The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-07

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 auDears shy and unwilling is
 the subject of this article by
 Olive Roberts Barton, another
 in her series on Child Train
 ing.
 Some children do not readily take to life. They find that people worry them and draw shyly back into themselves. To face strangers is worse than facing monsters.
 It is hard to explain this social attitude, as it is usually formed in babyhood. It cannot be consid- cred abnormal because it seems to be a choice the baby makes de- liberately.
 In time he may find the simplest things of everyday life difficult to bear. He shrinks from reality. And then he does very natural thing. He builds a world he can be happy in-one that exists only in his own mind. This world is his kingdom and in 1t he rules and Is impor- tant. His feeling of shyness and "inferiority" disappears. He has everything his own way and enjoys that dominance he dare not exer- else in real life.
 In this fairy kingdom, he is 8 prince, or a strong-m or very rich, depending somewhat on the thing in real life that he most ad- mires or envies. A little girl will pretend she is Mrs Brown and have imaginary playmates of thin air who give in to her about every thing. and who envy her and yet love her.
 The Day-Dreamer When such a child IS made doubly unhappy by certain experi- ences covering a period of time. trouble at school, or at home, feeling of great futility, or being misunderstood. or mistreated, he may widen this "wish- world" so that 1t consumes much of his time. He won't work tall. per- haps, but lies around day-dream- ing, or getting relief by reading books. books and more books. He becomes the hero by extending his own personality, fights brave fights, and conquers worlds. Perhaps he resorts to sleep to escape the real world. Or he may seek morbid flights of other kinds. The problems of wishes, dream | worlds and escapes is big one and would fill many book. It has its very roots in the funda- mental instincts and feeds on it's owp emotion.
 | This child seldom meets with pa tience or understanding because he | lacks so-called normal ambition, cannot be appealed to through pride and decides from the start that he never can succeed. | Strangely enough, it is oftcr this i drcam-type child. indulging his , imagination to an unusual extent who contributes largely to the arts of the world. He suffers and there fore seems to see thinrs with a finer and keener perception. What we call emotionally interpretive.
 Look for Causes
 TO encourage this child Is more important than to discourage him. The most successful results arc ob- | tained. it Is thought. by involving his interest in something natural ly attractive to him and rousing activity as much as possible in the enterp'sse.
 As there are less congenial things, such as work to be done also, and every child has to do something. 1t is well worth trying to gain his acceptance of daily du- ties, too. An artistic temperament if 1t is of the shy or "escaDe" type, seldom succeeds unless the habit of work can be harnessed to it. But the dreamy. lazy. boy or girl should not be considered a good for-nothing. Look for causes and try for cures, in the constructive sense. He may be lazy for other reasons, such as specific unhap- piness. worry, or just from grow ing. But "escanes" of all sorts arc common to all Of us. They need understanding hearts, patience, and l heln