Dr. Clyde M. Narramore, iduate of Columbia Uni versity, New York City, is xhologist and Consultant ¡n Research and Guidance h one of the largest school systems in America.
When several adults live in one home, it is only natural for them to all give orders to a small child. The youngster becomes confused in know ing just what he should and shouldn’t do and the stress and strain of it all causes him to stutter. Children sometimes have difficulty in speech when they don’t get enough sleep. You might take a look at his sleep habits and decide whether or not he is over-stimulated and not get ting sufficient rest. Very commonly children who stut ter have parents who are too strict. When boys and girls are unable to measure up to the standards which their parents set for them, it is a very natural thing for them to stutter be cause they are frustrated. I would suggest that you arrange to have your child play frequently with other children. This will give him emotional release and will put him at ease. It will help him gain confidence. You might take more time playing with him yourselves. Stutterers usually feel that people don’t have time for them. Closely connected with the fore going thoughts is that of trying to have him “ show off.” It may be that you are asking him to sing, re cite or do other things for people to impress them with his cuteness and brightness. Such practices are very often devastating to a small child. It is usually damaging to a stut terer to have people laugh at him, calling attention to the fact that he is “different.” You should be sym pathetic and patient, making sure that you do not make fun of his speech difficulty. Refrain from talk ing about his stuttering when you are in his presence. In conclusion I should say that good, regular spiritual experiences will cause your son to be self-con fident and happy. Teach him about the Lord and tell him how much God loves him. Read Bible stories to him every day and teach him to
pray. This will give him inner peace and will do much toward relieving him of stresses and strains that might be causing him to stutter. Santa Claus Q. Do you think Christian parents should teach their children to believe in Santa Claus? A. No. Why teach children lies? Of course there are some parents who foolishly believe that teaching their children about Santa Claus helps them with their discipline prob lems around Christmas time. They say, “ If you aren’t good, Santa won’t bring you anything.” Such discipline is poor, even at Christmas. Children who are taught to believe in Santa usually put him and Jesus in the same category. This is most unwise! I’ve known a number of peo ple who, when they were children, were told that Santa was real, but when they grew older and learned the truth, they refused to believe in Jesus either. In one particular case a little girl learned to believe in Jesus just as she believed in Santa Claus. When she was seven years old she was told that there was no real Santa. Therefore, she decided there must not be any real Jesus; and as a result, she rebelled against the truth until she was an adult. Santa Claus? Yes, tell your chil dren that he is a make-believe person —but don’t paint a false picture. Con fidence is never built on falsehoods. Happiness at Christmas is not de pendent upon Santa, but rather, upon a vital faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sing the beautiful carols with your children. Explain the meaning of the words. Tell the wondrous story! Build the manger scene. Tell them of Christ’s love!
Severe Punishment Q. What happens to a boy six years of age whose parents, especially his father, always punish him severely? He is a very bright child but is afraid of his dad. A. Such treatment is usually an in dication of a maladjustment on the part of the parent who punishes se verely. In other words, he is prob ably taking his maladjustment out on his own child. This is regrettable because it prevents a youngster from developing into a fine, wholesome adult who has a positive outlook on life. Severe punishment causes children to lose confidence in their parents so that the parents cannot have the good influence on them that they should. Furthermore, it will probably cause the child to lose confidence in him self. People develop confidence by being successful and being recognized by adults, especially their parents. A child who is whipped too much will soon learn that he is not loved and appreciated and that he is not worthy of commendable attention. Of course the home is a place of habit formation and children do need definite boundaries and consistent, sensible discipline. However, parents are sometimes apt to follow the Bib lical instruction of “ children obey your parents” but completely forget God’s teaching, “parents provoke not your children to wrath.” Certainly the two go together and provide a fine balance in raising children. Stuttering Q. Just recently our three-and-one- half-year-old boy has begun to stutter. He has never done this before and we are wondering what might have caused it. A. Stuttering is usually an indication of undue stress and strain. It may be that your boy isn’t in the best of health. This would certainly affect his speech. Does he have too many bosses?
Readers are invited to submit questions which will 'be answered in future issues. Address questions to Dr. Clyde M. Narramore, King's Business, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California. — ED.
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