Evening star., 1941-10-27
Child Shows
Response
ToTact
Avoid Situations
Which Provoke
His Tantrums
Re- Lettfcp Ipp .Strepft

Dy LSIfICP Lee OVePH
How different even tiny babies
are! Two infants exactly the same
number of days or weeks old will
show entirely opposite reactions to
the same situations. While one OF
them will submit placidly to being
bathed and dressed and will snooze
blissfully through most of the pro-
cedure the other will loudly object
and resist with every ounce of his
| puny strength. pushing and kicking
with tense body and furious legs
and crying in red-faced infant rage
Thus at the very beginning We often
| see the evidences of positive per-
sonality and what may prove to be
hot temper later on.
Little can be done to guide the
small temperish baby away from his
| angry resistance, and the best moth
er can do is to try to avoid handling
him in a manner to which he OBJ
jects. She can discover the quick
est. easiest and gentlest ways to
bathe and dress him. Many babies
cry when they are uncomfortable
in clumsy hands that hurt and tire
them. The mother may also make
happy atmosphere during these
routine tasks by talking cheerfullv
to the baby, and this tends to pacify
him.
Quick-tempered small children are
often quick thinking, too. and they
are likely to be independent in their
desire to do things for themselves
and very inquisitive about how
things work and why.
Therefore in guiding such a child
toward her ultimate goal, which is
to teach him not to be angry, the
| mother must have infinite patience
If she is to succeed She can steer
clear of many sources of friction
| that bring on tantrums. The moth
er who gives sympathetic thought
to her little firecracker's interest in
all that goes on around him can
teach him to accept willingly the
duties of bathing, dressing, and so
on, If she cheerfully allows him to
splash for little while in the tub
let's him struggle with putting his
own small arm into his own small
sleeve and does not hurry him
| through any part of his routine so
| that he becomes irritated, nervous
and feels frustrated in his desire to
help himself.
She can avoid further trouble by
not lnterrupting his play rudely and
! suddenly. She will find that he is
much more willingly obedient if she
allows him to finish one activity
before going on to the next and if
she will present the one to come in
as agreeable light as possible
| In other words. tact can do much
to remove situations that stimulate
anger; We use such tact with grown
ups and We should with little chill
dren. too. Tantrums cannot be en-
tlrely avoided, as any spirited young
child will resort to them.
OutburSts of fiery temper are emo
tlonally very upsetting to a child:
he is not mentally developed enough
to reason or to understand so what
he feels is bewilderment and mental
turmoil that create bodily disturb
ance as we'll as all of the rest.
Therefore. spanking, harsh words
and punishment only further aggra-
vate an already confused situation
and increase the resistance and re-
belliousness of headstrong baby.
Remember, now, I am discussing
little tots of 2 and years.
A baby soon learns what he may
and may not touch. that he cannot
have everything he cries for, that
he will not be picked up when he
cries, that bedtime is bedtime and
no mistake about it. He grows to
expect his daily routine if he is
brought up by consistent, patient
mother who abides by the same
schedule of bathing, resting, sleep,
eating, toilet habits and outdoor ex-
ercise every single day without devi-
alton. In like manner the toddler
will soon realize that it is much
more fun for him when he is praised
and loved for being good boy than
when he is left alone with the hic-
coughs that follow his angry, futile
| tears.