MAKE-BELIEVE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 27, 1 August 1923, Page 16

MAKE-BELIEVE

THE FOOLISHNESS OF FOOLING CHILDREN.

As children most of us have heard the grown-up edict-Teasing is good o?VT • LiUle Sirls who explain of the teasing ways of brothers find thi a their only consolation, writes "Femina" n the Sydney-Sun," and with advanc ing years both boys and girls find the sentence following them into the maelStrom of school vexations and troubles lo a certain extent the idea is right. Judicious teasing may laugh children out of their fears, help them to conquer self-consciousness and vanity, and teach them to look with more courage and humour on the difficulties of life. Unfortunately, teasing is too often injudicious when indulged in by unthinking'people. Women who are not mothers and confess their inability to understand the ]uvenil» mind frequently adopt a bantering lone without reflecting whether wie cnild a temperament is suited to it „?, pr^*\ce may be a dangerous one if the child happens to be sensitive and highly-strung. Once I heard a woman teasing a small girl on the subject of a new baby brother, spinning her a long and wouldbe humorous tale of the tricks the baby got up to when he was left alone. The child was sufficiently intelligent to realise that the story was untrue, but she •was obviously puzzled to discoveV why a grown-up should tell her untruths It is safe to predict that she will never trust that woman again, for her faith m grown-up veracity has been shaken. The mistrust may have spread to parents and older people who have charge of her. In a casu like this it is difficult to undo the mischief caused by a thoughtless woman, who in answer to a tentative criticism of her imprudence merely laughed, and said she "adored teasing Molly because her eyes got so big and unbelieving." \ A child's trust' is far too precious a thing to be lightly destroyed. The small mind that finds so many things puzzling must find it very hard to know when things are true and when they are not. After a time comes the inevitable reasoning—why should she be punished for telling a story when grown-up people, who are supposed to be omnipotent, are allowed full license? The make-believe of fairies and _ Father Christmas and all the dear ' imaginations of childhood are to be encouraged as long as possible, for their influence is 'all for the good in moulding the child's future character. But when it comes to the plain facts of everyday life let us keep to the unvarnished truth at all costs, and not bowilder the baby mind with the intricacies of teasing.