Evening star., 1936-09-18
lng the School Child Very Important
Don't Cater
To Problem
Youngster
Tantrums M ay Be
Easily Curbed by
Discipline.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

By ANuELO Ihxn
THERE are parents who are afraid
of their children. They are afraid
Of what they will do II they are dis
ciplined. It Is common to hear Q
mother say, But I can't make him.
He will scream 20 that the neighbors
will hear him and think that I'm
killing him. I don't dare make him
20 to bed for his nap because he
makes such q scene"
Recently mother said, "She has
such tantrums at the least little
thing. I told her to take her hat and
coat off and I would get her ready
for her supper, and she screamed and
kicked and carried on so that didn't
know what to do. I'm ashamed to
have people hear her. She did not
want to taft off her things. She
wanted to go out again after she had
her supper. OF course she couldn't
do that. So what was I to do? I
have to please her or she will make
our lives miserable.
THE boy ought not to be allowed to
drive the car, but what can do? IT
don't let him have his way he will
stop going to school, refuse to study
his lessons, cut his classes. That's
what he told me he would do If he
couldn't have the Car when he wanted
1t. And he would do it, too"
There are teachers who are afraid
of certain children. "If I try to make
that boy do his work he will make it
impossible for me to live in the room,
much less get anything done. I just
have to let him have his way"
Such children are behavior prob
lens. Those who annoy the teacher
so as to make er afraid to enforce
class room discipline should be taken
out of the room and kept out until
some way has been found to correct
their diffculties and redirect their in
terests. The clinics and special classes
should deal with these because the
class room teacher has neither the
time nor the power to deal With them
Justly.
Mdlly VA t1ACoC NAoaoo ASOAAA fAo
children have been made the problems
they are by the fear their parents had
of them and their demonstrations
They learned early that all they had
to do to win their way was to make a
seen accompanied by as much pub
licity as possible. They learned that
this was what their parents dreaded
most-pubhcity-s they yelled to
alarm the neighborhood, lay down on
the sidewalks and kicked and screamed
so the crowds would stop to wonder
and to rescue. They carried the same
antics into the school and found the
teacher was afraid of-not the pub
licity nor their powers of disorder, but
the waste of precious time and energy
that belonged to other children.
It is always best to settle any such
demonstrations Of childish tyranny at
the start. A tantrum ought to be met
with a cool mind, a sentence Of isola-
ton and quiet. Few children will con-
tinue to work up tantrum in the Sc
clusion of their rooms. An audience is
necessary for real demonstration.
Without the audience, without the
signs of fear and surrender of author
ity in the face Of their demands, the
storm subsidies. If the tantrums con-
tinue under this treatment, call the
specialist. Don't surrender because
the neighbors my hear the child's de-
fiance. They know all about that
child. He is tellinc no secrets. Just
60 ahead and attend to him.
Problem children in school need
skilled supervision. No class room
teacher should be called upon to deal
with such pupils in the routined order
Of q class room.
Copyright, 1860