st be promptly changed and his
audience removed. He needs solitude and quiet. This does not mean
shutting him into a closet, but leaving him alone in a quiet room,
with plenty of pleasant things about. This gives an opportunity for
the disturbed organism to right itself, and for the will to recover
its normal tone. Some occupation should be at hand--blocks or other
toys, if he is too young to read; a good book or two, such as Miss
Alcott's "Little Men" and "Little Women," when he is old enough to
read.

If he is destructive in his passion, he must be put in a room where
there are very few breakables to tempt him. If he does break anything
he must be required to help mend it again. To shout a threat to this
effect through the door when the storm of temper is still on, is only
to goad him into fresh acts of rebellion. Let him alone while he is in
this temporarily insane state, and later, when he is sorry and wants
to be good, help him to repair the mischief he has wrought. It is as
foolish to argue with or to threaten the child in this state as it
would be were he a patient in a lunatic asylum.

It is sometimes impossible to get an older child to go into retreat.
Then, since he cannot be carried, and he is not open to remonstrance
or commands, go out of the room yourself and leave him alone there. At
any cost, loneliness and quiet must be brought to bear upon him.

Such outbursts are exceedingly exhausting, using up in a few minutes
as much energy as would suffice for many days of ordinary activity.
After the attack the child needs rest, even sleep, and usually seeks
it himself. The desire should be encouraged.

[Sidenote: Precautions to be Taken]

Every reasonable precaution should be taken against the recurrence of
the attacks, for every lapse into this excited state makes him more
certain the next lapse and weakens the nervous control. This does not
mean that you should give up any necessary or right regulations for
fear of the child's temper. If the child sees that you do this, he
will on occasion deliberately work himself up into a passion in order
to get his own way. But while you do not relax any just regulations,
you may safely help him to meet them. Give him warning. For instance,
do not spring any disagreeable commands upon him. Have his duties as
systematized as possible so that he may know what to expect; and do
not under any circumstances nag him nor allow other children to tease
him.

SULLENNES