| Show KNOW YOUR OWN CHILD I COLLECTING BIRDS' BIRDS EGGS I Our readers are invited Invited to write to Dr Crane care McClure New sparer sparer- Syndicate f venue New ew A York ork N. N Y V. Y requestIng requestIng requesting request- request Ing Information or advice on such ch of childhood as 81 home training mental development school progress vocational guIdance guidance guid guId- ance incorrigibility etc All letters bearing name and ami address Eddress will be acknowledged and answered either through the column or direct by mall mail By Dy ALBERT LOYAL CRANE ORANE Ph D. D The ThA Impulse to make collections would seem eem to b be properly classifIed classified classi classi- fied fled as 35 s part of ot mans man's Inherited equipment I Technical psychologists speak of ot It as the acquisitive instinct It first begins to manifest Itself at about the age abe of eight or nine reaches Its greatest intensity at ten tenor tenor tenor or eleven and then gradually be begins begins begins be- be gins to wane The number of ot different kinds of objects which children collect Is legion often orten the most useless articles are hoarded with the greatest greatest greatest great great- est care only to be forgotten a brief brie while later when the collecting Im Impulse Impulse Im- Im pulse has has' hit upon some new fancy wherewith to concern cOntern itself Clearly the collecting is done for the sheer joy of collecting Itself to itself to satisfy a deep inner human urge and Is 18 but very erv superficially motivated by bythe bythe bythe the Intrinsic value of or the articles collected collect d. d But though the first glow Klow of the tile acquisitive instinct begins to wane at eleven or twelve It does not completely disappear by any means Indeed many a multimillionaire whose every material want has long since been gratified keeps In pur pursuit lt of ot the almighty I I dollar for the sheer Joy of collecting collecting- dollars Surel Surely here it would seem I that it is the operation of the acquisitive acI acquisitive ac ac- ac- ac I instinct which lends zest to the chase In some few individuals this passion passion pas pas- I sion slon for collecting se seems ms to continue continue con eon I on unabated into adult life and to become the dominant imI im- im impulse I I pulse giving n direction re t to that t p persons person's persons person's per per- I h sons son's activities Such persons persona e become become be- be come our professional stamp and I coin collectors To some extent I also this collecting urge would seem s-eem to be responsible for the choice of or a life work by curators and many workers in museums museums mu mu- and similar institutions Dear Dr Crane My year old boy has got the craze for collecting birds bird's eggs ando and nothing o g I c can do will stop him It It eld makes n me e feel terrible bad to gee ee J him come home homa with all those eggs Please tell me me- how I 1 can stop aim nim MRS W. W M. M I 1 quite agree with rith you Mrs W. W that collecting collecting- birds' birds eggs Is an activity activity activity ac ac- ac- ac most heartily to be aged However 5 it would be futile for you QU attempt to dam up the energy which Is expressing itself In your sons son's collecting activities The rhe proper course is to attempt very to substitute some other activity in Us its stead Collecting stamps offers the most obvious substitute However I am sure cure that the dall dally daily activities of the bo boys boje s slite life lite will suggest many other possIbilities possibilities possibilities to your mind For parents who are able to spare the time the activity of the coil collective collective col col- coi- coi l instinct affords man many did educational opportunities Copyright 1925 b by bf the McClure Newspaper Syndicate |
