The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-07-19

The routine duties of the wife and
mother are the same in practically all
homes. Food has to be purchased and
prepared the house has to be kept
clean and in order; there is shopping
to be done, also sewing, mending and
washing-a big item in families with
young children-and there are the
children.
Very often the mother would seem
to have little time or strength to
spend other than in attention to the
children's actual physical care and re-
quirements, and yet by little wise
thinking and arranging she can start
many plays and occupations which will
not only give the children pleasure
and teach them how to do things but
result in a quieter easier and more
joyous task for herself
One of the most helpful factors in
the harmonious development of moth
er-and-child life is a right attitude Of
mind. 1t is, of course, most desirable
that it be one of contentment and
peace; but too often mothers in addi
ton to the work of housekeeping and
the bearing and rearing of children
are obliged to contend with problems
of sickness and family disagreements.
However, if she can meet such situa-
tions with intelligence, courage and
self-control, she will create home at
mosphere which will be measureless
in it's influence.
A yard can be made an ideal play
ground at a moderate expense. Play
ing in sand appeals more than any
thing else to children of three and
four years. 1t will engross and keep
them occupied for hours at time.
Therefore, the first thing to put in the
yard is sand box. This can be done
by mailing four boards together, and
partly embedding them in the ground.
Babies should not be allowed to play
by themselves in the sand until they
are old enough to know that they
should not put it in their mouths.
And none of the children should be
permitted to throw sand, because of
the danger to the eyes.
Discarded cooking utensils and
few tin spoons give the children an
opportunity to initiate mothers fas-
cinating operations in the kitchen. In
warm weather they can have water to
mix with the sand. This makes the
play all the more real and engrossing.
Older children find many more
things to do with sand. They pile it
up and make hills out of it, dig holes
and fill them with water, or make
representations of the many things
that children love to play and think
about.
Pretty patterns can be made in
damp sand by drawing with stick,
by pressing stones, pebbles or seeds
into it, or by using such objects as
grooved shells or the rim of cup.
Gardening is one of the most whole
some and healthfnl WAYS in which chill
dren can be employed. Each child
may well have a space in the yard
allotted to him for the planting and
tending a little garden of his very
own.
All kinds of outdoor games can be
played in the yard and the children
can romp to their hearts content
For the young children, games with
rubber ball or with bean bags are
the best.
Older children enjoy having a
swing, but it is likely to be dangerous
for the little ones when they are run
ming heedlessly about
Almost all children have wooden
blocks of one kind or another to play
with and they scarcely need to be
shown what to do with them. They
love to make such things as houses,
trains, trolley cars, buildings, bridges
and furniture Any materials that
lend themselves to representation of
this kind are delight to children.
Kindergarten blocks (round square,
oblong and triangular pieces of wood
of the dimension of one inch) can be
used for representing many things;
also colored sticks and Stats of differ
ent varieties.
In the same way children enjoy
representing objects in clay, and by
drawing and painting. Clay work,
however, is better left for school by
mothers who have much to do, as
work in this material requires con-
siderable attention and direction.