The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-29


 series on Child Training.
 There is ana old saying that person is no better than his stom- ach. I can vouch for the truth or this. l lay most of my sins of omis- sion and commission to the fact that l have never been strong, the result of two devastating ill., nesses' in childhood.
 No one can write from the heart, or with conviction, who has not had this experience. The strong, well person, cannot have the gift of understanding the mis- cry or Encouragement of chronic weakness. Even parents, although they are sympathetic and worried cannot possibly interpret the struggle such child goes through. The well never under stand the sick, and the most heart less (unintentionally) people are those who have never been In ped a day in their lives.
 Such people acknowledge illness only when it has name" and the patient is tucked between sheets with the doctor stopping at the door each day. But it just hap pens that a certain physical defect is not so dramatized. It goes by no name, or is not recognized at all.
 Age and Youth
 Old, middle-aged and young often walk with one or seven dew ills tearing at them somewhere and yet the world expects these weak chemical engines to pull the train un hill and down dale with the same speed and energy as their more fortunate neighbors. We make allowances for age, and even middle-life. But we make almost no allowance for children. Actually the majority of chil- dren are healthy, but if we knew the truth, there are thousands try ing to carry on the daily burden or school and home responsibility that are not fit for it.
 sometimes recuperation after a severe illness takes months. Even the most sympathetic and under standing mother will begin to Wor- ry after a while about school and she may say something like this: "You're missing so much. It's go- | ing to be hard to make up. think by Monday or Tuesday you'd bet ter be starting on your back work and I'll send for your books. Lowering Resistance
 Jimmy lies in bed and worries, | or creeps about the house and worries. Then finally be gets at l back lessons when his mind is in no state to be driven, or his body, | either. And so the records of the school won't look too scuttled, and | to avoid the humiliation of not | passing, he studies or is sent, back to school before he is quite ready. | The reserve gained Is used ups He loses interest in all school work, his appetite goes ana tonics are resorted to to build him up.
 Then we are terribly surprised | when Q month or two later the child who was so well before goes down with a second illness, some l thing entirely different, perhaps, but directly traceable to the first attack, as reduced vitality and de- fense leave the small body vulner- able to germs, that suddenly be- come pathological.
 We are told that the mind It. self, as a thinking machine, does not tire, but however true this may be the brain is a physical as well as a mental organ and de- 1 bends upon good blood and nour- ishment and must be free of a trainload of worries to do its | work.
 Health Behind Behavior
 In the last five years, conditions have been adverse to child health and happiness, poor environment, food lacking in chemical variety, 1 or even wanting altogether. and | illness receiving scant attention. The general health of our children has been depleted. Are they nt, therefore, to carry on as usual? ? | Can schools expect no holes in | their repoYts? Can parents expect the same normal conduct and hap | py behavior?
 | Not as I see 1t.
 AS long as child is up and | about we take it for granted he is well. He is naturally courageous and energetic, so his pallors or sunken eyes deceive us. If he IS slow or unwilling or cross. We lay it to character. Some of it may be, but mountains of 1t can be laid to the door of health. The under grade child is too often martyr to our blindness. And 1t Is a ter rible. terrible pity.