Show KNOW YOUR OWN CHILL CHILD i She Hit Me First II lilt Jit 10 1 E Our readers are cordially Invited in invited In- In to address addren Dr Crar e on all problems arising either In the school chool or home concerning difficult dir dif or unusual children Address Address Ad Ad- dress tress your our letters to Dr A A. L. L Crane care of ot the McClure News News- Syndicate Avenue New V e York City All letters will willO b O bi acknowledged In a recent rumber of the American American Ameri Amen I can Journal of ot Psychiatry H. H N. N Kerns makes the ver very interesting statement that many of the young cadets at West Point have decided upon I a military career because the they feel that the they have ha fallen tallen short of ot mary standards Hence in order to compensate for these feelings of in inferiority in- in they demonstrate their virility both to themselves es and to their friends by embarking upon a military career However IIo correct ct or r incorrect r with Dr Dr i t h with i t h Kerns Kerns' observations may 1 be w reference to our military schools It is indisputably true that his 1118 stat statements ments bring sharply to a focus a very fundamental trait of human nature The rhe most vehement protestations protestations protes protes- of or Innocence tall fall usually from the lips of ot the guilty The most pretentious displays s 's of ot wealth ard and culture bespeak generally generall a self-conscious self mediocrity For this denial of or weakness by a bombastic of or humanity's humanity's human human- show of or strength is one It itys ity's favorite pastimes Indulged In b by all 1111 who play the game of ot life lite It is our pose pose today to show t. t teat at much of ot the tile self e quarrel quarrel- log Ins of children is likewise Indulged for in by children to compensate their owr consciousness of inferior ity Hy Nothing is easier than to wound the vanity of ot the growing child For merely merel to assist Playmate or Ot older the child In iii the performance of some somo task in which ho IO is taking a personal pride Is often sufficient Irritation to cause the child to strike back in self assertive aiger arger and re- re It Is thus Inevitable that children should fight tight And it is equally true that tile the qUi quiet t. t well-poised well child who feels himself equal to hj his fellows fellows tel fel fel- fel lows in Ill the game of or life finds find less for tor this tills type of compensatory compensatory compensatory satory self assertion than does the neurotic or undernourished child who must needs keep keen continually fighting back to prevent his environment environment en en- from shutting in on him and blotting out his ego altogether Dear Dr Crane This is what Is troubling me inc We Wee Weh e Luc Lucy two years eats h have e a little girl old this month and a neighbor 1 has hasa a boy bov Henry HentY that was three years last June Henri's Henris mother says that ho he has often run to her cr crying and said saidI I that Lucy had hit lilt him Now henrys henry's mother admits she has Lever rev Lev I er cv seen Lucy Luc hit lilt and I told her I never had either and anti she said to toI tome tome me Do you OU think it can be tI that at I Luc Lucy Is lie so cute she only hits when no noone one one is around She told me also th that t she had told her hor bo boy bov to hit I Luc Lucy back hack when hen she he hit him first When T I think should be done forthe for lor the he e boy or his mother to o come to me and tell telI me If It LuCy hits 80 so eo I can punish her myself instead of ot Hear Henry hitting her I think also as long as a's as he has halt the privilege of or striking her it might grow oct ori him and he would take advantage antage of or it Am I right ir in this or not Thanking ThankIng Thank- Thank Ing lag you very kindly MRS ms F. F L L. J J. S w When one child strikes another Mrs J J. J the Ideal thins thing for tor th the second second sec sec- ond ch child to do is neither to strike back nor to run home and tell mother but rather to restrain hira- hira s lf elf and show his superior self con by forgiving the child who struck him Now Nov v o I realize realise that this la is an ideal not easy eallY of achievement nt but it sets a goal toward which both you and your neighbor should work with your Our children You can stimulate our your childrens children's pride by bv telling telling- them that little ladi ladles s s and gentlemen never hit each other that thai no little g gentleman ever p lIfts hits a littie lit lIt- tie tle lad lady and that If they do that sort of or the teacher and other little boys the they and d. d to girls IL wont won't n like them I the they to y go school etc Besides this tIlls you OU will find that by building u up the general physical cal eat and condition of ot your our children and i b by seeing to it that they have ha am ample amyle le opportunities for tor self expression you OU will be doing much to r reduce their squabbling If either child is not In the best of condition have a physician look him over and prescribe for Cor him Furthermore let each mother stud study her Ier child chUd to se see Just where wherein J. J the child feels leel himself Inferior with a view to giving him or her opportunities opportunities other than to prove pro his s sufficiency self lt This Is the only course open to you rou mother can afford to take skies sides with lith either child nor Is I it practical to be everlastingly e at at- at tempting to to determine who is to toI I blame ar and ari meting out punish I ment which has little constructive e I lIlue e As a last resort you ou Can can of course sep separate rate the tile children HoWever However How How- ever ever if you ou both work orl patiently and constructively along the lines I have ha suggested I am sure that no such steps will l ever become necessary 1924 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate 1 A |