The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-01
Latest Styles
Your Children
PARENTs'
By Olive Roberts Barton

For wears we have been hearing that the sensitive people Of the world give the most to art and beauty, and that creative genus along soulful lines would pc found wanting if it were not TOT them.
 I think another sentence needs to be added, though: that the too- sensitive and hyper-emotional per- son is the most useless of mortals, unless there is a goodly propor. tion of the practical in him, ana an ability to put behind him ms own personal feelings for the mos ment. He becomes unfitted TOT any kind of work otherwise.
 This brings us to the matter of the child. Is he to be stand ardised, and all his sensitiveness discouraged, or are we doing nm a favor to let love and sympathy alone rule his life and his happi- ness?
 Emotional Child Faces Agony, Too
 Here am speaking of extremes, of course, as love and sympathy cannot be questioned In any ordi- nary sense. On the other hama. when the childs roots are buried too deeply in an emotional life, nc can suffer as terribly through them as he can enjoy their bene- fits, All feeling has this double reaction. As we reach the very peak of happiness through an emotion, just SO can we descend 70 the depths of agony through ,t. Each summit has its counterpart in the depths. think we should remember this.
 It is natural for Q mother to wrap her children tenderly In her love. Natural to protect the cniio who is high strung" as she calls 1t, or deeply imaginative. Natural for her to take certain pride in saving that her Jim feels more deeply than the rest. She takes pride in remarking that someday he will do great things ana, through his finer feelings, be O master of sorts.
 He is a dreamer. naturally. He has moods, naturally. He suffers at times from vague apprehension naturally. He needs understand" ing and humoring, and she IS tho one to do it because she IS the only one who does understand him, SO she thinks. She not only protects him. from the crudities and musts of daily life, but by her motherly tactics deepens the I'm CT emotions" by exaggerated dem" onstrations.
 Determination Is Essential
 It does not occur to her that this highly sensitiSed boy need nov be fed more emotion. He needs understanding and sympathetic handling, but what he needs also is a bedrock of will and determ- ination and control, If his gifts arc to be of the least use to him, or anyone else, in the future.
 Forcing cannot be used. But his whole life can be filled with activity to displace some of the dreaming. This activity sould DO attractive enough to get him h.. terested. Sports and games and outdoor exercise.
 Cultivate hobbies. See that no has friends and does not With draw into himself too much. A normal amount of movies and books, but not to the exclusion of other things.
 ToLghen him gradually to real life. He will keep his dream world and seek his escapes; but ct the same time he will Do get- ting Q more wholesome attitude toward people. Work he must have, and do. No genius ever got anywhere. without he work habit, But this should be along the lines he is suited for. Otherwise he will rebel altogether and all Will be lost.
 Icopyright, 1886, NEA Service, Inc)