Evening star., 1936-03-26
When Young
Indulge in
Petty Lying
A New Regime May
Help to Break
Habit.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

CHILDREN do tell lies, if by lies one
means statements that are not
literal truths. These lies are of diff
ferent sorts. Some are artistic crea-
tions of the mind that is yearning for
fight beyond actuality. That flight
is necessary for the health of the mind
and unless the child's environment
offers relief from the drabness of daily
routine he is likely to invent another
sort out of his imagination. II he
lacks creative imagination he Is likely
to commit acts that are startling. such
as setting fires, hiding himself to get
the thrill of the search for him, run
ming away. Any program Of child
training ought to provide for the re-
lief of pressure caused by rule and
regulation.
Creative play helps greatly. A little
child who has supply of hats, coats
and capes. feathers, dress-up things,
and a place to store and use them, and
an audience or group of playtellows,
has an almost perfect outlet for his
creative needs. These materials need
not be accurate copies of originals. A
broom horse, a few boxes, colored
paper, blunt sticks will dress an army
or array royal group. Imagination
works the miracle that is needed. Let
It have its way.
There are other sorts Of lies, not so
easily nor so happily treated. The
defense lie, the one used to protect the
child from blame, is hard to outroot.
Unless the fear that fathers it IS re-
moved, the lie will continue to be Its
expression. But I have never given
the child cause to fear me-" You do
not know what causes the fear. Some
times a child fears to fall from the
standard of perfection his people have
set for him. He tries to maintain it
and lies to do SO whenever he feels
the threat of failure bearing down
upon him. Fear of blame by children
who long to be. blameless in the eyes
of teachers and parents often causes
these lies. Children of weak constitu-
tions are usually filled with fear be-
cause they are uncertain of their
power. A lie holsters them up for the
time being.
The best treatment for this sort OF
lying is health program. Fun. free
play in the open air. Affectionate care
without petting. Let the child know
he is loved, but don't teach him that
he is going to be babied. Prolonged
childhood is usually accompanied by
childish boasting and lying. A strict
health routine Is necessary. Plenty
of rest, sufficient sleep, proper diet are
very important. Still more important
to this sort of child Is work in which
he can succeed.
We make a mistake when we teach
a child that the work we select for him
is the thing for him to do, and failure
to do 1t is a major failure in him. We
must allow the child to find his own
work and then stand back and give
him room to do it. We spoil our own
chances of success If we sigh and say,
"Yes, but you know you are very def
cient in arithmetic. Couldn't you lay
this aside for a time and put some
more work on problems?" Again
we have plunged the child, who has
had dim hope of success, into failure.
Fear, untruthfulness, evasive express
sions of all sorts are certain to be his
refuge.
The psychopathic Lie is one that
must be treated by experts. 1t is
caused by disease. and the disease
must be cured by the physicians.
Don't hesitate to call them into con-
sultation if you find a child has re-
treated from actual life and surround
ed himself with fabric of unreality.
It is illness, and calls for first-rate
medical aid. This sort of lie differs
so in character from the others that
even the most inexperienced know that
1t Is serious. The whole child Is in
volved, which is not the case with the
other sorts. Study the child who lies
and move carefully to his cure.
(copyytsht. 1850