The herald., 1898-11-10
CHILDREN ARE
EASY TO MANAGE
ssseee . . 90 go

tribute of healthy childhood, and so to en-
gineer this activity that it shall be useful, in.
stead of becoming nuisance, Is one OF the
problems of motherhood. With all the ar,
as they are, idleness is not an element Of
happiness, and the author of the famous
couplet-
Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do
Was a schoolmaster, like most of his fellow
clersymen of that day, and doubtless found
basis for his theory among his pupils.
ing children have usually little idea how
much trouble they might save themselves,
how many moments OF quiet they might Sc
cure, by simply teaching their children to
amuse themselves. OF course, there are
children, and children, even in the same
family; one baby will play happily with
blocks or doll for an hour at time. carrying
on long conversations with itself, and max
ing believe" whole romances in infantile ex-
perience, while another tires of the toy in a
few minutes, and sets up the fretful cry OF
MAMA"
But just as the little ones may be trained
from babyhood in habits Of order, by requir-
ing them to put away ,their, playthings as
soon as they are physically able to pick them
up, just so they may be trained to self suf-
Gciency in after life by educating the habit
of self-resource in infancy.
The 3-year-old grows weary of her picture
book quickly, perhaps when looking at it
alone, and throws it down. You are tired,
probably;. never mind, stop minute in the
task you long to finish. How many people
are in the picture. You take the small
fingers in your own, and they are counted
one by one What else? Dog or cat; what
are they all doing? Are they indoors or
outside? 1t will not take many such les
sons before the 3-year-old learns to study
pictures, and reads their story instead of
glancng at them carelessly. And this of
itself is great point gained. No one who
looks at painting as merely an image has
worthy the name tells a story in each of his
pictures. Besides this, the baby is taught
to count, and the faculty of observation, an
invaluable one, is strengthened and culti-
waited by exercise.
1t is often said that the children of the
present day have too much done for them,
and the most plausible objection to kinder
garten training is that the pupil wants ats to be
done to" all the time, like child who has
learned to walk in a go-cart, and refuses to
step alone. To this the answer is easy.
Every good thing is susceptible of abuse.
The object of kindergarten training is to
teach the child the proper use of its faculties
where they become dependent upon the
teacher, and the system, that system IS over
done. The most valuable lesson which can
be taught child is the lesson of self-reli-
ance, and the fact that the children of the
rich so rarely learn this, goes far to balance
the inequality between them and the chill
dren of the poor, when it comes to contest
in the arena of life.
Costly TOYS are not necessary, indeed 1t is
doubtful whether they are desirable. The
country boy with his train of make-believe
cars, common blocks picked up in carpen-
to, eb0y, xx-bo n SnOOl does dnt Y
as smokestack for the engine, and a paper
candlelighter represents the smoke thereof,
has Just as much fun, if not more, as the city
lad whose perfect train was purchased at
the more expensive toyshop in town.
Mammals button box, that indispensable
institution in every well regulated family,
NAV be made a source of endless entertain
ment when the children, like the Marchion,
ess, are able to make believe very much. y
Stringing, counting and sorting these are
minor diversions which any bright boy OF
girl will devise, but there are others.
We have seen it pour forth an army, which
marshaled into companies and regiments,
marched and countermarched, fought bat
ties, went into winter quarters, or drilled
half the day at the will of the boy, whose
vivid imagination had transformed them
into soldiers.
Another time the buttons did duty as a
congregation, ranged neatly in pews. while
ter of the congregation, the upturned box
serving him for pulpit, while the boy
preached the sermon which he was sup
posed to deliver. Yet again the box was
transformed into Noah's ark and the but
tons answered for the. animals, which
day afternoon the interest of this last
amusement was increased by the suggestion
of the boys mother that the clean animals
and the fowls of the air went in by sevens,
and the study caused by this suggestion
went far to increase the boys store of
knowledge, both of Biblical and natural his
tory.
A good-sized table is an almost indispen-
sable article of furniture in a nursery. 1t
had better not be handsome; plain deal,
which scratches will not injure and which
may be scrubbed as often as necessary,
will answer every purpose. At this table
the children should be taught to play. Cut
the legs off to make it low enough and give
each child kindergarten chair, with two
or three others for visitors. Picture books