Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-09-09
TrainingL Little Children
ARTICLE IL
Py Mrs. Ruth Hepner Swaine

| All KlnderSdr1enS nave one charac
teristic in common the respect
which the show for the individual
rights of others. Where many little
children are gathered together, there
must be governing laws and obedi
ence to these laws.
In the ideal kindergarten these
laws are more feelings than facts
The children grow to respect and O.
hey them spontaneously, almost un,
consciously. Thus, even when they
are and years old, they can be led
to right relation toward their fell
low-beings. Could anything be more
important?
All children do not live near a kim
dergarten, but all children have play
mates. A wise mother will quickly
establish a law of right relationships
among the children who play in her
home. Even busy mother-and are
not all real mothers very busy?-can
with word now and then impart a
feeling for the right of others, and
this, once gained, is never lost thru
life..
The kindergarten is the most DEM
ocratic OF institutions. The children
feel no class distinctions in fact,
there are none in the world of the
three-year-old. Mr.. Philip plays as
joyfully with the little fellow in the
servant quarters next door .as he
does with the, son of my best friend
The public school kindergarten is
particularly interesting, because all
classes mix freely and are entirely
free from self-consciousness. Each
little individual ontributes his per-
sonal traits toward the making of the
whole. A fault may serve as great
purpose as virtue, and both may
serve as mirrors wherein the nicld
sees himself. Under the guidance of
the. kinder gartner he will see wisely.
Moreover, the children soon learn
to love the calm of the kindergarten
room, and come readily under the in
fluence Of the ruling spirit-the de-
NAL of self for the good of the whole.
In your own garden, the back yard,
there cannot be the close supervis-
ion that there is in the kindergarten
and elimination sometimes becomes
necessity. If you are fortunate
enough to live among your own kind,
where all the children of the neigh
borhood are reared similarly, you will
probably not have any serious prob
lem. But if you live in cosmopoli-
tan neighborhood and there is an
older child with avowedly wrong ten
denotes, the safest step is to encour-
age him to seek his older playmates.
would deny him my babies of to
6. If the child comes to your gate
who has had less Of chance than
your own little ones, 1t is surely
a privilege to take him in, for he will
soon begin to thrive under the new
influences. If you have much spare
time, take in as many children as
you can. Supervise them closely,
and rather than let wilful weeds grow
among your flowers, eliminate.
Be one of the playmates yourself
as often as possible. Join the little
group in the yard for few glorious
minutes, and you will come back to
your homework completely rested. A
whistle from mother for moving
train is much surprise, or an unex-
pected laugh over the tumbling blocks
mokes it only a joke where it might |
have been a tragedy.
The child feels your interest ever
In back of him then, and it is very |
human to desire the interest of |
those we love. Toss the ball around
the circle, push the swing. make be-
lieve portake of the sand cakes and
observe the new values the old plays
take on.
Draw the children of the neighbor-
hood to your own garden if you wish
10 experience a delightful sense of
peace and love. No flowers you might
coax to grow there ore half SO
worth while. With your guidance and
heir daily association, they will
earn many lovely things, AID CORY
hem through life. Friendship, care
or the weaker ones, unselfishness,
oy in the joy of others and a feel
ng for the right are the beautiful
hings of life thot may be cultivated
Ind that will be a joy forever.
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