Evening star., 1942-10-23
Matter>of.Fact
Attitudes Best
Before Child
Mother Should Not
Be Frantic About
Small Mishabs
By Aneelo Pafri

~ ~A"ASsO ~sss
Trouble comes to everybody and
nobody welcomes it. But some
people seem to look for 1t and find
it where other people see only the
ordinary way Of life. Mothers are
especially inclined to look for trouble
with their children, and If there is
one sure way Of having trouble
that's it.
Children fall, cut themselves, burn
themselves, run risks Of all kinds
because they are children and in
experienced. But nature provided
for that when she gave them bones
that are hard to break, constitutions
that resist illness and minds that
throw off trouble. The minor ills
of childhood need the routine care
that every household can supply,
and little else. But there are mothers
who suffer tortures because a child
cuts his finger or skins his knee.
"Oh, my my, what have you done?
Dear me. Maybe we'd better call the
doctor. Sit still. Don't move. You
might make 1t worse. Oh, my poor
child. Wait until mother gets the
iodine and the bandages. Does it
hurt much?"
The child that has looked calmly
at the blood oozing gently from the
skinned knee now begins to believe
that something serious has happened
to him. He wonders what will come
of this business. Doctor, medicine,
bandages, this must be awful. Fear
takes possession Of him and by the
time his mother comes with the
iodine and bandage he is screaming
fit to choke himself.
Now there is trouble. Mothers
fear feeds the child's fear and his
adds to hers and the doctor has to
come to treat a hysterical mother
and child. He knows it is all wrong,
unnecessary, harmful in the extreme.
He is cool, cuts his visit short, leaves
directions and says it won't be
necessary to call him. Mother feels
he has not given the matter the
right Importance and can't sleep be-
cause her child may be in danger.
This Is not an exaggerated de-
scription Of what happens in some
homes. It explains why many a
young man or woman is in a panic
over an ordinary cold, suffers agony
because he or she has to travel in a
subway and be exposed to contagion
fears draughts and sports and finds
something to fear in everything
Training in early childhood, in
tended to save them from trouble
has brought 1t upon them.
Teach children to take the mis-
fortunes of the day as blithely al
possible. Treat the small mishaps
as a matter of course. "Just 9
scratch; give it wipe with thu
iodine: it'll be all right tomorrow,
is a far better attitude to set thar
the other fear-filled one Of 20 dear
o dear"
Trouble comes to us ALL of course
but doesn't happiness come too
And isn't the happiness and the goot
fortune much greater than the other
| IL O1SdSIC1 OuVWCA6AAo ooSSCoo AAA'
ceases. so there is always somethin,
to hold to, something to hope for
something to be glad about some
where in the day. Keep that ide'
uppermost when dealing with chill
dren's accidents, ups and downs, gen
eral everyday living, and they'll b
) healthier and you'll be happier
Keep wholesome.
If your child shows signs Of be-
ing too much the pivot Of his own
!, small world, help him by consult
: ing Angelo Patri's booklet, "Your
J. Child and Other People," Send
r for 1t, inclosing 10 cents In coin
2 and Scent stamp. Address An
= gelo Patri, in care Of The Evening
Star.