The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-01-22
For Household Department.:
Teaching Our Children.


There is no mother living who does not
feel. during the infancy of her little tots
especially the girls, that she is going to
make model children of them. I ask, how
many accomplish itf Do we not daily see
the want of this training, on every side?
To my mind comes the thought that it is a
lack of knowledge on the part of mother as
to the proper time to begin this training.
Some one has said to begin to train your
children 100 years back. This I take to
mean, begin with yourself, see that you
have good habits, cultivate the germ of
promptness In everything. Nearly all
mothers of this age are dependent more or
less upon these little tots for help and it
should be one of the reasons why the best
methods ought to be practiced, to say moth
ing of the duty of the child to it's mother.
Some one has asked, Where one is OBJ
liged to depend on the little ones for help,
how can we teach them to do their work
well and to love it besides? Nothing wor-
ries me more than to see children have to
be driven to work they despise, and nothing
makes child dislike work more than to be
compelled to do it. 1t pays any one to 20
to any amount of trouble to make their
work interesting, and at the same time
teach them to remember without being told
every time they have the same duty to per-
form. Their memories are short, and any
child is needless at times. I find that any
thing told in the way of story, or, as ''my
mother told me to do when I was a little
girl" is always remembered, while doz ems
of things that merely tell my little girl to
do will be forgotten, and they must be
shown how again. She loves dish washing.
but have always taken particular pains to
get her to take pride IN shining glassware,
clean dishes and brighten knives, forks
spoons. etc.
When cleaning off the dishes, how many
times have seen the knives, forks and
spoons taken up in bunch and laid on the
table cloth, covered with gravy, butter.
molasses, or anything that will make
dreadful looking mess, and the plates piled
in heap, with bits of food between them,
that should have been removed and put
away with other little odds and ends to feed
chickens or pigs.
Plenty OF hot water, trif1e of soap and
clean towels will make any child love the
work, when compared to the nasty mess of
lukewarm water filed with bits of food;
no soap, no hot water for rinsing, and tow
els stiff from manya previous dish wiping,
from which the dishes emerge with a feeling
on them that makes ones hair rise to touch
them, and dishcloth so greasy that the
grease will run through ones fingers when
attempting to wiring it out. Who could ex-
pect child to love such a way of work. g :?
1t is not best to have them do the same
kind of work too often. Vary their tasks.
One morning give them the sitting room to
clean, or bedroom, or let them take the
cellar work and attend to the milk once in
while. They will feel very proud to be
trusted, and any new work is an especial
treat. Never put work on them too hard
for their strength.
Be liberal with praises. A bright len cent
piece adds charm to many an otherwise
dull day to little girl or boy, who is good
to help mamma. have Often pitied my
little boy because he wished so much to
help me, and there was nothing for him to
do. When teaching my little girl to sweep,
said to hei: Nellie, my mother always
told me whe ms weeping a room, to be care