Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 277, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1916 — TRAINING TODAY'S BOYS AND GIRLS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TRAIN ING TODAY'S BOYS AND GIRLS

Children Often Are Fatigued Without Feeling Tired.

IT MAY MAKE THEM RESTLESS

Parents Should Learn to Dlatlngulsh Between Thla Condition and Naughtiness—Marked by Lack of Concentration.

» By SIDONIE M. GRUENBERQ.

TO SAY that a child is fatigued but does not feel tired may seem like splitting hairs or defining the use of the scientists’ newfangled words. But there is a real difference between being fatigued and feeling tired, and It Is well for parents to know how It applies to their children. When one feels tired he knows It and usually takes the next opportunity for rest or sleep. Young children show by their behavior that they do not feel energetic enough to go on with the work or play in hand when they feel tired. And it is thus a comparatively simple matter to provide the conditions for suitable recovery from the “tired feeling.” It is an unusually inexperienced person that would not be able to distinguish between the actions of a “naughty” child and those of a really tired child. It is different, however, when It comes to dealing with a child that suffers from what the physiologists <jall “chronic fatigue,” Such a child, instead of preferring rest and quiet, is likely to be constantly restless and eager for something to do or for some new adventure. He is not likely to stick very long to any occupation or game, and his eagerness for something new is not satisfied, but continues to reject every novelty to his Insatiable search for something else. A little girl of eight who is ordinarily capable of working at a single task for from twenty to sixty minutes at a stretch showed her fatigued condition one morning by doing all of these things in much less than half an hour. She jumped about aimlessly until directed to find something to play with. She took down her little express wagon and pulled it at full speed up and down the road several times, finally abandoning it in the middle of the roadway. She declared she would go rowing, went down to the boat and sat there several minutes, swaying to and fro, without pushing the boat into the water. She ran up to the house and asked for materials to write a letter to her cousin; by the time she had paper and pen she had changed her mind and decided to cut out some paper dolls. She nearly finished one doll and shifted to a box of puzzle pictures, which she left without making any progress. The characteristic thing about the conduct of a child that Is “fatigued” is the lack of concentration. This shows itself not only in the rapid shifting of interest and activity, but also in the inability to attend eonsecu-

tively to conversation or study, and In school It Is one of the common causes? of “inattention.” The connection between fatigue and this shiftiness or inattention lies in the fact that the child has lost the ability to resist Impulses. Every sensation, every suggestion, every thought that pops into his head impels him to a new line of action, and he Is too feeble to do anything but obey the impulse. We know that the trained person, the "able” person. Is Just the one who selects what sights and what sounds he will attend to, what impulses he will obey and what ones he will ignore. To make this selection requires experience, and a large part of our training consists of training in this kind of selection. Moreover, the selection requires energy, and this the over-fatigued child cannot command. Certain types of children are much more likely than others to acquire this state of chronic fatigue. The very sensitive child is most likely of all to develop the condition, because here every sensation starts an impulse that either produces some muscular action, or It stretches the muscles without leading to any obvious movements. In either case the muscles are actually expending energy in a way that contributes to the fatigue. Not only impulses that come from the outside through the senses, but the wanderings of his own imagination are likely to start muscular contractions that add to the fatigue without seeming to produce any “real work.” In addition to these sources of wasted energy,

snch a child is of th* kind that d oa§ not "know when to stop." It is therefor* partlcularty important that those who have the care of a child should know when to mate Mm stop. And It Is for this kind of child that we often need to devise interestlng and restful occupation*. An experienced teacher made the observation that certain of her pupils showed on first coming to school In the morning that they had before them a restless and unprofitable day. On comparing notes with the parents she found that the restless day in school was also the irritable and “naughty" day at home. She then wished that school work could be so arranged aa to permit her to relieve the fatigued child of the usual program, and let him spend his time more profitably in the shop or laboratory, or the pinyground, or perhaps the library. Even a vigorous and exhausting turn In the gymnasium, until the child 1* "good and tired” and feels like taking a rest, is to be preferred to the aimless and disconnected fldgetlngs. It will no doubt be a long time before the schools can undertake to adjust their daily work to the varying needs of each Individual child. But It Is certainly not too much to expect th* home to take not* of the more common symptoms of chronic fatigue, and to

adjust itself accordingly. In addition to restlessness, irritability and lack of concentration, the child’s fatigued coo* dltion may sometimes show Itself In uneasy sleep, or in lack of appetite, or la general languor. When any of these symptoms show themselves It Is well to Increase the amount of sleep adding an afternoon nap where possible. The attention of an adult who can help to hold the child’s Interest In some continuoui occupation and the removal as far as possible of all distractions would be helpful.

Distinguish Between Actions of a Naughty and a Tired Child.

Th« Irritable and Naughty Day at Home. • . §