-
They are brought to my studio in all
kinds of mood. Boisterous children. Children crying, laughing, sulking,
eager, suspicious. Happy children. Obstreperous children. Most are a
joy to play with and to photograph. And it must be admitted at once
that these are often the ones whose parents take psychology with a
pinch of salt, or at least keep it in perspective. Many of them would
say that they use 'plain common sense' in bringing up their children.
-
But the percentage of 'difficult'
children seems to increase as the years go by and one is bound to have
doubts as to the success of methods urged by psychologists over quite a
long period. There is little evidence that children are better adjusted
than formerly or, indeed, that the children of an affluent society are
any happier than the underprivileged, sometimes bare foot, children of
yester-year.
We live in a society geared to the needs of the young. The surprising
thing is that so many of them, resisting a positive bombardment of
undesirable influences, grow up unselfish and with some moral
integrity. For most are encouraged to get their own way, by any means
in their power, almost from birth. Any form of control is considered
repressive. And yet I do not think any responsible psychologist has
ever denied the need for discipline for people living together in a
civilized community. 'Freedom of expression' is a phrase used to excuse
bad temper and selfishness. In extreme cases, so called 'progressive'
parents will give junior a hatchet if he expresses a desire to smash up
the piano. After all he is only 'working off his frustrations'. In
their desire to bring up their children in a modern manner, parents
eagerly swallow garbled pop-psychology as served up through the
mass-media, adopting the jargon to impress their friends, and usually
missing the real point of psychology entirely. The most important
lessons of all, tolerance and respect for other people's wishes, are
omitted.
-
While one would not like to see a return
to anything like Victorian heavy- handedness, nevertheless, it is now
obvious that complete lack of control results in more unsure,
frustrated, and discontented children than ever before. Is there any
validity then in the oft-repeated assertion that photographers of
children need to be psychologists?
-
Some fortunate people have the
heaven-sent gift of being able to win the confidence of almost any
child. They regard psychology as so much 'mumbo- jumbo.' They succeed
simply with absolute sincerity and love of children. They have the
ability to make everything into an exciting game and sweep the children
along with them on a wave of fun. I know of one such person who loves
and is loved by all children. In the studio, even the most stubborn of
children respond instinctively to her. She does not 'spoil' them, in
fact she is quite firm, but she generally manages to bring out the best
in them. She would not regard herself as a psychologist, yet she is
probably one of the best. If you have this instinct for handling
children you have no need to read psychology. But you are one of a very
select band. Most of us find the behavior of children inexplicable at
times and turn to psychology for help.
-
Child psychology attempts to explain the
child's behavior and promote understanding. In this it is usually
successful. It is less so, yet, in supplying the answers. For it is a
very young science and psychologists are still experimenting with our
children, liable to reverse an opinion between one book and the next.
Perhaps last year you were told that to say 'No' to a child was to make
him feel unwanted and unloved. The book you are reading now might well
tell you that it is even excusable and natural to lose your temper with
the child. A child psychologist once told me that secretly he felt that
applied psychology was best applied 'to the appropriate part of the
anatomy'. And I confess I have seen the old-fashioned method work
wonders.
-
As soon as you attempt to photograph
children from outside your family circle and especially in the case of
the professional who may have thousands of children brought to his
studio in the course of a year, you will encounter children from a
variety of backgrounds ranging from the most disciplined to the very
'permissive'. An interest in psychological theory will help you to
understand difficult behavior and consequently to be more patient,
provided you remain open-minded about the subject and learn as much as
possible from your experience. The studio provides an opportunity to
observe the various types of reaction by children to the same set of
circumstances. Train yourself to make mental notes and profit from each
new point that arises in the course of each sitting.
|