Show Home Education EducationS S The Childs Child's First School j is the Family Issued by the National Kindergarten Association 8 West Street Nc New cw York City These articles will appear inS in om S columns AFRAID TLc TLc- A FRAID I D OF F TJI THE E D DARK DARIC A R AUDREY C HAYDEN As far Car back aI as a- I can remember I never was afraid of the dark When believed that I mother I child there was no reason why any should be afraid and that if fear were never suggested in connection with darkness it wouldn't occur to the child to be afia afraid Darkness is isa isa a natural phenomenon I and one of which babies are ara not afraid Appl Applying ing this theory all went well with wilh my own os-n little girl until something unfortunate happened Either someone complimented my litte year three on her bravery ery shown in going up to bed alone or star or e told an alarming story someone well no matter I dont don't ont know how it happened This I do know Jane began t to th say she was afraid of the that dark that dark dark that frogs would get her She would even re- re refuse refuse re refuse fuse to go to the bathroom alone with ith only the h hall hail ll light burning Now I really believe that most mOEt cases of fear of the dark on the have root deep part of children no ed reason When there is such a reason it if it can be found of coursel course I very careful consideration should be given to t conditioning re-conditioning But roost most children fear the dark be- be because because be because cause they have somehow imbibed the idea that it is rather expected of them that them that if they are not aid afraid they are arc very brave but if they arc are afraid it is nothing to be wondered at at- at atThe The child having ac- ac acquired ac acquired the fear there are arc two popular mr methods for exorcising it One is to attempt to get back to the original cause and explain that away the se second ond t to overcome it by setting up artificial bravery I trl tried d to reason with Jane and snowed showed her pictures of frogs to let lether lether lether her see how small email the they are and al- al also al also so made a lot of brave talk about a great big girl like you But my efforts had no rio effect Jane just cried and clung to 1 m my drese and pulled me along with her to bed or orthe orthe orthe the bathroom She wasn't brave and wasn't going to be talked into it It seemed best to ro accede quietly I took her to the bathroom and to tobed tobed tobed bed for two or three weeks and I Idid Idid Idid did it as a matter of course I I made it a point also to 1 walk from room to room without a light as soon as she was in bed After going down down- downstairs downstairs downstairs stairs I would come up on an ima- ima ima imaginary ginal errand and walk about again in the darkness On several occasions a little before bedtime we s took walks together and some some- times we went down cellar in the dark but always without any men men- mention tion of f its being dark When hn she she spoke of frogs Isaid I said e I could see them that toot too that it I w-os w was fun to be able to imagine thin things s wasn't it And the best part was that since th they weren't cal you ou could stop op imagining them whenever you ou wanted to t One Once we wc got down and hopped around the room pla playing ing we vc were I fro frogs s oure I got some poUt polli- polliwogs polli I for the fish bowl bawl and I brought n a celluloid frog but frog but we were Wr very of matter-of-fact about it and frogs and darkness and fear were verc never ne connected in our con con- conye con conversation vers ye ion Then one day I felt very ill and Spent the da day l lying ing on the couch When night came and Jane wanted to t go to the bathroom I called her over and said Now Jane Mother is sick so you ou will have to go alone And she said Yes It w will ll be dark in there do you rou un- un understand un understand stand des And I cannot come in if you ou call me to turn on the light I explained She thou thought ht a minute and then said All cAll right When bedtime came I undressed her and sent her up to bed aone alone and then casually sent another member of the family up on an errand Jane had the idea though that I was sending her alone to bed and that the company and the li light ht were me reI incidental T Tl TI next ni night ht I went to t the oom ostensibly to get sonic I listerine making it ap appear ar acci acci- accidental acci- acci accidental accidental dental that I went when Jane was there Then I sent her off to bid bed aone alone casually The next night I sent her to the bathroom and to bed bedin bedin d din in the dark without comment and it has been a regular occur occurrence nce ever since sine Did we get at the root of the trouble That's hard to say sar sarI since I never found out the begin begin- beginning beginning I ning of oC the fear but we but we made the dark into a vry ordinary matter matter- matter fact fact of-fact condition 4 A good kindergarten in every community will give the little folks the right start make homes hap hap- happier hap happier pier and schools better C better C W Tenney Tenner former President Gooding College Idaho The National Kindergarten As- As Association Association As Association S 8 West Fortieth Street New York Cit City will ill ill be glad to aid wishing to get a kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten ten opened in the public school Write for leaflets and advice |