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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1963)
Raise Your Child's IQ (Continued fi His efforts to make himself less vulnerable and less anxious can be seen in the clumsy efforts of a two-year-old to tie his own shoelaces. He is often insistent, pushing away the parent who wants to do it for him. The more things he can do for himself, the safer he feels. . This continued striving to lessen anxiety by mastering problems as they arise is the basis of all learning. By the age of four or five, a child finds that he can still further lesaen his depend ence on his parents by winning approval of children his own age. He does this by competing with them in the mastery of problems in other words, by learning. The five-year-old who can climb highest in a tree or ride his tricycle fastest or dress himself finds he likes himself better and usually gets more approval. In the process of mastering the problems that arise in childhood, he gradually learns to be ob servant and curious, to work alone without con stant prodding and praise, to plan ahead, and to acquire the self-confidence that will help him master the more complex problems of school and adult life. In short, he learns how to learn. All children start out in life as risers. But in many, the initial drive to independence is some how frustrated. Instead of learning how to re duce anxiety and find emotional comfort by tackling problems, their experience teaches them that it is safer to duck the problems and call on someone else to solve them. Lesson No. 1 to be learned from the Fels study is: support your child in his own spon taneous effort to do things for himself. But be sure that they are within his limits. Pushing too hard is as discouraging as overprotection. IN A few homes studied by the Fels research ers, children were handicapped by having re sponsibilities thrust upon them before they were ready to handle them. In one family the deci sions were theoretically determined by the group. At a tender age, the children were given an equal voice in family councils. These children developed great anxiety along with considerable hostility toward their parents. Farm children, who were given chores and re sponsibilities in accordance with their develop ing abilities, showed the most consistent growth in self-reliance and mastery, and most went on to achieve success 'in careers. The farm families treated their offspring not as adults but as children who would someday become adults. "Just love your child and everything will be all right," parents are sometimes told. The Fels study shows that the solution isn't that simple. There are two main ways of loving a child. One is as an extension of one's self. The child can only please the parent by doing as the parent wishes or letting the parent act for or through him. This promotes dependency. The other way of loving a child is as an indi vidual in his own right. The child loved in this way finds that he can best please his parents by using his abilities. While protected from dan ger and rash behavior, he is allowed much free dom of movement and initiative. He can em bark on projects of his own without too much in sistence on adult standards of excellence or use fulness or "finishing what you start." So do you want to raise your child's IQ? Then encourage your child's strivings for greater in dependence and self-sufficiency. Recognize and respect his growing ability to function inde pendently of you and to master situations on his own. This attitude will not only raise his in tellectual ability but will give him the basis of a sound personality and good mental health. BRINGING UP BABY HINTS COLLECTED BY MRS. DAN GERBER, MOTHER OF FIVE Home is where the heart is happy V ' y : ..- A ..f . vt. 1 f I LXL 1 1 'f J-'Vtf ' fv km l Itt tm, 'YA M Your baby's playpen is his own little "home within a home." If it's kept a happy haven he'll find contentment (not resentment) there. Happifying hints: If you change the location of the playpen from time to time, baby will enjoy the change of scenery. Frequent smiling visits from you make pen time a social time. The pen should never be used as a punishment for a minor misdeed of an older tot. Most acceptable playpen times are those when baby's - on his best behavior. A happy home is equipped with things to look at, listen to and do. Bright objects tied to pen, or Gerber Swiss Bells strung across pen, will enchant your baby. A daily change of do-something toys will keep an extra-active baby busy. P.S. A well-timed snack will often forestall fussing. Gerber Juices are good for this. An older tyke will like Gerber Cookies with his juice. Table talk. Your baby's in for a double dividend in pleasure and nourishment with Gerber Oatmeal or Mixed Cereal with Applesauce and Bananas. First, the flavors are subtly lip-smacking . . . the texture marvelously moist and smooth. Second, iron and important B-vitamins contribute to the nutritional goodness of these palatable cereal surprises in jars. Serve "as is" or top with a bit of milk. There will probably be summons for seconds. Enough's enough. Some babies, like the take-it-easy type, may be content to put in regular playpen time even after they toddle. Inquisitive babies often rebel at the pen as soon as they creep. Important thing to remember is that when dissatisfaction at being cooped up becomes a constant thing, it's not wise to keep your darling confined for prolonged periods. Tasteful topics. Most people like fruit, and babies are no exception. Gerber Strained and Junior Fruits are so downright delicious, they've won more popularity contests than you can imagine. There's a good reason why. It's because they're flash-cooked to preserve Mother Nature's sun-kissed flavor-goodness and lively colors. Great when served straight. Doubly appealing when used as a topping for Gerber Vanilla Custard Pudding. For your baby's welt-being: Gerber prepares over 100 baby foods-infant formulas, cereals, strained and junior foods-to meet your baby's nutritional needs. We're proud to say: "Babies are our business . . . our only business I I Gerber I CEREALS QERBER BABY FOODS HOX72, FREMONT. MICH.
