Evening star., 1939-03-19

Determine Pattern
OF Chi|d's Life
Mental Hyeienist Says
Groundwork for Habits
Is Loid at Home
This e one OF a series OF ,Deekly
articles discussing actiDities of
the Community Chest agencies.
This article is based on the third
OF sir lectures to be giDen BY an
executive OF a Chest agency on
"A Mental Hygienist Looks at
Lite"
From the mental hygiene point of
view, similarity of son to his father
Is not 50 much an example Of in
heritance as it is an expression of
the Importance of relationship with
In the family circle, DR.. Paul j.
Ewerhardt, executive of the Wash
lngton Institute of Mental Hygiene.
. Community Chest agency, said
yesterday in the third of a series of
lectures at the United States Public
Health Service auditorium.
DR.. Ewerhardt spoke before an
audience composed of doctors and
nurses from the staff of the mater
nal and child welfare division, the
school medical inspection service,
and the nursing bureau of the Dis
, trict Health Department., as we'll as
stan members of the Instructive
Visiting Nurse Society of the Com
munity Chest.
: For the child of pre-school age the
most important single factor Is the
home, DR.. Ewerhardt stated. The
speakers previous lecture, published
last week, dealt with the period of
early infancy, when he brought out
that the process of shaping human
personality actually begins with
birth.
The home is the setting in which
the groundwork is laid for habits,
attitude, and patterns which are
hter reflected in the kind of adjust
inent to life person will make, &C
cording to DR.. Ewerhardt.
Important as are the physical
and material aspects of the home,
they should not overshadow the
many significant influences arising
out of the relationships between per-
sons comprising the family group"
he said.
Parental Attitudes Important.
because the family group is COM
posed of a number of persons so
closely tied into itself the influence
of one upon the other is consider
able. It is within the precincts Of
family intimacy that the influences
of, and the reactions upon, each
other achieve such important mean
ing. For this reason parents, what
ever their own makeup and their
adjustment to each other, will de-
termine in large measure the kind
and the nature Of the growth of
their children.
parental attitudes, then, become
q matter of deep concern. These
attitudes are not arrived at through
any conscious process. but they re-
fleet a stability or instability which
has come out of their own growth
and experience. For this reason, one
hears the statement that 'one trains
for almost every kind of vocation
except that of being parent
The best kind of training for the
Job Of being a parent is so to aid
children as they grow up that they
become mature, stable and we'll
adjusted adults"
Attitudes of parents are extremely
vital forces that determine their
approach to the child and the lat
ter's response, DR.. Ewerhardt con-
tinued. Normal affection and ac-
ceptance makes for security. Ma
ternal overprotection may lead to
weakness, dependency and immatur-
ity. Rejection results in insecurity
and dissatisfaction.
Terms of Attitudes.
The manifold situation within the
family grouping in terms of atti-
tude and interrelationships becomes
an important area, and one that
needs to be analyzed and under
stood from mental hygiene stand
point for the sake of all concerned,
DR.. Ewerhardt said.
'It should not be assumed that
brothers and sisters are necessarily
motivated toward each other by
love-" he continued.
To the child of pre-school age the
birth of another may mean rejec-
tion-actual in many instances, or
only relative in others, since after
all the newborn infant requires
care, he brought out. The process
Of displacement and the loss of
affection or attention, unless wisely
handled, may lead to problem sit
uation. Favoritism Is another situ-
alton which may lead to sympto-
matte reaction on the part of the
child.
AS the child Of pre-school age
leaves the period of infancy, his
stage widens and his experience
broadens, DR.. Ewerhardt pointed
out. At the age Of 4, when he be-
gins to experiment with life, to
make efforts at asserting himself
. normal development-he is often
viewed as being disobedient. He
also reveals a need toward activity
and exploration. which, although 1t
seems to be destructive, is also a
normal development.
Exploration Areas Limited.
Again it is we'll to see what Is
going on, correctly interpret it, and
intelligently guide the child, DR..
Ewerhardt advised.
I'm the apartment of modern life,
the areas in which the child can
explore and develop are limited.
ITO meet this need, as well as the
opportunity of learning to get along