Show spilled li liquids ds broken valuables result from childrens curiosity this I 1 is S the fiat fifon in a series of articles on mental health that is being published in the vernal express as a public service by geoage S stevenson Sl evernon M P D med medical cal consultant national association for mortal health supposing your four year old daughter di lighter rea clies up to a i table and tugs at a bowl on it what would you do if the bowl near tips overa if there is water in the bowl cind and a few drops spilla if it the water spills all over the floora if there is paint in the bowl which spills ruining the childs clothing the table and and I 1 the floora if there is hot water in the bowl which spills and burns her its quite likely that you just like most mothers would react differently to each of these incidents yet so far as your youngster is concerned there was but a single motive curiosity though her curiosity would have had bad a different result in each instance in no instance was she intentionally destructive Ilo however wever chances are it if the paint had spilled she would have been scolded or perhaps punished breakage and damage must be cut down to a minimum but how can a busy mother avoid the bonts don ts and the be care fills fuls without smothering the sense of exploration and investigation which her child is showing she can put breakable valuable things out of reach give the child as much freedom in playing as possible a place where he can play hard it might also help her to be reminded that all young children are indifferent or careless with things and too they lack muscular coordination which Is responsible for much much accidental destruction A mother might worry that by giving her child as much freedom as possible that he is being encouraged cou raged to be careless and tat that he might carry on with this behavior when he Is older but the contrary is true when restrictions strict ions are few children are more able to respond to the bonts that are necessary As hi he grows he can gradually be taught to respect valuables and things which belong to adults many of the things young children do bcd bed wetting ng when they hurt other children when they wont share when they use bad language are disturbing to adults but these problems indicate childrens needs rather than deliberate naughtiness such everyday problems of normal children are discussed in detail in the pamphlet published by the national association for mental health it is called some special arz problems of children aged 2 to 5 years A copy may be obtained for by writing the utah association for mental health east 2nd and south salt lake lak city utah or telephoning davis 2 sometimes parents try to live out in the lives of their children opportunities they themselves lacked as children As one bright youngster said 1 I wish to goodness mothers child childhood hadn t been so deprived dr C 11 hardin branch |