The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-07-23
BY DAVID TAYLOR MARKE
AP Newsfeatures

1IlOIIldS WIN pun POSAio pa
ent's proud claim that his baby
is different from others may have
to change his tune now.
Babies are different, says Dr..
Arnold Gesell, noted child spe-
cialist and founder-director of
The Clinic of Child Development
at Yale University. Even during
the first year of life they have
personalities of their own.
DR.. Gesell has just written a
book, STUDIES In Child Develop
ment", in which he reports the
results of a five-year study on the
human infant.
Using motion pictures to record
every movement of the infant,
DR.. Gesell says that as early as
the ages of 8 and IL weeks, he
was able to discern the highly
dynamic personality of boy D."
After a full year of observation,
he was able to characterize Boy
DIS individuality as quick, ac-
tive, happy, friendly, well ad-
justed, vigorous, ~forceful, alert,
inquisitive. Although he was def
initely extrovertive, he showed
at the early age of "a weeks a
surprising observation-disclosures in
reading the facial expressions of
his mother. BY the age of %
weeks he had developed a mod
crate temper technique for influ-
encing domestic situations which
did not altogether please him. He
was able to shift quickly in his
emotional response from smiling
to crying to achieve a desired
end"
DIR. Gesell warns that "our
findings must not be over-gener-
allied, but they strongly indicate
that certain fundamental traits of
individuality, whatever their or
igin, exist early, persist late, and
assert themselves under varying
environmental conditions"
Parents should enjoy their tots,
says DR.. James l.. Hymes, pro-
fessor of education and coordi-
nator of Early Childhood Educa-
ton at the State Teachers college,
New Paltz, N. Y.
In a pamphlet issued by the
Public Affairs Committee, en-
titled, Enjoy Your Child-Ages
l, 2, and g." DR.. Hymes asserts
that parents "a learn quite a
bit about children from children.
In fact, they can learn more than
they can teach because babies
know what is best for them.
A child wants to do only what
needs to be done, explains DR..
Hymes. When his bones and
muscles Ire strong enough-the
age depends on the individual
and not on the calendar-he will
begin to walk, to talk, to feed
himself, to dress himself. There
is nothing you can do to speed up
this process.
Some parents" says DR..
Hymes, hold out on their chill
dren too much because they are
afraid they will spoil them. They
comfort them too little, hold
them too little. joke with them
too little"
Don't ask your child what he
thinks are foolish questions, such
as, Don't you want to pick up
your toys. dear?' DR.. Hymes en-
phasizes. The most important
word in his vocabulary is mo"
and that's the answer you'd prob
ably get. What seems like a stub
born streak will probably vanish
if you make flat statements in
stead, the booklet says. Better
still, skip the talk and do what
you want the child to do.
IF it is time to pick up toys.
pitch in and begin picking them
up" DR.. Hymes says. Children
l and 2 and 3 are fast learning
words, but they are not yet
verbal. They are action people.
They respond better to what you
do than to what you say.
IF you tell a youngster too
often that he is bad or naughty.
he can come to feel that he has
lost your love. And once that
happens he has lost his most i'm
portant reason for wanting to be
good"
Parents interested in teaching
their children music can do so
the play way" say Lottie Els
worth Colt and Ruth hampton in
Follow The Music" a book for
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, just pub
lished.
Internationally speaking, say the
authors, they help to develop in
the mind and body of the child
a feeling of coordination, quick
response, alertness and cooper
alton in group participation.