Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-29
MOSES r. WAITER, SOLICITOR,
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INACTIVE CHILDREN
Should Be Urged to Play, and Kept
Interested in TOYS

Normally healthy children should not be
listless. and any lassitude not caused by
illness should be corrected by parents i'm
mediately. though not by punishment, for
If allowed to develop as the child grows
1t will prove a drag to ambition and in
time create a spirit of laziness that is
difficult to overcome, at least this is the
opinion of the house physician in a babies
hospital.
LAS soon as an infant Is old enough to
want to play parents or nurses should
study the little ones attitude toward its
toys. and If the child shows lack of inter-
est in its rattle. doll or blocks then some
other plaything should be found that will
be appreciated by the youngster," she
says. Frequently a baby appears listless
because there are no little brothers or sis
ters to play with. and when such is the
case the mother or nurse should make
every, effort to amuse the child, for II 1t
Is allowed to sit and NOPE when 1t should
be interested and active the baby Is de-
prived of Development that -rightfully be-
longs to 1t. But aside from the growth
that naturally comes with toys and play
the little one who Is interested in nothing
is almost bound to become an indolent.
unambitious youth or maiden, who is dis
satisfied with everything and a pronounced
pessimist.
That a mother-even an inexperienced
one-should ever mistake the listlessness
play is hardly possible. so l think it is not
necessary to mention it here. for If baby
seems determined not to lie still on the
floor or sit quietly on chair it usually
shows by its flushed cheeks or hot head
that it is not in good physical condition.
But with listlessness that shows from
day to day when a succession of new toys
or games fail to rouse any interest there
can be no mistake that the little one needs
to be reused out of itself and saved from
developing into brooding and unambi-
tious boy or girl. 1 feel confident that this
indifferent attitude toward play and amuse-
ment Is an inherited tendency, just as
am convinced that the saying. L was born
tired is literally truea Fortunately, with
persuasion, patience and doing every pos
sible thing to rouse such child to action
the Hstlessness may in time be conquered
and an indolent .youngster developed into
an active and ambitious girl or boy. 80
ITO rouse interest in such an infant or
young child Its tastes must be studied
closely. and II bit of candy, piece of
apple or a certain kind of picture book
pleases. then every effort should be made to
give 1t these things as often as Is con-
venient and practicable. AS 1t grows old
enough to comprehend some reward should
be held out for playing a game 1t does not
like, or the promise that 1t may have a
new toy or be taken to some place of
amusement will often do wonders toward
dispelilng this Indifference.
Parents should never make the mis-
take of Furnishing children who are list
less. for in all cases treated in this way
the results are apt to be disastrous, and
instead of helping the little ones to over
come this misfortune a whipping scold-
ing makes them sullen in addition to be-
ing Indifferent. l know of several children
who have developed into really lazy young
men and women who might have been am
bilious had their parents not insisted upon
scolding and Furnishing them when they
were small because of listlessness.
Frequently children who are active at
play develop most pronounced indiffer-
ence amounting almost to laziness when
asked to do some trifiing duty about the
house. or 1t may be that they daily over
their lessons, or when getting bathed or
dressed. So
to shirk the. best method of helping them
to overcome 1t is to offer a prize II the
duty is performed within a certain time
limit. or If there are two or more little folk
get them to race when going on errands
or doing some task about the house.
MANY cases of listlessness are over
come by the appreciation of parents in any,
thing the little child attempts to do; if, for
instance, the youngster starts to build a
house of blocks and runs to it's mother
and asks her look. she should never fail
to stop and notice the work of the baby
and compliment 1t, too for these little
children fairly grow under praise. while
without it know of many ambitious little
ones who have become really Indifferent
about toys and games.
Small girls and boys who are naturally
active are frequently made positively in
different, If not almost listless, by nagging
parents. who spoil all childish impulses to
play by always saying don't Even an
enthusiastic youngster will be made self
conscious and uncomfortable and the de-
sire for active play lessened If Its mother
says Don't sit on the floor. you will soil
your frock:' or Don't run so hard, you
will get overheated and take cold b"