Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-29
BEST PLAY ALONE.
Children Are Happiest if They Learn
by Themselves.

If children were more often taught 10
amuse themselves fewer would be so spoiled
and whining would decrease. The instant a
child ceases to use his own little resources
for amusement. or If these have never been
developed. 1t becomes absolutely necessary
that an infants time shall be occupied by
another person. else he is so miserable and
unhappy as to make himself Ill.
This extreme seldom arrives, of course
because long before it could some one has
taken pity upon the lonely and unhappy
little youngster and found something for
him to do. Thus is the child appeased at
the expense of time and thought not TO
mention nervous energy, of another who
should. be either putting this force In an
other direction or saving ii.
Teaching child to amuse itself is neither
the hopeless nor long task that some per-
sons may think. They are clever, these
children. and will rarely look after their
own diversions If they can find some one
to do II for them. Therefore the first and
most difficult thing to impress upon one is
that he must play for himself, doing not
only that, but deciding upon the form OF
play. 1t takes persistence and patience to
do this. but the end more than justifies the
effort.
child too young to select his own toys
should not be put in the middle of the floor
and told to do something. That is unrea-
sonable. Until such time as he can make
a selection unaided he should be helped,
out from the earliest llfle IL DdDy Oh rev
months makes a choice. Give him a ball.
rattle, woody sheep and something else all
at once. and he will select one and play with
1t. AS he grows older the preference con-
tinues, that If child is put on the floor
he may be given several playthings and viii
take what he wishes. He should then be
made to play with it-that is to say, at
tention should be paid to him by any one
and after time he will learn that unless
he takes the playthings at hand and plays
by himself there will De no amusement.
AS soon as a child is old enough to walk
and understand he can be sent to his own
room and told to find something to do. The
phrase may be repeated TO him day after
day until he learns what ii really means.
His nurse or mother may make a sugges-
ton as to what the amusement should be,
but If she wishes to bring up a resoureeful
child she will let him alone after that to
originate and work out his own little ideas.
While he is doing il the maid or parent is
free to do her own work or look after other
matters and the child is far happier than
if he were whining and dragging at some
ones petticoats waiting to be amused.
Those toys that child can make things
with are by far the best for one who
amuses himself. Colored pencils and few
pieces of paper furnish enjoyment for sew
eral hours So does paint box, and blocks,
though old are still amusing. The taste of
each child should be studied a little by the
mother until she learns whether he would
rather paint or hammer, and when she
finds out this. his natural bent, the things
that he can use it with should be wen.
There should be some variety about them,
too. Then leave him alone to amuse him
self It's no use to say he can't or doesn't
know how He will learn when he finds
no one pays any attention to him, though
II may take days for him to be quite con-
WINGED of this.