Evening star., 1941-09-15
BOssiness
Must Be
Curbed
Every Child Should
Be Taught Need of
Sportsmanship
Bp Letfice Lee Street,

By Leftce Lee SrePH
Tossing her braids defiantly, Mary
ran away from Betty, her playmate,
and shouted angrily over her shoul-
der, "I won't play with you any
more, cause you won't play the
way I want to-"
Then she went into the house,
where she sulked for the rest OF the
afternoon. AS her mother was pre-
pairing dinner she noticed her
r-year-old daughters sullenness,
and after several attempts to divert
her attention failed, she sat down
beside her little girl. Taking the
two small hands in her own. she
asked, What is the matter, dear?"
AT first Mary hung her head, re-
fuSing to answer, and 1t was not
until her busy mother was about
to leave her that she blurted out,
Betty isn't fair! She won't play
the way l want to! She doesn't Ike
me, anyway
The truth was that Mary's mother
knew that the two little girls were
devoted to each other, and that
small Betty trotted after Mary like
a humble little slave. The mother
knew, too, that her daughter owned
a very domineering personality, and
secretly she was glad 70 learn that
at last Betty had defled Mary, and
even though she had 2ardonable
pride in her daughters leadership
at school and in play. she deplored
her bossiness and wisely resolved
not to take her side in this child
ish tug-of-wills.
Very casually she answered,
Betty always seems willing to play
your games, Mary. and think that
1t Is only fair for you to play hers
sometimes, too. Betty won't want
to play with you unless you do, and
no one else will, either. The only
time you think that people do not
like you is when they will not do as
you want. When you are nice to
others, they will be nice to you, too"
Naturally, reading such a lecture
to child has small effect at the
moment, but the day-after-day liv-
ing of this teaching can have
marked influence on the child with
an overbearing personality.
People who are dictatorial, poor
losers, gloating winners and misery
sharers are never happy and popu-
lar, and children are no exception.
The child who shows these unfortu-
nate tendencies should be guided
towards a more cooperative spirit
with all haste.
The bossy child who sulks when
he cannot have his own way, as
Mary did, should be shown that
others have a right to their opin-
ions and wishes, too. An effort
should be made to persuade such a
child to give and take" in games
with other children. thus pointing
out to the child through his own
practice how he can win friendships.
The bright child will learn that he
can win his own way and keep
friends much more readily through
pleasant behavior than by being
SGuDOOTN ana SELFISH.
Children desire the approval of
their playmates just as we do of
those about US in our adult world.
Once a child can be made to see
the necessity of being considerate
of others he will automatically be
happier and more popular, because
this rule is one of the fundamentals
OF getting on" in the world.
The child vino is a poor loser at
games should be stimulated to try
all the harder, not for the sake of
winning, but to better his own rec
ord The same holds true in school
work when child sulks because
another student excels. Such a
youngster must learn that he can
not win all the time, and 1t is not
beating others that is worthwhile,
but it is doing his best and COM
peting with his own ability that
counts.
II has been observed that the
child who is continually thwarted
at home, who is nagged, criticized
and ordered about arbitrarily and
who has an unfair, severe discipline
imposed upon him, will attempt to
take dictatorship attitude out
side of his home.
Children have rights as people.
80 before you condemn your
would-be boss" try to seek the
cause of his defiance. 1t is wise to
remember that with all behavior
problems the cure depends upon the
cause.