The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-04-03

Mother Play" so that she may be
ing to use them in her home long be-
fore the kindergarten age. | have .
used them and find that they teach .
the virtues which later it is so hard .
to instI, for, as Froebel says, .
Mother, YOU can now do with a
touch as light as a feather what |.
YOU cannot later accomplish with /.
the pressure of a hundredweight."
have also found that the songs .
and plays fill the child'S heart with .
Joy and contentment, entertain him
immensely and supply his imagina-
ton with wholesome food. II the
mother has memorized some OF the
songs, she can sing or Groom them
while busy about her household
tasks, and in this way can often di-
rect her child's thoughts and play
with definite aims in view. Her
walks or rides with the children
may also be made occasions for
such play.
TO illustrate how Froebel's phil
osophy helps the mother to train
her child, let us consider first the
pat-a-cake play. You smile and
say, "Why," all mothers play pat
a-cake with their babies; that is
nothing new" Yes, mothers have
played pat-a-cake for ages and
apes, but if they want to know why
they play it, let them turn to Froe-
BEL who points out that the reason
the little game is so widely known
is because Simple mother wit never
fails to ling the initial activities OF
the child with the everyday lie
about him" He also says, THE
bread or, better still, the little cake
which the child likes so well, he
receives from his mother; the moth
cr in turn receives from the baker.
/ So far. so good. We have found
two links in the great chain OF life
and service. Let us beware, how
ever, of making the child feel that
these links complete the chain The
baker can bake no cake il the mil
Ter grinds no meal; the miller can
grind no meal il the farmer brings
him no grain; the farmer can bring
no grain if his field yields no crop;
the field can yield no crop if the
forces OF nature fail to work to-
gether to produce it; the forces Of
nature could not conspirc together
= were it not for the all-wise and be
neiicent Power who incites them to
their predetermined ends.
= 1t is because we mothers have
felt perhaps dimly and unconscious
ly the lesson which the pat-a-cake
play teaches Of dependence on one
another, and the gratitude each
owes to all, that we have played this
little game from ancient times.
The Value Of "Pat-a-Cake"
I start to play pat-a-cake with
5 my baby when he i, six months Old
! 1t affords him great satisfaction to
2 evercise his arms and to direct his
r movements SO that both little dim
pied hands meet together. When
- he is about Is months or , year,
old begin to show him the picture
Of pat-a-cake found in Froeber.
."Mothcr Play Through thi,
means, | gradually and easily leaC
n him to see that For his bread he
owes thanks not only to his moth
cr, to the baker, the miller, th,
farmer, but also and most OF al
r. to the Heavenly Father, who
e. through the instrumentality OF dew
d and rain, sunshine and darkness
winter and summer, causes tn,
earth to bring forth the grain
q 1t is only after having studied tht
e picture thoroughly and read tn,
= chapter on Pat-a-cake in the Mot
" toes and Commentaries, and com
ii mittcd to memory the verses anC
e tune in the Songs and Music o
l. Froebels Mother Play that ! an
y ready to teach pat-a-cakc to m.
y baby and as ! have shown, d,
c not teach it all at once, but preie
to it again and again, perhaps whel
we are out working in the gardel
r on sunny day, or in the houS
! watching the rain. When my chill
is old enough to be interested i
, such things, we go into a baker
o shop and, to the astonishment O
at the baker, ask ii we can see hi
. ovens. We often pass a mill and
lc tell my child that this is the plac
n, where the farmer brings his grair
~ Thus the lesson OF pat-a-cake goe
on for long time before it is FIR,
PLAYED in babyhood. 1t teaches Il
to be ever thankful and baby learn
to say: Thank you, dear mamma
a Thank you, dear baker Than
III YOU, dear God.
lg There are many other songs an
at games in Froebels Mother Play
ne which give to my children long be
L, fore the kindergarten age. In 4
10 Of these they take the greatest dc
l. light. begin early to sing til
= songs and play the finger game
h which nourish the instinct of lo'
n, n, for the members of the family an
III affection for animals.
40 40 The Family Mother Song For
,,5 Teaching Affection.
III This is the mother, so busy at HON
en Who loves her dear children, wha
m ever may come.
.r. This is the father, so brave and S
1l- strong,
ed Who works for his family all Il
us day long.
TL;. :. thn hrnihnr who'll snnn |