Evening star., 1938-12-16
The Youngest
Child Often
Is Spoiled
Catering to Whim
Of Baby .Unwise
Family Habit
BY ANGELO PATRI.

There are five children in the
family, the youngest aged and
the Oldest 16. The first four chill
dren are easy to live with, taking
what comes good-naturedly, for the
most part, and doing their best to
carry their share Of the homework.
The baby Is different. He balks at
the slightest inconvenience and de-
mands immediate attention to his
wants, which are many. He makes
life unhappy for the rest of the
family.
How did he learn that this was
a good way to get his wants at
tended to? How did he learn that
by bowling and kicking and throw
ing things about the room he could
get what he wanted?. It might be
because the moment he shouted
somebody ran to quiet him. Maybe
If he shouted in vain, in an empty
room, he would have learned the
futility of his behavior. Certainly,
If bowling and kicking gets him
what he wants, he will howl and
SAASAs VAAo WOAI0l1 W k1lly lIlCls
ligent child knows about that.
The fact that at 2 years he
Is still called the baby, is signif-
cant. He Is the last child; he will
remain the baby. The other chill
dren lost that name as soon as the
next one appeared, but this one
holds the title. It is not good for
any child to be known as the baby
Of the family. The very word has
implications that are unhealthy for
the youngster. All children must
grow up, and the sooner they get
that idea into action, the better for
them. This spoiled baby is making
plenty of trouble for himself and
the rest Of the family, and quite
without reason.
When child, older or younger
tries to dominate the family by
demanding, threatening, weeping
bowling and kicking, suffer his noise
but refuse his domination. Let him
howl 1t out in his own corner and
make certain that he does not get
what he wanted that time. Even
If he was going to get it before the
demonstration, withhold it. He mus
learn that such behavior deprive.
him of all the happiness, all the
kindness, all the wants, that might
have been his.
Don't be sentimental about a baby
He is a person with a strong indi
viduality and little to guide it with
save the strength he gets from thos,
about him. Giving him what h,
cries for, making others sacriflc,
their comfort and earned rest TO
the sake of his caprices will nc
strengthen his good judgment, hi
reason, his self-control. 1t will trail
him to weakness expressed in selfish
ness and bad humor. It is goinl
to insure an unhappy future TO
him, one without friends and with
out success.
Even a baby has respect for reas
oned conduct. He has respect fo
those strong enough to resist hi
Establishments and able to contro
his tantrums. He learns to depent
on the one who stands up to hi
nonsense and who controls him, di
rects him to better ways.
have known mothers who fearet
to correct their children lest the,
lose their affection. That sort o
weakness is more likely to veal
children from their mothers thar
to bind them to them in affection
But for their comfort let me sa,
that I have yet to meet the chilt
who disliked his mother because sh
corrected him. 1t is for her guild
ance, her control of his wayward
ness, that he adores her. Stand VI
to the children; face their Difficult
ties and forget that they ever wer'
babies. Help them to grow up.
(Copyright, 1889