The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-16
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 CHILDREN
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FORCING BABY TO LEARN
 SELDOM GAINS ANYTHING
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SELDOM GAINS ANYTHING
 As 1t happens, most little chill dren grow as naturally ns weeds. Babyhood usually is a peaceful time in which tho little body and the little mind are not interfercd with. q
 Probably baby's inability to talk accounts for our keeping our hands oR--and his physical helplessness. Otherwise, there's no telling what we would do to hurry things along. The truth is that he is aware of much we do not suspect In these inarticulate months. Nature Is his ally in this eating -slecping-grow1 ing time. We tend to our knitting and dish washing. his bottles and bath, and he has some peace.
 Then he loses his protection. He learns to do cute things, to walk and talk bit and play. We dis cover that we have real person in the house, not just a helpless baby. We must get busy, oh 70 very busy.
 Ready for More Experience
 As 1t happens this is all right, too. He Is ready for more expert, cnce. There Is more to life now than maps and bottles and sitting in his bed or pen knocking pans together.
 But nature has not materially changed him. He Is still largely observer and should continue to be treated as such for awhile longer. The shaping process can be started gradually, but think many moth- CTS go at 1t a bit too early and trifie too hard at times. When say Shaping" l do not mean train ing exactly, but certain forcing of hmisclf that may interfere with his roofing.
 For instance, he has shown ability to open or shut a drawer. Why then, thinks the family, can not he pile blocks on each other the way he is shown? If persist cnce is too great, and he is made to feel he Is failing he becomes fretful and won't look. at the blocks at all. What we should realize is that when he is ready to build blocks he will do 50 him. self without pressure, coaxing or hectoring.
 Tricks He Won't Repeat .-s
 UT ne may uO d IlJIe LLlCht once, such as lifting the lid of q box off the floor, carrying 1t over to q table and trying to fit 1t on where 1t belongs. Try to get him to repeat it and fuss and coax. and the chances are he will cry or seem stupid and obstinate.
 These are only small matters. but they indicate the many ways q beginner can be pestered. Per haps, in time, he learns a simple lineor, two lines of q verse. He is bribcd and cajoled into repeating 1t for the folks. But he isn't ac- customed to saying it except spon- taneously. It Is something he cannot understand, doing things to cannot understand, doing things to order. Again he becomes irrit- able and contrary.
 He wants to do what he wants when he wants to. He wants to be about and look on. He likes to be in things but not the center. He is a hapy little detached, ani- nal who won't conform if he can help 1t. He cannot coordinate with either hands or thoughts, ex- cept in a. very, very simple way.
 He gives the impression he knows more than he does. He@can, however. feel failure, criticism and shame. His feelings are more highly developed than his mind or body. And through them he can be held back. Let him grow him- self for q while. Play with him and for him but don't make him the monkey. He vii. be sweeter tempered.
 Copyright, 1895, NEA Service.
 Inc.)