Milford chronicle., 1923-08-31
WHEN SHALL WE TEACH BETTY
TO PICK UP HER PLAYTHINGS9
By Ora A. Clement

Betty's mother had just gotten the
little four-year-old settled down for
her afternoon nap.
And now L will not much more
than get this room put to rights be-
fore she wakes up again." she laugh
ingly remarked to her college friend,
now a primary teacher, who was
spending a few days with her.
"Why not leave the playthings
where they are and let Betty pick
them up when she Wakes?" the friend
asked.
wants to make play of it and it really
takes more time to keep her at it than
it does to do it myself"
Her visitor said nothing for few
minutes and when she spoke again it
was without reference to Betty. "What
did you do with those cunning chicks
you took out of the incubator this
mOrning?" she asked.
"Oh, divided them up among three
or four hens who were simply wild to
be mothering something. Now the
little ones are cuddled up snug and
warm under real feathers, and they
have no idea in the world that they
are, by rights and inheritance, poor,
machine-hatched little orphans"
"Why did you put them with the
hens so soon? Would it not have been
safer to have cared for them yourself
until they were week or so uld, and
strong enough to run with the older
chickens?"
Betty's mother laughted, "That shows
that you do not know chickens.
tried that plan the first year used
an incubator and learned something.
1t is only for few days that fos-
ter mother can be introduced to in
cubator chicks. If they are put with
her during the first few days of their
lives they will adopt her and follow
her obediently till half-grown, like
chickens Matched under a hen, but af-
ter week alone they seem to get US
ed to bein gorphans and they will not |
follow hen no matter how much she |
coaxes and clucks and scolds. Isn't |
it odd?"
She had the playthings all in order
and settled herself with her mending |
in her lap.
Instinct" said the teacher. ma
ture puts an urge into the little chick
that makes it seek mother at the
time it needs her most. And if you
are to be successful as a poultry wo-
man you must work with Nature
you can't oppose her"
She drew a thread thoughtfully and
then went on: "It is odd, and it is still
more interesting to watch the same
thing in children. Did you ever think
what powerful urge there must De
in the little child to keep him trying
to walk in spite of the discouraging
falls he gets?
"All through Betty's childhood and
youth she will be led by instincts and
desires through which Nature strives
to produce and develop perfect Wo-
manhood. And in handling children, as
in poultry raising, it saves us much
pain and trouble if we work with Ma
ture.
"Just now Betty is passing through
what students of child life call the
initiative age.' She initiates every
thing she sees you do"
The mother smiled knowingly. She
loved the baby's little make-believes.
"She plays set table, and sews,
sweeps, kneads bread and makes beds
as you do. If you work with Nature
now you will save yourself and Betty
a. great deal of grief in the years to
come"
"You are thinking of the playthings
on the floor" exclaimed the hostess.
eyes. While Betty wants to do just
as you do, train her in habits of or
derliness and cleanliness. The imita-
tive age will not last long. After that,
about the time she goes to school,
there will come period when your
little girl will be lawless, careless and
selfish, inclined to put her will and
her judgment against yours in every
hing. If she has become orderly and
neat from habit before that time
comes it will be a great comfort to
you and of inestimable value to her
while she is going through the try
ng Big Injun' age. If she has not,
you will have to make up your mind
o pick up after her for many years
o come, for there will never be an
,ther time during her childhood and
vouth when it will be easy to teach
3etty the lessons of order"
Thanks for your little lecture,
Irace," said Betty's mother as she
oiled two little stockings into ball.
I had never thought of it that way
shall begin at once to train
Betty to follow"