How to Know Your Child

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915 edition. Excerpt: ...fork, knife and spoon properly, sat up straight and was extremely neat in taking her food--she ate without pleasure; she was spiteful in little matters; she refused to eat certain things and to comply with certain requests, it seemed, for the sheer pleasure of doing the opposite of what was asked of her. Heloise gave the impression that at any moment she was likely to explode; and I felt the tense fear of the nurse and mother of the gunpowder of the child's "nervousness." Later I had a chance to observe Heloise at play in her perfect nursery. There, as at the table, she seemed to spend her imagination and strength in opposition and rebellion rather than to use them in happy, constructive expression. She would demand half a dozen things at a time, which were handed to her promptly and graciously by her nurse; she would look at a box of blocks, upset them--perhaps start stringing beads and do that for a few minutes--then take her colored crayons, scrawl over a few pieces of paper--then go for the next thing. And so on, getting no value or pleasure out of her playthings and continually growing more irritated with them and with the nurse and mother. This behavior suggested to me what was the real person behind this unpleasant child, and also what was the matter. A later experience confirmed my impression and gave me the key to the girl's character. After Heloise and I became better acquainted, I invited her to play in my play-group--an informal organization under my direction where children play freely and independently under the guidance of a director who makes it her business to be just a playmate, one of the group. Heloise quickly found herself at home in it, keenly enjoying its freedom; she played with abandon, yet was gracious and kind...