Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-12
CHILD TRAINING
oultivatinr ] ohild.s sense of Humor

oultivating Child's Sense of Humor
 We are all familiar with the old say ing that a sense of humor is saving grace, but even though we adults, moth- CTS and teachers, appreciate this trait, too often we neglect the opportunity to courage it in the child All children love joke. Even very young children are quick to catch a pun or 8 play on words They are always ready for a good laugh, and they are all the happier if some one will enjoy the laugh with them,
 Fortunate indeed is the child who has teacher who indulges a sense of humor in hoth herself and her children. And if these same pupils receive further encouragement at home through mother, they develop a clean wit which is a joy even while they are small. The children who daily play under my window make remarks that are clever enough for any writer to use in his daily newspaper de- partment, but am not surprised at their remarks when I know the teacher who has them in charge at least four hours each day. She is always bubbling with mirth and never allows the tiresome de- tails of routine to dull her perspective. She never loses a chance to turn word or phrase at the proper moment so that the children catch the humor. And they grow to like this game of matching wits with the iseenly alert mind of the joking teachers room one day and the class was writing a composition on Mother" Ruth raised her hand and asked, '.How do you spell 'awsu1'?" Miss Allen looked aA her a moment in surprise and then said, Why Ruth, you don't mean you're using that word in a talk about Mother '' Ruth's eyes danced and a broad smile 1 broke over her face as she replied, q l just asked that on purpose to see you l look surprised. I know how to spell that l word and I'm saying my mother does awful nice things for me- The idea was 1 that the child planned to use that word 1 (this Is not the place to discuss the pro- 1 priety of it's use) and when she saw the l opportunity for a joke, she felt at liberty | to share her discovery with the teacher
 because there was that certainly of ap- l preciation which Miss Allen had encour-
 aged.
 Yesterday that same crowd of children 1 to which I have previously referred was
 exploring the mysteries of a new house in process of construction. The carpent- CTS had laid the shingles around the top | of the roof in punches just as they came 1 from the lumber yards, and Dorothy had never happened to see shingles in
 that shape before. So she said carelessly 'I didn't know shingles came that way
 and Robbie, catching the remark quick as a wink, shouted, How did you think
 they came, in pasteooard boxes wrapped
 in pin ktissue paper2" Now Robbie zoe!
 to school to Miss Allen, and in addition
 he comes from a family who. although
 very modestly endowed financially, have
 a wonderful faculty of getting fun ou
 of life. They can construct a gloriousl,
 happy home on the very foundation O diversity, simply because they mix in tha wonderful saving grace. a sense of hu
 nor
 Aside from teaching the children thi : happy trait, it. is 8 most helpful factor il adding zest to the daily tasks of tn , teacher. A good laugh is a splendid nerv
 tonic, as any physician will testify, an the tension of everlastingly- keeping -at-i : can be relieved many times during the da by the we'll directed habit of roaming oi
 for a moment into Tighter vein" Som
 children as well as adults are more rich l ly endowed by nature than others wit
 thls characteristic of humor, but 1t
 wonderful what cultivation of even tn ! tiniest germ will produce even in th soberest an dseemingly dullest individua