure
two cases with one medicine.