The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-05-07
WHEN ARE RULES FOR cHILo's
GUIDANCE TO BE BRokEN7

WHEN ARE RULES FOR cHILo's
GUIDANCE TO BE eRokEN7
wise folks know that all rules are
meant to be broken, but IT is not safe
si58 TO let the children find It out
too soon. It happens that some grow
Y up without ever finding out, and a
hard time of 1t they have ever after.
We can understand the astonish-
ment of Aunt 10, who dropped in un-
sexpectedIy one evening and found
eight.year-old Marion sitting up and
reading, and the hour long after the
usual bed time. why, thought your
Children never stayed up after seven
o'clocli" was her way OF showing
THAT she knew that rules were rules.
THAT had been the rule for the
younger children. "But now" ex-
planned the mother, Marion stays UP
(. aEhalf hour later on Saturday nights,
because she can sleep later on Sun
gday, and because father comes home
later on Saturday"
These are very good reasons for
staying up later; but to some people
sfor breaking a rule, and that is really
S.what bothers them-the difficulty OF
fusing discretion. Aunt 10 was one of
$those people, and she was one OF
very large company.
Regulation In Daily Routine Essential.
With very young children it is es'
81 $sential to have a fixed regularity in
3 THE daily routine, If 1t can possibly
be carried out. This is necessary.
& because It Is the only way of getting
children into the habit of disposing
of the daily necessities in a routine
way In the matter Of eating. sleeping
and dressing. in putting away toys
and clothes, in table manners and In
the details Of courteous conduct, the
routine must be observed with never
an exception. 1t is apparently the
only way of making sure OF the habits.
You know the saying about being
offered an inch and taking a yard.
We'll, that seems to be particularly
true OF children on the way to Tearing
the rules of life's game. A change
from the ordinary means license to
ignore the rule. During this period
therefore, every departure from the
routine involves serious setback.
when habits are being acquired, no
exception should be permitted. But
after habits have been formed they
must not be allowed to interfere with
4 common sense or with our happiness.
a friend out shopping with her
little girl met me on crowded street
on a warm day. After talking of
nothing in particular for a few NOM
ents she told me, half.apologettcally,
that they were about to get some ic5
cream soda and asked whether |
Fwould Join them. She explained her
hesitation by saying: II did not think
yous would approve OF children drink
q ing ice cream soda" And OF course |
y do not as steady diet. There are
no doubt many children who consume
too much of the colored and sweetened
Juices that are sold under various
81 fancy names. And there is no doubt
that children should learn to duencn
their thirst with water. 1t is also true
that IL you give them a chance they
will nag and nag unit! you yield the
nickel or dime that the soda water
man wants. But for all that 1t Is per-
fectly legitimate to satisfy the taste
for the cold and the sweet and the
y tfayored confections-on occasions,
and In moderation.
Tits a bad rule to indulge the soda
water habit; but it is also bad rule
& to be absolute in our approvals or
dfsapprovals. We are not compelled
10 say to a child, either, you may
8 always have what you wish" or, You
may never have what you wish" 1t
Is this always.or.never attitude, this
iinflexibility of judgment that antag-
onizes and estranges the growing child
A and makes us old before our time.
An And It is quite unnecessary for u IS
possible to give growing child
\ wholesome routine mitigated by more
and more variety. 1t is possible for
children to learn that there are JUS
tifiable exceptions to the usua! way
z of doing things.
Danger Of Making Exceptions.
u Children love novelty so much, IN
general, that they are quite eager for
everything that is out of the ordinary
y Sometimes, however, they quickly be.
s come attached to the comfort OF liked
55routine. This seems to have been the
ease with Alfred when his mother
wanted him to so to sleep IN diner
Sent room one evening, as she was ex-
Z pecting company and wished MIN 70
be farther from the noise. Alfred
4 stuck to rules and traditions. He had
always slept in that bed and he would
mt change now, He was promised
that he would be taken back to his
own bed during the night. and would
not be disturbed; but he held out
against the irregularity of the pro-
sceedlng-it was an unheard of thing
to go to sleep in one place and wake
4 aup somewhere else. But father called
attention to the fact that people so to
ssleep in a railway car in one city and
wake up IN another city miles away.
That was interesting; and Alfred fell
Unto the game of playing that he was
to take a journey from distant city
and was to wake up in his own bed IN
sstie morning. This worked very we'll
sasIa trick. But II that were repeated
too frequently it would soon break up
4 4 80 a.. - ar. ,.n thor, the nn,r