| Show Parents Use an Emotional motional IE First Aid Kit KitTo KitTo To Protect Children From Nervous Upsets Editors Editor note not Below is th the second of four articles on Your Child in War War- time tim By MARGUERITE YOUNG The biggest point about children children children chil chil- dren that American experts have brought back from embattled Britain is just this There isn't a single new thing that youngsters require from their parents in wartime They simply need more acutely and need more of what they got in peacetime bodily protection guidance love American parents will provide these things now partly by in in- in Authorities bank on that They do advise you though to expect kids like adults to show some anxiety By recognizing recognizing recognizing this fact you'll be able to provide more adequately and more easily for your children They suggest that you get the feel of the emotional first aid kit which Dr Viola Bernard of the New York bureau of child guidance made up for emer emer- Kit Contains Guidance Rules The remedies In this kit are rules for action Like all remedies remedies remedies rem rem- edies these must be used with common sense These remedies differ from most however in inthis inthis inthis this wonderful way they prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent as well as cure The first rule When a a child child- suddenly gets upset give him direct reassurance by talking with him A year old needs simple positive words Ill take care of you or It will pass From 7 on the child responds to more realistic talk We will lick them because we have more to fight for and more to fight with You will find that this this' technique technique technique tech tech- calms down acute war anxiety exactly as it bolstered your child against his fears of the bogey man the school bully the dentist The second rule ruI Help the upset upset up up- set child to express or act out in play or in a creative hobby like daubing with paint the fears he cannot find words words' for Usually it is hard for a nonprofessional nonprofessional nonprofessional to get the the child to do this completely when he is al already already already al- al ready upset But if he has the habit formed beforehand he can easily be persuaded to do it when he is upset Besides having having hav hav- ing this sort of activity as part of his daily routine will help to prevent acute trouble and will hold down the excitement in any upset that does occur Other remedies or rules which should be applied now daily as a matter of precaution also fill out the first aid kit These are Maintain n nor normal o r m mal a l routines Meals and sleep as usual are arenow arenow arenow now doubly important particularly particularly particularly for children whose fathers' fathers or brothers' brothers or mothers' mothers working hours have changed and altered the home atmosphere Next help your youngsters to todo todo todo do do something about the war By now your home should reflect reflect reflect re re- re- re some direct action against possible danger for danger for instance blackout and air raid ti ms Every child should have some part in those activities Work Even For Toddlers Even the toddler can be made keeper of the candles for the blackout room O Old Older l d e r ones should have some part in the general public victory program so encourage them to be messengers messengers messengers mes mes- for civilian defense scrap collectors or or anything that gets them into organized action An excellent example of practical practical practical realistic child morale building building building build build- ing is given by the New York Childrens Children's Aid society It is training young girls to understand understand understand under under- stand and to look after babies of their own or other families while mothers are away from home If theres there's no such appealing volunteer job for your little girl girlin girlin girlin in your town you might help your neighbors or yo your r local defense defense defense de de- de- de council or your local school to start something like it Dr Emanuel Klein of the New York public schools' schools bureau of child guidance says The very best protection against a anxiety in wartime is tion tion Teach Children To Protect Selves Next accustom your children to protecting themselves Fear and dangerous befuddlement ina in ina a real air raid would be due chiefly to th the childs child's fear of the u The The child would both feel better and behave more safely if he were used to taking the proper emergency action action- for instance goin going t to the safe floor in a big apartment build build- ing So be sure he not only knows but practices what to todo todo todo do in case of trouble The more he feels confident of his own ability to look out for himself the better But another must is help him cultivate at least one good relationship with a group of his own age outside the family Let him know he is not will not be alone This will increase his self-confidence self and cut his tension tension tension ten ten- sion when he is alone So you you should foster his doings with the scouts the ther theY Y Y the baseball t tea team e a m or the neighborhood gang Physical activity is good for him it helps him work off steam And dont don't forget humor Its It's a potent sedative as well as a good guarantee of composure Not whistling in the dark humor making fun of what's really dangerous But a light word will go a long way to dissolve dissolve dissolve dis dis- dis- dis solve unwarranted anxiety If now and then he seems a little rowdier or more aggressive let let him be In fact it would be a good idea to plan an occasional occasional occasional oc oc- oc- oc n o 0 i s y obstreperous party for your children Reassuring Child Is Fu Fundamental You might like to see some of these rules in action Well here is a model conversation re recorded recorded recorded re- re corded in New York between a achild achild achild child and a mother who understood understood understood under under- stood fully now how tow to reassure how to translate the war news into terms the child can relate to his own experience how to take attention off blood and thunder and focus it on the childs child's crowds crowd's resources and yet observe observe observe ob ob- ob- ob serve the time all-time essential of honesty in dealing with children The radio was going What is the man saying about the Japs asked Johnny who is 4 That they did cruel things said his mother giving Johnny a pat on the head Who are the Japs People far away They did bad cruel things What What bad things Locked people up in jail Took other peoples people's food Now they want to take ours Some others do too too Germans Germans and Italians Are they coming here No not No not if we can help it it We are going to stop them in fact make it impossible for them to go on working their harm Not all of them are d doing ing the bad things Some are our friends Some especially some of them here are helping us to stop the others How can I help By keeping our blackout candles where they belong TOMORROW TO T o 0 u g hening Up Parents |
