The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-17
HPY0UR
 CHILDREN
Rx OliNe Roberts RartoM
lNs5 t1 Nl1 sf6Nel, sSe

The child at six, says Olive
 Roberts Barton, ls nodded inc
 tO the sort of person lDc Is to
 bc all his life. It Is about
 tIIis crucial period that the
 noted author of "YOur ChlI- |, dren" writes in this article ln
 her series on Child Training.
 There is a very definite reason for marking a line between the pre-school age of children and the school age. As a matter of fact l think the term -schoop un- fortunate because 1t has little or nothing to do with school at all.
 The age of six happens to be CO., incidental with the beginning of school, thus we have the term "pre-school' including the time age.
 Now we'll step forward a bit, and see what we have on our candles on his last birthday cake, cut to step into the big building diouHu tHS COfHcT Aor thO AhSI time.
 Jimmy Cor Jean) is not the same little chap he was two years ago, or even year ago.
 He has been making adjust ments unsuspected by us for a more real and social world. Little by little he has been separating himelf from his baby ways and the family life about him so that he now stands out as an individ- ual. He is himself. He has "at- titudes'' toward things. He has set characteristics. He interprets events now through his own eyes He Is decidedly an integral part of society.
 MOlding the Child
 Whatever has happened before this time will have a decided effect on his attitude. If he has been normally and fairly handled, he will have few mental "quirks." If the reverse he may have many. But the child at six. generally speaking, Is nodded into the sort of person he is to be all his life.
 Of course this does not mean that he will continue to be infiu- enced and swayed by his experi- ences and surroundings. It is not so set as that. What is called a bad" child can be greatly infiu- enced. toward good and vice versa.
 But the fundamentals of char acter, of attitude toward people and greatest of all. mental habit in its various stages are hewn to a certain pattern and whatever work is done now wil lhave to rec ognize that pattern, allow for it, and deal with 1t as intelligently as possible.
 The re-school age was a time for natural growth, and if 1t may be so expressed. the more negati- vistic or keep-off, directing of the parent. The time when naural impulses were permitted certain freedom. and normal happy home life gave nature it's chance to de- velop mental and emotional activ- ity to the minds satisfaction.
 Learning With Purpose
 At six and after, the directing becomes more positive, so to speak. However. the child himself will do much. He will continue to be experimental, impulsivc, and curi- ous. by which means he will con- tinue to learn. But with this diff ference. He will have purpose. His reason Is now coming to the fore, his curiosity is intensified and his interest in facts and af- fairs deepened.
 Now, we should take a little diff ferent position--walk by his side and show him the way rather than be the shadowy mentors we were before while Madame Nature was doing the real tutoring. Not that we were not very much in evi- dence. but let us not deceive our selves, as parents we were of far less use in those early years than we thought. We were indispcn- sible in thousand ways. yet very quietly and determinedly Nature was doing million things we never suspected and much more than were we. At last 1t is our turn to step in. Jimmy needs our help. Jean too.