The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-18
gp YOUR; IIL-DREN
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Most warnings about Keeping | child's life free of fear mean chiefly emotional fearn, which may be- come part of character ana alter personality. Theer is another kind. however, that might be termed 'intelligert fear", and this is . dif- ferefit story entirely.
 A child may have healthy re- spect for fire or water or an an4 imal without going into Mysteries about any of thSn. If, however, he has a set pfOgia toward any thing, 1t has gone deeper than req son and becomes part of what Is known as emotional attitude.
 About the best example of in- telligent fear in children, think, is their acceptance of the automo- bile. There is probably not child living who runs and screams at the site of a car, unless he happens to be a hushman's offspring. Yet all children know cars to be more they truly fear. For one thing, they do not shock the senses as thun. der storm does.. Even so, if there were a storm every hour of every day in the year, it is still pissible that some children would be frigh- tened because of early impressions too deep to be. erased. However there is no doubt that many emo tional terrors in time are retion- alized and disappear. Children do not get over storms.
 Two Views of Darkness
 There are two ways of fearing the dark. One is to imagine ghosts and goblins; the other to realize that one may crask his shin in the gloom or fall down stairs. The lat- ter is necessary and won't hurt anybody. All children have to learn respect for fire and heights and deep water. Otherwise they would be in constant danger.
 This slant on physical fears may help a little in regard to moral fears or terror of people.
 Many children fear their parents emotionally. It seems too bal to say 50, but fathers are quite likely to be a bit hard on little folk at times without realizing it.
 A good healthy 'resp'ect", let us call 1t, for parent who represents the law is entirely different from the soaring terror that knows no reason. The danger Is that all in- fluence is lost, too. For good and all his power is done. Oh, yes, the child will obey him and go through the motions, but he is left untouch. ed. And later, when he is out on his own, the tendency will be down, not up. This explains why tho hard case"--the youth or girl who have suffered too much as children lis too hard to reclaim.
 A child need not think his moth- CT or father are marshmallows in order to love them. He is logical enough to want them to be called to account by them. This does not interfere with love or confidence or the perfect balance of home life. Ho knows 6 certain type of fear toward them, but it is intelligent fear and will do him good rather than harm. He knows that some times they punish without full in vestigation or without looking at his motives when he thinks he has been in the right, but he allows for errors on their part, too. It is really remarkable how unconsci- ously analythical most children are.
 But look out for the emotion al fear". It will make hi minferior and a coward. The coward turns into the bully to cover up. It is in early childhood that this may oc- cur. The pity of it Is that the par ent may be the last one in the world to suspect it.
 No use borrowing trouble, but sometimes a little insight is help. Copyright 1885, NEA Service Incl