Evening star., 1938-07-06
ReadingHabit
Is TOOOften
A Retreat
Avoiding Resistance
From Companions
Is Not Healthy.
By ANGELO PATRl.

THERE'S clar. with a book. Al
ways reading. never saw such
q child for a book ass. .
"Didn't she want to eo to:the party?
I thought every child IN town was
there. They're going to see- the pic
ture. They are all simply Wild with
excitement. Isnat she well, Or iwhat?"s
you just can't separate her from
q book. She would rather read than
do anything else. I try to get her to
play with the others, but she says
they are too silly, that their games
are childish; they don't have any in
terest for her. She would rather stay
home and read good book.
"Hm-m-m. Too bad"
1t is too bad. II child retreats to
a book all the time there is some
thing wrong. Child nature demands
plenty OF activity, plenty Of the give
and take Of childhood and adolescence.
Healthy children wrangle, argue. quar-
rel. strive against each other and oc-
casionally pull together, in the process
of growing up.
Growth requires resistance. and re-
sistance involves something or some
body to resist. Bodies must resist
other bodies; minds must be sharp
ened on other minds: thoughts must
be stimulated by other thoughts, and
actions are the expressions Of all such
resistance Resistance is healthy: and
1t is essential to all healthy growth
whether Of mind or OF body. The child
who constantly retreats to avoid re-
sistance from companions is not
healthy. He should be taken to
physician who will search out his dif-
ficulty and remedy it. ..
1t is idle to try to force such child
out to play. The idea or the physical
handicap that is preventing him from
healthy participation in all that goes
on about him cannot be removed by
the simple suggestion that he 60 out
to play. He must be enabled to play,
and he needs help. Have the doctor
do his share and then try what home
influence will do.
Withdraw all encouragement relat-
ing to the reading Of books. Reduce
the number available. Act so as to
make reading inconvenient except for
the set time. Do this. not by direct
Means. but by making it impossible to
read because Of other engagements
such as attending movie. shopping,
doing an errand. a household duty, en-
tertaining and being entertained.
Guests In the house should be one
good way out. There are many ways
OF using the time profitably.
Usually the reading habit Is ac-
cepted as good one by parents, and
It is not until it Is well-set that 1t
shows itself az retreat from the ac-
tivities Of the group. All children
should be on loose schedule. mean
that their time should be roughly d.
vided between work, recreation. study
and sleep In such way as to leave
freedom for changing activities guard
ing against OVERRIDING any one thing.
such as reading.
These children who prefer to stay
at home and read . good book when
all the others are out at play can be
suspected Of using reading As a seda-
tive. Find the cause and help them
to overcome 1t. Books have their
place, but they cannot take the place
Of life.
| Mr.. Patri will give personal At
tention 70 inquiries from parents
and school teachers on the care
and development Of children. Write
him In care sf this paper, incies-
ing = S.cent. stamped, sslf-ad-
dre0ed envelope for reply,
Copyright. 193S.)