Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-24
THE KINDERGARTEN.
ONE WOMAN WHO THINKS THE SYS-
 ITEM HAS SERIOUS FAULTS.

Children Get the Idea That There Is Noth- ing Serious In Life, and They Get Into
 the Habit of Expecting to Be Always
 Amused-other Objections.
 It Is a brave woman who nowadays dares to declare herself as out of sympathy with the Kindergarten and its methods in even slight degree. If with the courage of her convictions she does now and then venture an independent opinion, she is morally certain beforehand that she will be set down as a benighted heather by her bosom friend and her next door neigh bor alike. Nevertheless, liko alIquestions of any importanco there are two sides to be considered. .s ,s
 think every one must acknowledge the general superiority of the spirit of the gentle Frebel's methods to the stern, in flexible law of blind obedience which sob-A tained two or three generations ago. and perhaps if we err today it is safer error into which we have fallen than that, of which our grandmothers were innocentlys guilty so many years ago. But it is none the less true that there is much which is faulty in our training of children, today, and for large part of it the kindergar- ten, as we have it in its practical results, is responsible, however beautiful itsthe- ories may be.
 In the first place,s although it isfsup- posed to have an exactly opposite effect, it gets children in the way of expecting to be entertained quite too much and makes them dependent for their amusement on their teachers and parents. This defeats the very object which the kindergarten is striving to attain, which is to make the child independent, fertile in resources within itself
 I have observed this one result in chill dren again and again and do not recall single instance where the child has gained fin self reliance.
 gain, there is tendency that children may get the idea that there is nothing seri- ous in life; that it is all one big joke, and, while in ono way it is quite desirable to mako everything pleasant for children and to keep the seriousness out of life as long as possible for them, still it is equally de- sirable for them to learn that there are times when 1t is necessary to obey at once and quickly, without stopping to reason, coax and explain, even though the reasons arc afterward to be told them.
 The free kindergarten, where the chill dren of the poor are gathered in, and where they have an opportunity to learn beautiful thoughts and ideas such as they never could have gained in their own wretched homes, is an institution whose power for good cannot be overestimated, and for such little ones it is priceless blessing. But for the fortunate children who have good homes and refined, Chris tian parents 1t seems to me in very many cases almost if not quito unnecessary The mother, if she will can bring out the same beautiful ideas in the training of her own child, and because she knows it's na- ture so thoroughly she can do infinitely moro than tho teacher. If the training at home Is wrong, the kindergarten will not make 1t right, but If the really beautiful ideas and principles of the kindergarten are carried out in Christian homes by Christian parents. the results are most sat isfactory.
 very often see mothers who spend al most enough time going back and forth to kindergarten with their little toddlers to teach them all the pretty ideas which they are supposed to learn, and often ill much more practical way. One lady of my ac- quaintance is so enthusiastic on the sub- jeot that, besides sending all three of her little ones, sho further tries to carry out some of the fine theories by keeping her children entirely by themselves outside of Kindergarten hours They arc not even allowed to play with the little flock be- longing to her next door neighbor, and happen to know that these are better be- haved than her own.
 A short timo ago her eldest boy was for the first time permitted to go to school and to mingle with other children of his own age. Tho mother conseentiously be- lieves that she has been doing her whole duty by her boy, and that in being thus particular about his very carly training she has now brought him to an age when he may safely try his wings alone. With no preparation to withstand outside innu- ences he has all of sudden been allowed to hop out of the homo nest, and the re- suit is that he is so beside himself with delight at being allowed to play with other children, their pastimes and practical ideas arc all so very new to him, that he acts like wild thing set free. Ho causes his teacher an immense amount of trouble md is In fact. very naughty boy, refus- ing to obey unless explicit reasons are as- signed and each day having to be coaxed and persuaded in one way or another to do what thesother children do as matter of course.
 It-will perhaps be said in reply that this does not alter the truth of the theory, which is true enough, but 1t is one of many cases which go to prove that kindergarten training in its practical results is open to very many serious objections. My own little boy has so often seen children be- . having in a way which seems wholly at varianca with his ideas of what is right and respectful that he is firm in the belief tbat these objectionable things have all been taught them at kindergarten, even though have tried hard to convince him of his orror We have what we call our '.home kindergarten, which is pleasant and profitable to us both and am sure it does not take as much of my time as many of my friends and neighbors spend