The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-07-18
PAMPERING IN CHILDHOOD MAKES 'EN
 GROW UP NEUROTICS

In his interesting little book, Life Begins at Forty" Walter B. Pitkin says
 Our schools of childhood are wonderful:
 from kindergarten to high school they are
 the finest ever. Americans are at their best
 in handling children-and at their worst in
 dealing with ex-children who ought to be
 handled as grownups. The shame of our
 land is the high school the worlds worst
 joke is our standard liberal arts college. Our
 ablest are there disabled
 Everything is done to prevent life after
 twenty. Algebra is taught under compulsion
 to millions who can never use 1t even in In.
 'c and eommercazcd "fs'I to the point ars at which
 all fun and all benefit to the individual
 evaporate.
 come through with flying coors. They finally
 discover that their education began after leaving college
 MT Pitkin is professor in Columbia univer- sity. He'll be losing his job if he doesn't watch out! He had better leave to us lowbrows the business of ridiculing the teaching of algebra to high school children. We don't know any better. But university professor! a.# Some children doomed in infancy to q neurotic life. Their parents, nurses, aunts l teachers train them for it. These misguided sters and vainly strive to protect them from encounterng the sharp edges and pricklcs | the first few years of life the elders offer as an excuse for their delinquency the plea that l the youngster is only q baby. At the ago ol | 10 12 the unfortunate child is stigmatized ! by his irresponsible elders mot very strong | and that. they assume, is Justification for con tinuing the policy of pampef1ng When the ened trainers concoct plot that he is of 6 delicate nervous disposition or temperament oi | constitution. and that is tantamount to a fin. | ished neurotic.
 It is quite as Professor Pitkin describes in
 his book. Neurotics are adults who have never | had chance to grow up
 On the boOkshelves at my elbow are stacks of volumes by prolific writers who pose as psychologists or experts In child training, and
 find. more solid meat and good psychology fir
 this little book of Pitkin's than you can comb out of the whole shelf of books by the self.
 made child hygience experts. and Professor
 Pitkin pretends to be nothing more than Q teacher of journalism.
 That child has had acute bronchitis oi pneumonia meningitis rheumatic fever ol
 the child forever as mot strong" delicate" ol nervous" or in any way in need of pamperine
 or coddling. Parents or guardians who perm
 morbid sentimentality to outweigh good sense | in the training of such children work an ir. remediable injustice on their children | It is bad enough to keep children attending schools colleges long after they have proved as incapable as they are unwilling to acquire l education in that way It Is worse for foolisf parents to squapder money and effort in the at l tempt to cover the backwardness of the recal
 citrant, instead of recognizing his true aptitude | or bent and giving him a fair opportunit,
 along the way his training should go. H QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS III What, More Skullduggery? | Waut tO HEX yOuF OIIiissUu Oi usc VFdCtICe U some dentists i'm pulling teeth. If they get til, roots all out. well and good. but if roo breaks on they make no effort to remove 1t bu
 accept the fee and tell the patient nothing (Mrs K. Al
 | Answer--Sometimes the most skilled dentis | has such trouble in extracting damage, tooth. But no reputable or honest dentist hes ltates to inform the patient when any part % | the root remains in the jaw When yov dea 1 with quack dentists who, of course have to bi, for patronage, you can't expect square deal TIDck Nails
 Please tell me what tO do for thick nails O my great toes. can't cut them even wlleI soaked in hot wafer. Us M. D.)
 Answer-0o barefoot . few hours dsy.