The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-23
SAVIOUR CHILDREN
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 Billy, told you not to dig hole in the rose bed. showed you a place at the back of the yard you may have for your own. Now fill this up and don't touch 1t again."
 Don't take your engine out or the sidewalk. Billy; Tommy Taylor is outside and he'll walk right off with it. Here's your old wagon Be sure you don't let him have it."
 "The red jelly? You don't want that This purple jelly is just as good"
 You brushed your hair the wrong way. Here, let me fix it."
 Thus ends the first chapter.
 SS
 Goodness alive, ehfId, 1t does- mt make any difference what sweater you wear. Make up your mind, Billy"
 Don't moon around here and worry about what movie to see. Decide right away and get along with you.
 More Indecison.
 You'd better be getting that may finished. It's almost bedtime. What? Can't decide whether to make the mountains red or blue :? You've been half an hour Adding wiht that crayon. Close your eyes and pick up a piece, any one at all. There = green. Now use it.. You certainly don't seem to be able to decide anything for yourself, Billy"
 Thus ends chapter two.
 The intermission is four years. Note the difference in this mothers method today.
 Billy, now nine years old, is be- coming 8 great reader. Books and movies fill his life. He puts off his lessons and won't play games with the other boys. He is taking an easy way out of facing prob lems and thinking for himself. It is not only hard for him to drag himself to a duty, but he has little confidence in his own judgment On the base ball team last sum- mer he couldn't drop the bat quickly enough and run, or think tast enough to slide for base. He never knows what to do in that split second that lies between suc- cess and failure. Decisions or any kind irk him extremely and after they are made he is sure he should nave done the other thing.
 Initiative Takes Root Early.
 His mother is trying her best to rouse him with every means within her power, but initiative cannot be grafted this way. It has to grow its own roots early in life. Billy can learn another way, by a few bitter failures that will sting his pride to action. but the conflict between escape anw responsibility may make him cross and unhappy.
 In the first chapter, the, bows pre-school years, it will be noticed that some of the orders just had to De. We can't have children running things, or falling out of windows or doing exactly as they please. They have to learn to ac- cept telling and must get used to certain amount of routine and regimentation.
 Too Much Criticism Is Unwise.
 On the other hand the little nower of independence and con- hdence (the secret behind snappv thinking and decisive behayior1 cannot be blighted or 1t will not grown. Too much criticism of a small child's judgment is unwise. A few such episodes as the above won't matter, they happen in alft families.
 A daily bombardment of criti. cism will kill the child's faith in himself. Let him feel, as often as possible, that his ideas are as good as anybody's. Let that take rot. Then train the sprout, prune 1t, guide 1t. Broken spirit is not always a result of beatings. Quite as effectual is the system of usurp- ing the child's every choice our selves when decision is trying to grow.
 Copyright 1895. NEA Service, Inc.