Evening star., 1933-05-15
OUR CHILDREN
BY ANGELO PATRI.
Don't Look, +"

w WATCHING eyes distress chill
dren. Eyes can carry blight
wv in their gaze. or a blessing.
That depends upon what
their owner intends. Eyes
do not act under their own direction.
! There Is a thought behind every glance.
maybe a purpose. The eyes obey the
will and convey the thought of the
mind without ever a wink of doubt.
That is why some children are afraid
of some peoples eyes.
know q teacher who strikes fear to
the hearts of the children in her classes
by fixing her glance, cold. steely, cruel.
upon them the moment they enter her
room. All gladness fades out of their
faces. Their movements are heavy with
dread. Their voices are dull and hushed.
They're not going to give me any
trouble" says she triumphantly. "One
look from me and they know who Is
boss"
Poor children, and poorer teacher.
Eyes were never meant for that. Eyes
we're intended to carry affection and
understanding and comfort in their
glance. The teacher or parent who uses
them to subdue children, to carry fear
to their hearts, is making a mistake
that is going to cost dearly in terms
of affection later on. Nobody can live
without love and that sort of thing kills
love- Children turn from such eyes to
others in which there Is the light OF
understanding.
But that is not what I want to bring
out in this article. want to say word
for the timid little child who is trying
to do something for the first time.
Maybe he Is trying to feed himself.
Or perhaps he is learning to write and
has to make big A on his paper for
the teacher to see. Don't look" he
pleads. I'll call you when am ready
You shield your eyes and he hurries
to get the job finished. He looks up
anxiously now and then to see II you
are still not looking. He feels safe if
your eyes are not upon him. When he
plate or the finished letter, you must
be joyfully surprised and delighted
beyond measure Then he is happy.
He will try again and again, and by
and by, when success is certain, he will
forget to tell you not to look He will
| ask you to watch him. Now he wants
applause for his effort and skill and
achievement Before that he was beg
ging for mercy In his infirmity and
weakness.
When you tell a child to do some
thing, take for granted that he is going
to do it all right Take your eyes of
him. He Is restless under their watch
full gaze. He is afraid that you are go
ing to say: "Be careful. You're cutting
too close to the line" Don't put so
much on" THAT isn't the way. Let
me show you" II thought you could
do something You're butterfingered
Give that to me-"
Give him the job. Tell him what to
do and how to do it. Say all you have
to say while he is giving you his atten-
tion and then look away while he goes
to work. How would you like to have
critical person standing over you
while you tried to do your best on a
job that was new to you? How would
you like to have running fire of COM
ment while you struggled with diff
cult task? It wouldn't do you much
good to know that your critic was ex-
pert at the job while you were a mere
blunder, would it? Please remember not
to look, not to watch like a cat after
a mouse Children can't stand 1t.
No more can I. Can you?
(Copyright 1933)