CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 513, 22 April 1949, Page 5

CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

Sir.-Mrs. Macaskill’s talk from 2YA in the Family Guidance series dealing with the psychology of the child raised some doubt for me as to the success her methods will achieve. The particular instance of the child’s outlook being blighted by the mother’s dissuading her from a favourite pastime of playing in mud and water for fear of dirtying herself or her clothes, prompts me to ask Mrs. Macaskill. (1) Is it not true that the training and disciplining of the child begins iat birth and that the infant not ‘being endowed with.a sense of what is good or bad looks to its, parents upon whom rest the daylong responsibility of guidance and instruction whether in the form of discipline or play? If all form of discipline is neglected how much more difficult will be the task of selfdiscipline to the adolescent once the supervision of school years is over. (2) Does this giving in to a whim of mud and water extend to the desire to play with electricity, fire, dangerous tools or eat unsuitable food? Is every denial of a request the start of some "frustration" in the child? (3) We were then

informed that Miss Two-year-old is now allowed to play in her mud and water and as a result is more easily managed in all directions. Would it be such a setback to character building to suggest to the lass, not unkindly, that the clothes take time, and in my case loving care, to make and launder, and there is no need to see how filthy they can be made?

M. E.

TOPLIS

(Kaikohe).