Evening star., 1942-05-02
Calm Parents Fortify Children in Raids
BY REX e. BUXTON, NJ. D.,
Director Washington Institute Of
Mental Hygiene.

Jour articles tDrttten for publtcd-
ton during child health meek by
the pSychid dtrist -director of the
Community Chest supported in
stttute ,ohich .propides scientific
mental hygiene services for chill
dren and adults.
The acute emergency that con-
Germs parents and those interested
in child welfare is a sudden bomb
ing attack on Washington.
The experience from those coun-
! tries where the civilian population
has been subjected to such attack
shows us that the way in which
children will take the experience
will depend partly on how frighten-
ing and terrible the experience it.
self is, but to a very large extent on
| the way in which their elders be-
have in such emergencies. This is
particularly we'll shown In the ex-
perience of two little Norwegian
girls, twins of years of age at the
time the war broke out in Norway
For their protection they were
/ Immediately removed from their
city home to the home of relatives
in distant part of the country
They were not safe there very long
because the war soon moved up the
valley. A major three-day battle
was fought less than a mile from
the farm house where they were
staying. The house they were liv-
ing in was repeatedly machine
gunned. When this place became
too dangerous the children went
with the relatives to cabin in
the neighboring mountains. Again
the road along which they travelled
was subjected to repeated attacks
by German bombers and fighter
planes.
Courage Contagious.
The reports which came back to
the parents dealt entirely with the
admirable conduct of the children,
how free from hysteria their whole
behavior had been. The parents
reported that the relatives with
whom they were staying were solid
folk who had taken adequate pro-
tective precautions and who them
selves had gone through the whole
experience without great disturb
ance.
Some time later. when the war
had moved past this particular area,
the children were taken by another
relative back to the country where
they found the house of their des-
tination being sealed up by German
soldiers. When they were not al
lowed to enter, the older woman who
was accompanying the children be-
came rather angry and very bravely
told the German officer what she
thought of his behavior.
Several months later the children
rejoined their parents, who were
anxious to know how the children
had withstood all their experiences.
Discussing the details of what had
happened. they found the children
more concerned about the latter ex-
perience with the German officer
than they were about the far more
frightening experience Of being sub
jected to the machine cunning and
bombing. The only explanation
seems to be that the children had
sensed the older woman's own up
set in the experience with the Ger
man officer, Just as they had sensed
the calm, secure way In which the
more frightening experience had
~ Itr
Parents Influence Reaction.
We see here 50 clearly how child
rem, confronted with new and ter
rifying experience, look to their
elders for guidance In dealing with
it and what direct relationship exists
between the adults conduct and the
way the children will take the ex-
perience.
1t follows, then, that a great Geal
OF consideration must be given to
parents feelings with regard to our
situation and preparation for such
emergencies. 1t goes without say
ing that some preparation is nee
essary. Children who have been
drilled in a well-planned routine of
finding place of relative safety and
of having some kind of plan made
for their staying in this place for
some hours. if necessary, will be
safer and more comfortable than a
child who is in no way prepared for
such possibilities However, the ma
ture of the preparations should de-
pend largely on what the parents
feel Is necessary for them to do for
their children's security and safety.
One wise school principal recently
told us that shortly after Pearl Har-
Dor she had a series of meetings
with her teachers in regard to this
very matter OF planning for the
emergency of bombing attack here
In these early meetings she felt
rather frightened and concerned,
as did almost all of her teachers, be-
cause they rightly senSed the re-
sponSibility they might have in car
ing for someone else's children in an
emergency.
Gained by Preparation
Throughout the whole series of
meetings, the principal inquired of
all Of the things each teacher felt
might be done in order to protect
the children AS far as it was pos
sible each of these suggestions was
put into effect. The result has been
that the teachers as we'll as the
principal have lost almost all of
their apprehension, and they now
feel completely secure in their abil-
ity TO meet any kind of an emer-
gency in the best possible way. In
that particular school there has been
a noticeable lack of "jitters" or
war nerves among the children,
even during their very frequent
drills.
1t is not possible. Of course. to
guarantee that every adult is going
10 feel calm and secure when con-
fronted by such a terrifying ex-
perience as a bombing Nor Is it
possible to guarantee that there will
not be casualties and disasters. How
ever, 1t does seem quite clear that
great deal can be done by adults
who are able TO confront themselves
with their own fears. both for their