The Washington herald., 1913-09-18
BEST OCCUPATIONS TO
KEEP CHILDREN BUSY
LA CHANDLER MANZ.

'Idleness begets mischief" especially
where small fingers are concerned. For
tunately ,the present day mothers are
endeavoring to keep the children busy.
either through directed play or help
| ing"
And what a problem it often is when
child asks, many times over in
day, Mother. what shall l do now?'
To refuse to find an occupation for the
small duestioner. especially when he or
she wishes to help" would be against
all the laws of latter day child train
ing. and so, IL mother has no real task
to be done. she must needs invent some
thing.
Not only girls should be allowed and
taught to assist with household tasks;
boys should have a part in them too.
and should be made to feel the respon-
sibility and obligations OF the home life
and domestic routine. If they are to
grow up into considerate husbands, sons
and fathers. At an early age children
are not sex-conscious. unless made So by
that unfortunate division of tasks and
games. This mistake is often made by
mothers and fathers who are not aware
that the foremost child educators con-
slider il important for the boy. up to
sewing, cooking. and domestic science
as the little girl. A division of labor
and occupation will necessarily come
later. but it should come naturally and
be in no way forced. 4 boy should be
taught to respect the work carried on
daily by his mother and sisters, and
finally by his wife. There shold be no
contempt instilled into his little mind
for girls work. Some of the most
progressive schools are giving boys and
girls alike lessons in sewing and cook
ing. +,
Cook Books for Children.
One patient and wise mother of a do
mestically inclined tot taught the little
one so well that at four years OF age
she could cook remarkably well and at
seven could follow any ordinary recipe.
Cook books compiled especially for chill
dren can be obtained at any wellstocked
bookstore. 1t is surprising. too, how in
teresting an apparently monotonous task
can be made if one attempts to answer
all the questions regarding II that are
propounded by the little helpers. One
will find that there is more to know
about common tasks than one dreamed.
II will benefit both mother and child
il the mother will make 1t a rule to
look up" any point on which she is
doubtful
A child's love of work should be en-
couraged by loving acceptance of its
offers of service il one wishes that child
to be a willing worker later on. when it's
assistance will be of more material value.
For this reason, too, the child should not
be required to fatigue itself with any
task; neither should it be permitted TO
stop on account of a too early cry of
hair
bringing a new interest into the work by
the help of a story regarding the task
itself, or history of the manufacture of
the materials involved. will usually
remedy this last failing. Children of
cheerful. willing workers are usually of
the cheerful, willing type. SO strong is
little childs tendency to initiate"
1t has now become no uncommon thing
for young children to cross-stitch and
outline beautifully, boys and girls alike.
One interested mother in a community
has ''thimble club" Of little girls from
four years up, meeting at her house once
every two weeks, to mend old clothes to
be given away. The variety OF plain
sewing that those youngsters can do is
remarkable.
Many Things to DO.
There are any number of things
small child can do about the house and
garden IL II is desirous of helping. Even
a two-year-old can shell peas Little
children can go errands and downstairs
or TO the garden, run the egg beater. turn
the cream whipper. dry the small dishes,
spoons, forks and silver knives Cthe silver
ones only, because they are blunt. turn
ing water on or on, as needed. busting,
wedding the garden, watering the plants.
The child should have a little watering
turtiums. and all flowers which have to
be picked daily fn nerfecf their Hmm