The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-03-18
NOTES
BY CITY SUPT.
After School Hours What Does Your
Child DOT

spring is coming anu VIC arc AGAIN
fronted with the problem Of what u
children are going to do after school
hours. Are we going to know where
they are or not? Are we going to
allow them to find their W amuse-
ments entirely. Are we going to allow
%loafing on the streets?
The parting of the ways In char
acter development and in LIES serious
business often has its beginning at a
point between A and 6 p. m after the
dismissal of the daily school session.
Watch the career OF your child sharp
|ly during these hours of the day as IT.
probably means far more for the fu-
tpre than the arithmetic c. language
lesson.
Il want to give you an instance that
occurred In q town about this size In
another state less than a year ago. IL
you will please note the contrast.
Two sixth grade boys and a seventh
grade girl pass a nearby street corner
a. 4:2o every evening on their way
from school. One could almost set his
watch by their movement either even
my or morning and not miss the time
far. They reported home first.
Another group varying from three
10 five middle-grade boys. may be
found almost anywhere after school.
They never 40 directly hume nor 40
they have any set plan or purpose for
their out-of-school hours. To them,
school is a daily period of imprison-
ment The real part of their lie
comes when they are turned loose.
But what they do with the valuable
evening hours may be considered as
an ideal course in vagrancy. Here Is
the schedule for one week.
Monday-Got some apples from sub
urban orchard without knowledge or
consent of owner.
Tuesday-0n the streets till dark.
visiting stores and seeing whatever
might happen. One boy ri q good
Fsponder. so they had plenty OF good
things to eat.
wednesday-SpertS an hour throw
hg green walnuts--hot their own--at
sparrows which inhabitated a barn
loft A dog Which foci:shly came that
way got his share Of the nuts.
ThursdayAFohr OF them in q wood
ed back lot, smoking cigarettes. A
new bag OF tobacco and q new boy
learner are the center of interest.
Friday-Back of a barn on a nice
large board throwing dice. One OF
them learned how down town q night
or two before. Another had q few
pennies 50 they did the job up in good
| shape. Next day they all made them
| selves a set Of dice.
Parents, I'll wager today that most
of the boys in upper grades and High
| School know this game and have play
ed at 1t sometime this spring. Where
do they learn It? Wake mp and get
onto your game. Don't leave every
| thing to the poor teacher who hat MN
~ hours out of "a. you being respon-
| sible for him the other 1914, and then
expect her in that 5h hours to bring
him UP a man. She has IS, you have
from / 20 5.
So the program of drifting and dew
iUtry continues, through no fault OF the
hoys. but for want OF a definite plan
OF management. Many of the boys and
girls are the victims Of such WRONG
treatment. what.can be done by busy
w~eii-fneaning parents to correct the
error? The following is suggested:
Eirst train vonr child To the habit or
jcoming directly home after, school.
Make your request insistent and m
rhatic. It will surprise and please
YOU to observe how quickly he will
acquire this habit and continue 1t
agreeably.
Always have a definite motive ior
calling your child so directly home
latter scbool-to play with the baby
to brush down the stsirs-to clean up
bis room-to look after the
TO 90 to the grocer's-and the like.
il your child already has the q
habit OF lettering after school you
must partly entice him to return
promptly. Why not give here a naii
hour Of your busy time. mother, to the
important duty of playing with your
J children. He is worth more than al
!, the extra sewing and ~scrubbing. Get
out and romp with him regularly. cali
ing in two or three Of the neighbor'
children to join you.
It is not a SUFFICIENT excuse for IT,
= rarsnt to contend that thereEis nothini
: sor his child to do after school. Re
. snonsibility cannot be 8 Q lightly toss
. ed aside. Invent something. Searcl