The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-02
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CHILDREN
: By Olive Roberts 6srtce
SUCH A BOY NEEDS MORE
GUIDANCE THAN DISCtPLHN

SUCH A BOY NEEDS MORE
GUIDANCE THAN DISCIPLINE
One OF tile greatest prob
lens confronting parents to-
day Is how 10 handle tine
forccful, dominant child with
out stunning his self ex-
preston. Olive Roberts Bar
ton tells of this vital problem
In another OF her articles ON
child training.
Every child on earth works a
racket.
TO explain this 1t Is again neces-
sary to go back to beginnings.
Heredity must be mentioned. 1t
has nothing to do with q gang
ster's son being a gangster. II
deals with Old Lady Nature her
self.
She says, II can do better with
these human offspring of mine IL
/ treat them as l do my other ami
mails In the beginning. They shall
inherit the same general charac-
teristics of their species. That
means that calves of all time have
had the characteristics of cows.
kittens of cats, and SO on. There
are Jersey cows and Guernseys
and Aldernays, therefore their off,
spring will have the general char
acteristics of their parents. The
kittens of Angora cats will be
Angoras." And so we have racial
characteristics.
Factor of Heredity
Just how far this heredity goes
in the individual has not been SET
tied. There are many of the
learned who turn from the word
with utter contempt. Again there
are those more inclined to lend an
ear and concede tina some inclina-
lions are directly inherited.
AS 1t happens, the analogy be-
tween human beings and animals
can be carried only so far. The
human has a mind that probably
outclasses the sum total of all
other animal minds put together.
One thing has been about
proved, that although children re-
act as a class to about the same
things, NO TWO CHILDREN are
alike. This is more noticeable after
the sixth year, but even before that
any mother can tell us the truth.
But Mother Mature has another
trick up her sleeve.
1t Is right In the cradle that the
baby makes his choice of how he
can best beat the game. Poor little
soul. he doesn't know 1t, but he's
either going to find 1t easier to get
the most out Of life by appealing
little graces, or by more or less
bulldozing his way as he goes. A
few "behaviorists" refute this and
insist that all children can be
CONDITIONED" alike. This theory
has fewer supporters than for
merly.
Be that as 1t may, there are two
major classes of people In the
world, those who find mental con-
tent and happiness in subordinat-
ing their Wills to others, and those
who will never be satisfied unless
they can control events and people
about them. This choice Is made
so early in life 1t Is difficult to tell
when 1t begins.
"Good" VS. "Bad"
There is no difference from a
good and bad" standpoint. 1t
does make all the uIILeTeHCe IN tHc
world about behavior" however.
As a rule children are normal
mixture, and so are adults, but In
q large number the characteristics
are pure either one way or the
other.
The little chap who decided that
he can manage life better by being
dominant Is going to have o tough
time of 1t. He will probably find
that everywhere he turns this
force" of his will be beaten down,
for we love to discipline rather
than guide. Being active he will
be experimental and try any
thing once" And that means
trouble. He will be called a bad
boy.
His parents will very probably
try to curb and control him rather
than find him enorgy outlets. His
impulses can be turned to enor-
nous good, but II misdirected ana
frustrated, this Is terrible thing
to let loose on q world because im-
pulses turned back on themselves
becomes the extremes of maturity.
1t Is this strong-wllled child who
Is one of our greatest problems.
He needs an understanding heart
IL ever any one did.