Evening star., 1937-06-09

Children
Need Help
Tighten the Load of
the AdOlescent
Youngster.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

7 IGHTEN the load on the adde's
cent child. During the first years
of adolescence the strain of growth
is severe. Often it takes all the en-
ergy of the child. High marks are
lost, and low ones take their places.
Good temper, CHEEKY cooperation
vanish, and in their stead We have
grouches. tears. rebellion and failure
Growth is eating all the power the
child can generate.
Sometimes the young adolescent
seems driven to excessive labor. We
find a l2-year-old girl at the head
of her classes, an officer in the gen.
eral organization, head of the lit
erary club, interested in the dramatic
society, taking the lead in the term
play, going to dancing school and TAX
ing music lessons. Or we find boy
filling the day and half the night in
the same fashion. They do not real
ize they are draining themselves of
energy and reducing their chances
of success
An adolescent child's day must be
carefully routined so as to keep him
growing steadily as possible without
strain. There is always strain at this
time, but wise guidance can reduce
it to the inevitable at least.
These children need recreation and
rest in their day. They are likely to
forget to play. They have outgrown
the childish games and are either too
weary to take up new ones or, at the
other extreme, make toll Of a pleas
ure. Play, rest, recreation are es-
sential to the healthy growth OF
these children.
When the report cards begin to
show a falling off in school work,
don't scold, don't put on the pres
sure, Just keep quiet. Go over the
child's program with the teachers
Study the daily routine Of the child
to discover where the load can be
lightened. Keep in mind that what
you most wish to do is to preserve
the health of the child. The school
and the teacher are dedicated to the
work of making the child and the
course OF study hundred per cent
unity. You are interested in grow
ing healthy child first, last, all the
time.
Don't hesitate. when the condi-
tions are set against the child, to cut
down his school day, to cut out all
unessential activities. Keep the child
in school and keep him working with
in the limits of his present power, but
not beyond them. Keeping him at
schedule of work in which he is fall
ing won't do any good, and it GER
tainly will do harm.
In this situation the child's wishes
are rarely to be taken as the par
ent's guide. Children want to do
what they think is expected of them.
Ambitious ones want to do more than
Is expected or even possible. If chill
dren could grow up without guidance,
without the exercise of wise author
ity nature would have discovered that
long ago and would have eliminated
all the adults, leaving the world to
the infants.
Whenever an adolescent child seems
lazy, ill-tempered, rebellious, study
his daily schedule and tighten the
load ne is carrying. Whenever one
OF these children shows great ex-
cltabllity, do the same thing. Too
ready tears, laughter that comes too
easily and echoes too loudly call for
the same attention.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
Velopment of children. Write him in
care of this paper, inclosing a Scent
stamped, self-addressed envelope for
reply.
(Copyrisht, 1879