Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1939-08-24
By MARGARET CONN RHoADs

by MARGARET CONN kHOADS
WE ALL realize that the child
w who is shy and constantly en-
barrassed by bashfulness has a
handicap that needs very wise han
ding. Many times a parent can
help child to rise above this timid-
ity and become happily sociable,
delighting in personal contacts.
"June started out to be one of
those little children who hide be-
ind their mothers skirts at the ap-
proach of stranger; her lips quiv-
cred if she were singled out for at
tention and she evaded the mailman
and the milkman when they came
on their daily rounds" related
mother before group of parent
students. 81 determined that she
should never hear any of the family
comment on her shyness. I also
made up my mind to think of ways
of helping the baby to overcome this
handicap. I knew should have to
go very carefully along the way or
/ might make matters worse, but
today June is such an unusually re-
sponsive child and meets people so
easily that feel my carefully laid
plans were well worth while.
II began with the mailman as he
came each day. / allowed June to
stick the stamp on my letter. This
seemed such big thing to her!
Then, with the letter in her hand
to give the mailman, she forgot her
fear and ran out to meet him. He
helped me by not getting too friendly
with her all at once And in much
this same simple way I acquainted
June with the milkman and the
grocery boy. l let her put the tick
cts in the milk bottles and let her
set the bottles out. That gave her
an interest in the man who de-
livered the milk. would empty the
grocery boys basket and hand her
the empty container to give to him.
Get Acquainted Gradually.
''When guests came to the house
would ask her to open the door. She
soon learned to ask them to be seat
ed especially if their manner when
they greeted her was not too famil-
lar. Most little boys and girls like to
get acquainted with strange per-
son gradually, but many older peo-
pie are apt to gush over children,
the moment they meet them. When
June started for nursery school she
was somewhat afraid of the expert
ence. But each morning I let her
take some small gift to the teacher
and her joy in carrying the flower
or the red apple or the cutout she
had made lessened her conscious
ness of self and the problem was
solved happily.
"Shyness or backwardness is often
regarded by parents as a trait the
child will outgrow and so they feel it
need not be given special concern.
I like to think that in our home we
are always helping the children to
develop the traits that will benefit
them. They should be able to meet
people happily, be sufficiently self
possessed to enter into child activi-
ties and reap the joy of personal
contacts. They should have the as
surance within themselves that they
are capable of joining in CONVERSE
ton with a group of their age or of
playing games with as much vim
as the other children.
"Shyness induces an inferiority
complex in the child that later
makes the grownup cheat himself of
much advancement and many pleas
ures that are rightly his. Today
June at five can meet the guests in
our home pleasantly, totally uncon-
scious of herself. What picture
would she have presented had we
ignored her baby tendency or con-
stantly commented on it? She would
have been timid still, and little by
little would have become more GER
tain that she would always be shy
person"
National kindergarten Association
(WNU Service.)