Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-06
Nervous
In
Children
3, GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS, ph.D.


CERTAIN behaviors in the grow
ing child, which appear over and
over after definite patterns, come to
be called nervous habits" In them
are obvious elements of habit and
back of them are also less obvious
factors Of emotional tensions and
conflicts associated in the mind Of
the average person as nervous
ness"
These nervous habits" rarely ap-
pear singly, or if one disappears it
may be followed by another. Ger
tainly to deal with them as mere
habits gets US nowhere. An ex-teach-
er mother writes of her daughter six
years old, who has been under ply
sician's care constantly:
"She has always wet the bed. We
always get her up at eleven but she
vets several times between then and
morning.
Sucked Her Thumb
"She, as a small baby, sucked her
thumb. / put some wire frames on
her thumbs and broke her COM
pletely in three days but she started
a week later to suck her fingers and
this habit became much worse than
it had ever been with her thumb. She
had this habit until she was four
when she broke herself, but replaced
the habit with biting her nails and
picking her nose.
"This nose picking has nearly
driven her daddy and me wild. l
know we are guilty of nagging her
about it, but what would you do? 1t
embarrasses US to death. When we
get her eye she quits but in few
seconds she is doing it again. 1t
seems if she is not picking her nose
she is biting her nails. When we are
together alone l try to keep her
hands busy-coloring, ETC., but when
she doesn't know what to do she
starts again. She doesn't seem con-
scious Of the fact that she is dong it.
A Nervous Child
eve have a little boy two years
I'D who doesn't show any signs of
being a nervous child. He already
stays dry during his nap and now
and then all night. don't think our
problem is jealousy for we have
practiced everything you have writ
ten on avoiding Jealousy"
In substance, l answered this
neither about as follows: The main
problems with your daughter are
her parents and the baby, and you
would not wish to destroy any Of
them. In spite of all your precau-
tions this older child is sure she is
not loved and approved as the per-
feet baby is. All along you have CEN
tered your attention on breaking the
"habits" in this older child instead
Of the emotional atmosphere and her
inner peace of mind. Your task is
hard-to say nothing of the nose
picking and to have no stirring in
your insides over it. Forget all about
the bed-wetting for several months.
Just armor her bed. Better keep her
home from church and avoid COM
pany till you get yourselves under
control.
Help her to find fun with play
mates of her age. Work for more
rest and relaxation in yourselves,
soft voices and silent radio most Of
the time, and more smiles and
laughter and real fun with this
daughter. l am enclosing bulletins
on nervous habits" jealousy and
bed-wetting. Please study them
carefully. ITO anybody else each
bulletin is available in stamped en-
velope.) Don't look for quick results.
Be happy if you see some improve
ment after several weeks.
Answering Parents Questions
@. Should the mother read, sing,
or do antics in order to induce the
tot to eat?
A. No; whereas such procedure
might work temporarily it will
prove a hindrance to good eating
habits by and by. My bulletin, Eat
ing Problems: Their Prevention
and Correction" may be had in a
stamped envelope.