10 SEPTEMBER 1948, Page 26

THIS is the republication of a series of questions about

children sent in to The Nursery World, with Dr. Isaacs's answers to them. They necessarily make desultory reading, but Dr. Isaacs has grouped them under themes—Jealousy, Destructiveness, Relationship with Parents, and so on. The method of taking individual cases means that a good deal of reading must be done before the principles emerge ; but each of these cases is a typical if small family drama and there will be practical help for most parents in some part or other of Dr. Isaacs's advice. The principles that emerge are that a child should be treated with the same fairness, tolerance and politeness as are accorded to adults ; fhat force and punishment should be avoided, and that allow- ance should be made for the child's difficulties, especially his strong feelings untempered by knowledge or experience. Since growing np

is so full of stress anyhow, " every possible care should be taken to make the situation easy for the child." Dr. Isaacs has years of experience bZhind her ; she has seen that her advice " works." This within its limits is a wise and excellent book.