Evening star., 1937-10-01
Right Devil Fish Fans But Unnated Beg
Cultivating
Judgment
In Child
Learning to Take
Consequences
Important.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


ONE way OF developing a childS
good sense is to let him make q
choice and abide by the result. But
like all other things in this world,
there are several sides of the matter
to be considered. One of them the
conditions OF the choice. It must be
real and it must be safe, especially
for the little ones.
Should you ask Rudie what he will
have for breakfast and should he an
swer blithely, Fried chicken and
watermelon" you would have to make
plain to him that a breakfast menu
for 3-year-old did not include those
delicacies. And then you would be
obliged to serve him the usual orange
juice, toast, cereal, egg and milk.
Don't give a child choice when
there is none.
1t is mistake to offer a choice
of two evils. He may not choose the
lesser one and then, where are you?
will you go to the dentist or will
you 60 to bed and stay there until you
make up your mind to go?" is a very
unwise choice indeed. He may choose
going to bed, and he may stay there
until you are forced to take him out
and march him into the dentists Office.
That would not be giving him choice
which would lead to his cultivating
sound judgment and common sense.
Nor is it wise to offer a choice be-
tween things that are not equally
right for him to have. Which sweater
will you wear today? You know it is
cold. Will you wear the white one or
the thick red one?" The thick red
one is the one he has to have, but
should he choose the white and light
er one you are in bad place. Bet
ter not to have said a word about it
and to have laid out the red sweater
with the remark, ITS just the thing
for today"
When offering a choice don't lose
sight of the element of choice and
put compulsion in its place. "You
can 60 to the dance or you can have
new lining for your sports coat. OF
course If you go to the dance I can't
do anything toward getting you ready
You'll have to wear what you have.
That's no choice. It's anything but
1t would have been a fair choice
had the girls mother said, Il would
like to give you new dress for the
dance if you really wanted to go, but
you need a new lining in your sports
coat and I can't give you both. What
do you think we'd better do?" If she
chooses the evening dress and let's
the torn rabbit skin serve, accept the
choice. But don't, when she begins
to discover the mistake she made
hasten to give her the new lining al
the cost of new sweater and hat vol
needed for yourself.
The point of the choice is in teach.
ing the child to abide by his decision
and take the consequences without
complaining. Experience is the best
teacher life affords, and this matter
Of choosing is the way we gather
strength from that teacher. Abiding
by the consequences Of free choice
is the essence of the matter. To re-
move the consequences is to make the
whole experience of doubtful value.
And it is important, with all chill
dren, that the choice offered be real
that it holds no hint of compul-
sion, that the decision in any case
will not lead to lasting hurt. A little
inconvenience is useful here, but real
injury cannot be permitted. There
can be as much wisdom in offering
the choice as there can be in making
1t.
Copyright, 1879