Show egoists egotists thwart childs natural talent trends 0 ALLOW CHILD TO DE celop characteristics heredity plays strange tricks fi and like father like sort son doesn doean t always hold true individual inclinations should be recognized and honored by FRANCES DUNLAP HERON THE HE mothers of the second grade pupils were leaving school after attending a program presented by their children martha kent and sylvia thomson paired off to walk down elm street together how proud you must be of mar marianne I 1 Syl sylvia vial her friend exclaimed 1 I envy you every time I 1 hear her sing she has more musical talent than any other child in the group it if only my donald had her ability of course im proud of marianne sylvia replied but music the only thing in life do you mind martha it if I 1 speak to you about something personal why of course not sylvia its about donald ever since ive known you three years now youve lamented over and over again the fact that donald show aptitude in music now tell me honestly why you feel so keenly about it well you see frank and I 1 just naturally expected our child would be musical both of our families have more than average talent you know yourself frank plays and sings beautifully and youre a delightful organist violinist and singer ill save your modesty sylvia interrupted laughingly ily and you dreamed of donalds carrying on the tradition you yes the word spoke frustrated hopes now listen to my story sylvia continued do you suppose we expected our marianne to be musical no vick and I 1 do well to farry carry a tune but we thought marianne would be a shining intellectual light perhaps a linguist or historian or scientist look at vicks family of teachers and literary people and if I 1 do say so my lawyer husband is pretty smart phi beta and all that and I 1 well at least my school work was my joy and I 1 was always disappointed if I 1 was not at the head of my class much to our surprise and disappointment however from the time she was a baby marianne showed an entirely different type of mind from ours no logic no reflection no ingenuity hoping to bring out what we could not find we sent her to kindergarten miss meloy the teacher studied every child bare carefully and I 1 marvel yet at her insight one day after several months of school she was having conferences with parents mrs tho thomson amson she said to me you and mariannes mariagnes Mar iannes father are trying to mold her instead of letting her develop in her own way you want her to be a deeply intellectual person marianne has not thit that turn of mind I 1 doubt if she was born to be a great thinker but for a child of her age she has a talent for music and an appreciation of rhythm and beauty that are remarkable develop them that young kindergarten teacher opened our eyes and were trying to follow her advice now about your donald I 1 think he has one of the best minds of all the children I 1 know the way he sizes up a situation and goes logically to a solution is wonderful at play he is the one who devises games and leads dint you see forget his lack of musical genius and help him develop his own particular gifts why the scholarly Thom sons should have a musical daughter and the musical kents a scholarly son is just one of the queer tricks heredity plays martha kent was thou thoughtful hatful to think ive never looked at it that way I 1 wish spoken to me sooner but we arent the only ones dhove erred are we I 1 know a lot of parents who expect their children to be like them I 1 suppose its our egotism national kindergarten association service |