Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-02-15
Tho First Year in School.

ny GOili -. vi. A.t VA liAn -
World.
The child frequently is not a judge OF
what IL the best thing to be done in school
any more than he is a Judge OF h he
should eat or wear. TIL parent who
would not think of allowing her child to
choose the clothing to be worn at school
will c~r.ticise the teacher IL she does not
allow that child to do as 1t desires in the
school room.
II the parent has any question in her
mind as to the feasibility OF certain acts
he should make 1t a point to go and have
Il talk with the eacher. The most con-
venient time for such a talk usually is in
the afternoon, after school has been dis
missed. During school hours a teacher
cannot rob her pupils by devoting her
time TO one parent. Neither does she
want to discuss school affairs when she is
enjoying some social affair. any more
than a man wants to discuss business
while on q. fishing trip.
At one of the parents meetings Eliza
beth's mother told how she had prepared
her child for school by some simple in
structions along moral lines. She said,
The matter of sex instruction is one OF
the most discussed subjects of the present
day. From personal observations in the
school room when l was teaching 1 be-
lieve that every child should receive SIM
pie but adequate instructions from the
parent along these lines before she en-
sSAo sSAOOAs hH'C 10 80 Wal Wv -
great variety of individuals. some OF
whom are experienced beyond their years.
some OF whom are acquainted with many
vices. These children delight in franz
ing tales to be told to their less experi-
enced companions.
Every child is gifted with a certain
amount of curiosity. 1t is this that gives
them the desire to learn. Whenever my
thing new is seen or heard they usually lis
ten intently and then ask questions. If a
companion commences to tell them things
connected with the sex life and they have
never given these matters any attention
they are liable to listen and become filled
with disgusting tales. These first impress
sions usually are the lasting ones and
have more or less effect upon the entire
after-life. However, when the evil-mind-
ed child commence to .mpart his tales,
II the child already has received some in
struction in the right lines, he will pay
very little or no attention to the tales,
for his curiosity has not been excited"
One method Elizabeth's mother took to
protect her child and retain her conf
dence was by means of after-school
lunches and talks When a child first
comes home from school she is full and
bubbling with the experiences of the day,
and ready and anxious to repeat them to
mother. The wise mother plans to spend
a few minutes with her children irnmedi-
ately upon their return from school. II
this talk Is postponed for even a few
hours the child loses some OF her desire
to tell, perhaps in the meantime has been
cautioned by her playmates not to tell
her mother.
One mother. who had a wonderful inlu-
ence with her children and who never
felt that school life was taking them away
from her, laid her success to the after
school lunches she prepared. Whenever
her children returned from school she al
WAYS had a lunch ready. Sometimes it
consisted of only a slice of bread and
butter and a glass Of milk. sometimes, on
a cold day. it was a DOW of hot soup.
A child always is hungry when school is
out and will hurry home If she knows a
lunch is awaiting her. This wise mother
always took this opportunity for a little
heart to heart talk with her child. Some
times a schoolmate was invited to Join
them and this gave the mother an oppor-
tunity to become better acquainted with
her child's associates and to judge as to
their d~esirability as intimate companions.