Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-10-15
Character
forming
In Youth.

1t was a saying of Froebel's that the
character of a man or woman is fixed
at six years of age, thus putting the
formative period very early in the de-
velopment Of the child.
Most mothers do not believe this die
tum or ignore 1t, as they intrust their
children to nurses more during those
first six years than at any other time.
There are, however, an increasing
number of women who realize that
good habits are more easily formed and
good impressions more easily made In
very early childhood than later on So
now careful mothers are arranging to
supervise as thoroughly as possible the
nurseries Of their babies and to take
an active share in the training of the
little ones.
One modern mother, though possess
ed of ample means, refuses to employ
a regular nurse. She takes entire
charge of her two little children, a girl
Of foul and a boy of two. This is not
the result of theory on her part, but
an outgrowth from her own experience.
Brought up in a luxurious household,
waited ON ''hand and foot" by an at
tentive nurse, she vas suddenly sent
off to boarding school at the age of
fourteen.
81 shall never forget" she says, my
terrible modification at not being able
to dress myself properly or even to
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self to sleep at night and dread get
ting up in the morning to encounter
that awful problem of getting neatly
into my clothes"
Determined that her children shall
never be helpless, she has taught these
little mites to look after themselves
in quite a wonderful way.
Some years g Punch had a picture
of two small boys and q young lady
asking one of them, How old is your
little friend, Tommy?' To which Tom
my replies, 81 do not know, but l think
he must be pretty old, because he can
blow his own noser'
Judged by this standard, the boy Of
two referred to above would be pretty
DID," while the girl would be positively
aged. 1t has taken an infinity of pa
tience to get these children to the point
Of efficiency which they now enjoy, but
it has certainly paid the mother for
all her trouble. 1t is much easier to
take a child and dress it than it is to
sit by and see it tumble itself into its
garments. These two children are still
bathed in the tub. but otherwise, as
the Scotch say, they sort themselves.
There are many practical details to
be considered in such work. Clothes
must be made simple, so as to offer as
few difficulties to little fingers as may
be. The faucets in the bathroom are
not only an obstacle to a child, but also
a temptation to play with water and
mess clean frocks, so a washing ap-
paratus must be arranged.
The particular mother whose meth.
DDS are quoted above obtained a kin
dergarten table such as that on which
the children play their games. 1t has
the advantage of being exactly the
right height and at the same time of
being both solid and stable. Painted
white this answered for a washstand.
Then came the question of utensils.
Stoneware was too heavy, and china,
though light enough to be easily han
died, was quickly broken by inexpert
little hands.
The answer to this problem came
from enameled ware, which is made
nowadays in a number of attractive
colors. Pretty enameled basins and
pitchers, not too large to be lifted even
when full, make implements the chill.
dren can safely manage. Soap dish,
toothbrush mug and slop pail complete
the outfit. Nothing can be broken,
nothing is heavy, and yet all is clean,
fresh and inviting.
The little girl worked her initials on
her little face cloths in cross stitch,
and brother will do the same when
sufficiently advanced. Supper is al
ways eaten in the nursery, and these
tots set their own table. another kin
dergarten table, and their table uten-
sis are also enameled ware in attrac-
tive colors, so that cups and saucers,
plates and pitchers can be manipulated
without risk.
They are very earnest about this
task of setting table, and woe betide
the child whose dishes are not set in
the proper order by the waitress or
waiter of the day!
Visitors say, "How cunning, how
clever the dear little things are!" but
not one in a dozen realizes the work
and the patience that are put in the
training.
Rich will be the reward when the
children are older. The independence
they have acquired will be more val.
liable to them than a fortune, for 1t
will be a fortune that cannot be lost.