The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-03-20
70 UNDERSTAND LITTLE ONES
BY SARAH A. MARBLE.


with mothers. 1 often meet with re-
spOnses like these: "Oh. 1 couldn't
send Freddie; he behaves 80 badly.
Or II don't think I want to send Dora !:
she's gentle and obedient now. but
I'm afraid she'd get rough with all
those children"
What is the matterf
Freddie's mother Is a quiet, orderly.
middle-hged woman who wants Fred
die to play about quietly" or sit still
TOR hours at a time. She has either
forgotten her own childhood or else
she was naturally quiet and docile.
And Freddie's restless inQuisitiveness,
bis desire for active self-expression.
she puts down as naughty" disobedi-
ent. bad"
Freddie did come to kindergarten.
however, and his mother visited fire.
quently. She watched him giving
quiet, absorbed attention to the pic
lures, music and stories which we're
presented by the teacher. and she OBJ
served that he had opportunities to
express his own ideas actively. artis-
tically. musically and In other ways
that suited his needs. She saw his
time divided fnto periods of action and
rest, periods when concentration was
demanded Of him and periods when
his mind could relax. She was a slow
thinking woman. but she could not fall
to notice how good and happy Fred
die was In his new environment. and
gradually she began to apply this new
method to Freddie's life at home.
kindergarten has taught her to see
her son as not naughty, but active.
and she and Freddie are both happier
for that revelation.
Dora also came to kindergarten. but
she proved not to be as gentle and
obedient as her mother had thought
her. Dora. am compelled to say. was
clever and sly. She had learned how
to win her mothers approval. reserv-
ing better moods for her presence. but
she was not popular with the other
children: a sly child never is. And
when Dora went home and wept over
the cold reception she had received.
her mother was naturally surprised
and indignant, and started for the
kluucTkuTtcu lOANhWiIh W POSSDs
against such injustice. She had ex-
pected her little daughter to SHOW
the other children how a nioe little
lady could act" she said. But she
soon had her revelation by seeing for
herself Dora's other side.
Dora's life at home has changed con-
siderably, since then. perhaps not for
Dora's immediate happiness. but GER
tainly for her good.
Between these two extremes there
are many other children, with quail
ties good and bad, which oftentimes
their mothers have misjudged just be-
cause Of the nearness Of their little
ones to them. II the child can be TAX
en- out Of his home environment for q
few hours each day, 1t may remove
him from some source Of annoyance
or irritation which has led to habits
of disobedience or naughtiness. "Put-
ting him with other average children
Of his own age. such as are collected
together Ia kindergarten. will serve
As the best corrective.
When mothers visit the kindergar-
ten-and they are always welcome
they see their children there as they
really are. They observe that Ger
tain instincts are common to children
four and i've years old. and they
learn how to guide those instincts.
They notice that their boys or girls
have peculiar traits which should be
encouraged or corrected. as the case
may be. They come to see. in fact,
how their children match up with the
average child. well or Ill. And they
see the results Of good training in other
children. and are thereby encouraged
in their own endeavOrs. Almost In
variably they learn to be more pa
tient and to try to gain . better un-
derstanding Of their little ones.