The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1934-04-05

Long before a child starts to
school he sets UP q mental wal
against it. Although he may moi
be entirely prejudiced and may In
some respects even show q genuine
enthusiasm for something new,
almost always there is ashrinking
away from the untried.
Added to this are other infiu-
ences that seem to vibrate in the
very air he breathes.
If he is q sensitive, shy child
who has q terror OF other children.
even nice children, he may brood
for some months ahead of time
over the ordeal confronting him.
He won't show 1t but he fixes a
day in his mind, just as the con-
demned watches the calendar
marked with q black *" and the
approach of that day may bring
peculiar changes in his behavior.
Possibly the mother senses this
and begins to talk about how nice
school is, how much HE'LL love It,,
and how kind everybody Is.
Less Said the Better.
This may help some, but in one
way she may as well save her
breath. He knows he has to mix
with strangers and all the words
in the world can't change this
fact.
My own notion is that the less
said about 1t the better, for q child
is naturally suspicious Of any arti-
fetal bolstering. The idea Is not
to dodge the issue, but to set about
preparing for the inevitable In
another way.
If possible, have him make
friends with two or three COM
panionable children who will be
in the same beginners class an
himself, some time before the ia
tai day arrives. II he feels that
he has one or two cronies In the
same predicament as himself 1t
will work magic. Let them start
in together. Even one child-ac-
quaintance may be sufficient to
satisfy his misery loves COM
pany'' complex.
At this time of year, of course,
few children are entering school
for the first time, but the mother
of the five-year-old may keep this
suggestion in mind for future use.
1t also applies to the little girl or
boy who Is going to attend kinder
garten.
Avoid School Talk. M
So war we have been speaking
Of the shy child. But in a general
way 1t may be applied to all chill
dren.
There are other things, too, that
need to be looked into concerning
the small Columbus about to ver-
ture into the unknown.
One is to prevent as far as pos
sible other older children fright
ening him by tales that are highly
exaggerated. Ir a brother is pun
ished, or kept In" or has to be
lectured 1t is just as well II small
Billy is out of the way when 1t Ia
discussed.
Naturally he gets some of 1t. A
house is pretty much an open for
Eum and we can't put our prospect
i've customer in sound-proof
room. Anyhow 1t is not necessary
Ito protect him from everything
that goes on. But II he gets the
idea from other children that
school Is just big penitentiary
where punishment and reprisalf
are the order Of the day, we cam
expect him to be conditioned to.
ward it, but against 1t.
Visiting" May Be Harmful.
An added thought Is this:
wonder If little child SHOULD
visit" rooms with his older sis
| ter or brother. OF course he ma,
be charmed by all he sees. Blu
isn't there a chance that the rou
tine, the lessons, the hieroglyphicl
| on the blackboard, all pure Greel
to him, will cause his little hear
to skip beats when he thinks tina
when he goes 10 school he will
have to learn all this at once?
we can't tell what goes on II
little minds because children ar
silent about their worries. Blu
the prospect OF school can be
very real factor in unhappineaE