The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-13

What is q spoiled" child and how does he get that way? FOr fine answers read the ar- ffcle hcloyv by Olive Roberts Barton, It is another i'm her series on modern Child Train. ing.
 Strange how old names fit. The word spoiled" in regards to the wayward and unpleasant chlid suits so well that no modern coulu invent a better one. It developments will produce ill-temper, over-con- trariness and poor conduct Of every sort. |. Many are the causes.
 It would be difficult to decide which should be mentioned first. The answer, if anyone were to
 ask for one off-hand, is that the child has had his town way" too much. It is probably to a certain extent the reverse. I have tried to show that certain natural develop ments will produce ill-temper, over contrariness and poor conduct Of every sort.
 But it is true to this extent. Par ents themselves often condition" their children to certain demands, and then when they insist on the same things later, the easiest way is to give in and let them have their way, although it might be called "our way as we are re- sponsible. How "Spoiling' Starts We take them to- a movie and
 let them stay up an hour after bed- time. Next night they want to stay up and even perhaps demand the movie too. If it is done often they vii show temper very likely. Bedtime becomes definitely post poned and there is a scene if 1t isn't. It acts the other way about too. If there are things the children should do for themselves. and we let slip 8 few times, it will be hard to get them back into line. It applies to small things too. Jimmy wants a clock, or knife, or a can of varnish. Condition him once and there will be a bat tle next time. After while he will assume this attitude about everything he has mind for. Of course a baby will cry for | things he cannot have, but I have | seen a child of two go up to a table, pat a silver box and lisp mustn't touch." It is not impos-
 sible in the least to teach little children that certain things are l forbidden. l Effect of Excitement Another reason for the spoil ed" child is excitement. Excite
 ment here means too much artlh- | cial stimulant to brain centers that | ha; of from l normal daily life and normal play. | This does not mean that the child | cannot get happily or even boist- l erously excited. Butfhe excite ment that too many tiny children
 are subjected to to-day, are movies, l fast-moving cars, too much noisei
 and a general hurly burly that l conditions them to a craving TOT l the abnormal, or more adult eX- periences. There are many "spo1l- ed" children who whine continu- ally for such stimulus and who
 lose interest in more suitable play:
 The life of the pre-school child should be simple, active, compan- | ionable and healthy. Health has
 a lot to do with disposition. And here it must be mentioned that
 sickness induces mother very na-
 turally to "give in" and therefore
 find spoiled child on her hands
 later.
 A precocious or very smart
 child can be spoiled by exploiting
 him before others and accenting
 "self" until it becomes overcon-
 scious and demanding. It is repe-
 tition of exciting experience that
 spells a child. Every child has the unusual happen occasionally. Life
 can't go on even with little chil- dren without some breaks in rou- tine, and joyous occasions marked | with red letters. But when 1t is repeated too often and the expect ancy set we inevitably have trou- h1e