Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-28
Quiet Child
Should Be
1nGroup
Do Something for
One Who Seeks
To Be Alone
BY ANGELO PATRI.

Dottie took her doll and carriage
her kitchen outfit and broom to the
corner of the yard and set up house
keeping. Minnie and Rosie, her
neighbors, came along to help.
"Hullo," they shouted. Going to
play house? I'll be mamma; I'll be
auntie," together and separately
they announced the program.
Dottie made no sign of welcome
The other two, absorbed in their
Joy decided they needed more props
for the setting.
wait til I get my doll and
some Dishes" said Minnie. Eyes
And I'll go after my wagon and
the store things so we can have
a store, too" said Rosie, eagerly
The two visitors out of sight
around the corner, Dottie sped into
action. She crammed the kitchen
outfit into the carriage with the
doll, swung the broom under her
arm and made for the house in hot
haste.
Whats the matter?" asked her
mother.
Nothing. I don't want to stay
out any more"
Mother looked out and saw Min
ME and Rosie loaded with chattels
entering the yard. 20. look. There's
your friends to play with you
Isn't that fine? Hurry back and
you'll have a good time together
before lunch"
Not Dottie. Nothing would in
duce her to go out for the party.
Her mother coaxed and scolded
and in the end Dottie cried, but
she did not go out to play. She
went TO a corner in her room and
stayed there for the remainder of
her playtime that day.
she insists upon being alone.
She won't share anything with an
other child, not even her play"
complains mother. Il don't know
what to do with her 1t may be
nice to be exclusive but this is going
too far"
Children who are healthy in mind
as we'll as body are not exclusive.
They love the noise and companion
ship of the group. Children who
retreat need training, if not medical
care They must learn to enjoy
being with other children and shar-
ing what they enjoy if they are to
be successful as grown-up people.
knowing how to live with others,
how to work and play with them,
how to meet and adjust oneself to
their oddities of personality, is the
main secret of human happiness
and usefulness. Some are more
friendly than others by tempera-
ment, but all of us must learn to
meet others more than halfway, to
put aside our own feelings and
wishes and promote those of others
for some part of each day. If we
cannot do that we will have no
friends and we will be unable either
to work or play. Retreat from life
kills usefulness.
All parents, and certainly all
neighbors, believe the quiet child
is a good child, and rest content.
Goodness usually means good be-
havior, and it is good when 1t
does not bother anybody.
But the still child is not the
right kind of a child. He may be
good but he certainly is not going
to be good for much to himself
or to others unless he can be set
into action, brought to where he
can shout and fight for his rights,
and win his share of the battle
for self-expression in cooperation
with the rest. Do something about
the too quiet child, too exclusive
child.
Special problems concerning
the adjustment of youngsters to
their surroundings, from baby
hood to adolescence, are con-
sidered in Angelo Patris helpful
booklet, "Your Child and Other
People" Send for it, inclosing
10 cents In coin. Address Angelo
patri rare of this neWspaDer.