Evening star., 1933-08-06

l Iersild of the Child Development In
stitute of Teachers College. Columbia
University. assisted by Miss Frances v. Markey
and Mrs Catherine L. Jersild, put this query
to 400 boys and girls. They took each one asioe'
privately to ask it, and bent an atten'iVe eai
to the answer.
So now you may know what boys and giris
aged from to - years really want the very
most.
Some are pathetically modest in their de-
sires One little boy wished Tor leg "
turkey-just leg.
Others, the more intelligent ones. were sur
prisingly all-inclusive and expressed q WISH
for money or ability"
One little bow revealed q secret tragedy In
his heart when he stammered that he Wisneo
to be a girl. because motherd rather was a
GIRL He was the only boy who wanted to
change his sex, although % girls wanted 10
be boys.
revealing peep into the childs world OF
make-believe his day dreams, Is also given US
by Dr. Jersild. Here is another OF those IN
innate questions OF his
when you are by yourself and imagine
things. when you make believe or pretend, or
you are thinking and make up things to your
self-teu me what you imagine.
"A IL the strange people aud events Of night
N dreams, good and bad, were also MADE
matter of record And the chndren's likes anu
dislikes what they hope to do wnen they
grow up what they would do il they had
million dollars, the worst thing that ever
happened" to them, the incest thing reasons
for liking or disiking school and the tnmgs
that scare them.
You might think that the children who must
navigate the crowded streets of New York on
their way to school and play would be most
afraid Of dashing automobiles, Of being iost'
Of having to fight rough, older boys.
But II So you have a surprise in the answers
of these youngsters. Here are the things they
mention most often as what they are scared
OF:
IF a lion came and I had nothing" ALL
gators gorillas sharks, tigers, girafes, bees and
SO on And even more frequently than wild
animals children fear supernatural events, in
cluding such matters as witches, ghosts, devils
spooks skeletons
Mystery movies and "spooky" movies or
stories and those dealing with murders or
gorillas are named very often.
But surprising number mention deliberate
attempts to frighten them.
Mother puts a sheet over her head and
comes at me-" Or some one opens eyes big and
makes clawing movements Then, too, COOK
says some one will take me-" and Mother
says bogey would get me-"
OF the 400 only three said they were afraid
Of particular people or objects, only Is said
they were scared of trafhc accidents and six
of rough games and children five Of falling OF
high places.
Children's fears seem to be born chiefly
of imagination or of the yarns told to them
and seen by them in the movies. They have
very little relation to the previous unpleasant
experiences of the youngsters. This Is shown
by the worst happenings" described.
A LMOST three -fourths of the children name
u physical injury, accident or illness and
narrow escape from these as the worst thing
that ever happened to them. Pulled teeth are
mentioned, and being dragged by horse,
broken bones cuts auto crashes, appendix
operations and falling.
But nary lion or tiger. In fact, only seven
had ever been attacked by animals at all, or
~alnost" attacked by them. Eight mentioned
severe beatings whippings or other corporal
punishments. Only four youngsters were SO
suppressed by school failure and bad reports.
Apparently children do not worry mucn
shout unfortunate social situations that SO
enbarrass their parents Although many had
Isat the pinch of poverty very severely, very
fsW mention fear of it or list ridicule, lack Of
proper clothing, hunger or other such situ-
Atlons born Of deprivation among either their
feaxs or their worst happenings.