Evening star., 1939-04-14
The Problem
OF Handling
A Genius
Accept Their Gift;
Start Teaching
When Needed
By ANGELO PATRI.

Genius in as affliction that some
young children have to bear. 1t is
no less an aff1iction because it is
not recognized as such, but rather
regarded as something rare in the
way of good fortune. Parents are
delighted to hear that genius has
marked out one of their children
for honorable mention in the world
news. They bend every effort and
make any sort of sacrifice, required
or otherwise, to develop the child's
gifts. But the child of genius is
cursed from his birth and it becomes
the duty of his father and mother
to tighten that curse by all means
in their power.
A great gift robs childhood of its
joy. 1t demands expression. 1t de-
mands for that expression every
hour of the precious span of care
free childhood allotted the genius.
When other children are playing in
freedom in the lots, racing madly
with the wind, yelling and pushing
and pulling and dancing and laugh
ing in gay confusion he is herded
into the isolation of the practice
room, directed by his teacher and
finally by his fond parents. For
him there is no carefree, mad de-
light. His childhood is devoured
by his gift and its tendance.
This genius child goes to school.
At once he is singled out for at
tention by masters. His schedule
Is personal to him. His interests
are not those of the other children,
who, while they admire his gift,
leave him to enjoy it while they
enjoy their own ordinary one, Of
freedom, work and play routine.
Often this child is precocious in
the ways of the world. He speaks
with authority. People listen to
him and wonder. But all the while
he speaks with the voice of man.
he lives in the spirit of child and
a child he is in experience and
knowledge of life's ways. He is a
complicated problem for his parents,
who want to do what is right. How
are they to direct genius who has
powers they can never hope to
achieve, but who needs lesson in
manners, guidance in daily living?
Even a genius must live as other
men live. He must eat, sleep, work
and play just as other children be-
cause that is the law of growth.
His gift makes him lopsided. He is
weighted on some phases of his
growth and short on others. Maybe
he can play sonata perfectly, but
he cannot handle q knife and fork
and spoon acceptably. Or he may be
the cleverest mathematician in the
school and unable to dress himself.
When confronted with such a
problem the parents should accept
the gifted side, and calmly, exactly
as though he were most ordinary
person, proceed to teach him as he
is. Where he is mature teaching is
not needed and where he is imma-
ture teaching begins. The possess
sion OF genius should not awe par
ents into allowing their children to
grow up conspicuously lacking in the
Va NAAAoAy pOWCAo, CuotOlIlS dIlu llldIl.
ners that everybody takes for
granted.
This requires unusual patience and
common sense, but it is not an i'm
possible hope. A genius can be
trained to cooperate with other peo-
Pile, to live comfortably with them,
to help himself to become the whole
some, well-rounded personality that
even genius needs to be if he is to
succeed.
No child can bring himself up un-
aided by the experience and skill
of his elders, and we do less than
our duty if we let him think he can.
Mr.. Patri has prepared leaflet
entitled, "Self-Measuring Chart"
which teaches a child how to ex-
anime himself and check up on
his behavior. Send for it, ad-
dressing your request to Mr.. An
gelo Patri, child psychology de-
partment Of this paper Inclose
. self-addressed, stamped e.
cent? envelope