Evening star., 1933-09-16
OUR CHILDREN
BY ANGELO PATRI,
Sometimes-Maybe.

A FTER We have said all we can
n say about children and their
II ways we must add, Sometimes,
1 \ maybe" One can never be Ger
tain that the well tried rules
will prove good for the particular child
| one has in hand. Maybe they will work.
Sometimes they do. Perhaps they will
serve for this child One cannot be
sure. Life is dramatic and delights in
| the personal touch.
Usually when child turns his head
away from his food we remove the
food and say cheerfully: "All right
You are excused. Maybe you will be
hungrier at tea time" Usually the
child is hungrier at tea time, or at the
| next meal. and eats without trouble.
Occasionally there is child who will
not. That occasional child needs the
help of competent child experts, the
| sooner the better.
| When a child takes something that
belongs to somebody else, for the simple
reason that he wants it, we usually
| have him give it back and inform him
| that such behavior is wrong. He would
! not like to have somebody take his
| things. Usually the child will agree
! and soon understand thine and mine.
But now and then we find a child in
| whom this trait has developed and
strengthened with the years. All we
have done seems unavailing. For that
| child we make an investigation in the
| hope of discovering the cause Of his
fault. Stealing is a symptom, not a
| cause. Again the specialist is indicated.
| The rule has not worked. Maybe the
expert can find the reason for the
exception.
Most children like animals. The care
and ownership of a dog usually gives
a child courage in meeting other dogs.
1t usually teaches him gentleness and
kindness to all animals. But not al
ways. Now and then one meets a
child who hurts his dog and who
seemingly cannot be trained to care
for him with love and appreciation.
That child must not own dog. The
exception must be made for him.
| Usually child looks forward to his
| first day in school with a great deal of
pleasure. The first days pass happily
and he enjoys the whole scheme But
there is one child who refuses to stay
| in school, no matter what efforts the
mother and teacher make. He hoTls
and fights to go home For him there
must be a revision of the plan. He
must stay in school and cry his OBJ
| lection out. He should have been
Weaned from home and mother two
years before. but because he differed
| from the usual child in some way. this
vas not done. Now it has TO be done
Maybe if he is held in school. regard
less of his grief, he will soon settle
| down. Most of them do within the first
hour. The odd one may escape US by
Scme means or other. and the child
| fXpert has tn he called in for him The
usual thing has not worked
| When such a situation faces you
when your child does not conform to
the usual in essentials like diet. sleep
eating habits, manners school. DON;
be frightened into losing your head and
making a mistake. Take it calmly
This is his difference and must be met
outside the regulations Most Of the
time that can be done. for the great
group of children are normal and ordi-
nary enough in the long run. But We
have to admit that now and then al
We can say is maybe, and sometimes.
| tCopTright. 1g33J