CHILDREN'S FEARS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1930, Page 19

CHILDREN'S FEARS

Childish fears are magnified in the quiet hours when lights are extinguished; or dim flicker from candle or safetylight throws fantastic shadows around the chamber, says a writer in an exchange. The moth flitting about the room, the creaking furniture, the tapping of the twig upon the window pane, the dark corner, or the "something-under-the bed" feeling can in a child's vivid imagination, be turned into monsters. Pear, when/once established, is difficult to remove; no one in charge of children should ever try to "frighten" them, for the consequences may be Berious; the nurse who talks of ghosts and horrid creatures has mistaken her vocation in life. Some of us in our efforts to keep our children from . danger cause them unnecessary fear. Too many of us without reason picture to our children terrible things that may. happen to them if they disobey our special commands— just modern versions of "the Black Douglas" of old who awaited naughty children. Long after we havo forgotten our hasty words the brains of our littlo ones may still be dwelling upon them, and *we perhaps ask ourselves why the children are so nervy. It is imperative that we should weigh our words before threatening boys and girls, for if we have aroused their interest at all, we may be sure they are "taking everything in." In the bedroom wo can prove to Tommy that the cupboard contains no "bogey"; we can show the offending twig; the ugly face on the wall will disappear if we move the light, and most of the noises can be explained away ii we take the trouble. We should deal very sympathetically with the child who runs in terror from imaginary danger, who thinks the dog will bite, or who cries in alarm when some unusual noise disturbs the stillness of the night. To punish _ a child for being afraid is most unwise, for courage is a mental attribute. Mental discipline will, however, work wonders, and it is this special discipline that our timid children require. Only by removing, the causes which affright children can we give them that peace of mind so essential to their toue development.