Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-04-10
CH|LD'S QUESTIONS
MUST Be ANSWERED
Parents Should Satisfy the
Baby's Natural
Curiosity

oct HE wise mother is she who al
i ways keeps her mind and con-
fidence open to her children's quer-
ies." A young husband and father
delivered himself of this much very
decisively, and as he seemed very full
of the subject l listened to him with
interest.
Mothers should not say with the
regularity they do, No, you mustn't
touch this or that The child has
natural curiosity, natural hankering
after knowledge, and unless the moth
er takes the time and trouble to en-
tighten her child upon many matters
which attract the child's attention she
will have something besides broken
china to reckon with-and that within
q very short time.
1--WE had an illustration of this at
our breakfast table this morning." he
went on to say. my daughter, who
is a little more than three years old,
has repeatedly asked that she be al
lowed to hold the sugar bowl, silver
one of colonial design.
MY wife has ignored her each time,
and much to my annoyance, too, for
have theory that if she were al
lowed to hold the bowl in her hands
once and told it's uses that she would
not only learn something, but the de-
sire to handle things, common with
children, would be satisfied as re-
CARDS this particular piece of glitter
ing silver.
But my wife has ideas of her own,
and she chooses to disregard the
baby's countless questions, even when
1t would be better wisdom to take this
means of teaching her many little
things.
Failure to crafty her curiosity in
regard to the sugar bowl resulted in
a crash of silver and cut glass that
destroyed one pretty little dish and
frightened my wife considerably a
short time after breakfast. For the
baby on tour of investigation with
the sugar bowl in mind, climbed up to
inspect it at her leisure, with the re-
suit l have told.
"She isn't little busybody, but a
normal child with an active, inquiring
mind. 1t is natural for her to inquire
about everything that attracts her at
tention, and if her questions are not
answered so that she can comprehend,
or if they are ignored, she is going to
try to find out for herself.
Il expect her to, and l haven't the
heart to call her naughty when she
does, even though she breaks her
mothers best cut glass olive dish in
an effort to fondle the sugar bowl.
IF there were any reason why she
should not handle the bowl-if 1t
were perishable or something that
she never saw in any ones hands,
could agree with the mandate that
she should not touch it.
However, she sees it in my wife's
hands every day, and she wants to
have the pleasure, too, for l am sure
it would be genuine delight to her
to simply touch it. But her mother
DEGREES that Baby mustn't touch it,
and baby gradually formulates the
idea of climbing onto high chair at
risk of her precious neck all to sat
isfy little innocent desire to know
about things
This young father seems to be very
clear-headed. He feels that his little
! girl is being denied the chance to
develop, which is not only natural but
necessary, if she is to grow into an
average woman.
Moreover, l think he feels thai
! which is likely to result if child, il
constantly put off and constantly de.
MED the right to know and to touch
the pretty things it Sees 1t is simply
encouraging most children to do un.
derhanded what they have begged
the privilege of doing openly.
1t is possible to make very capa
BILE sneak out of child whose moth
er won't be bothered with her child't
questions and simple wishes.