Milford chronicle., 1924-07-04
SHALL TAKE MY CHILD TO
TOWN
By Marion Beal

II Dy 4hesA 4O44 DCd4
WHETHER or not to take the
p young child to town is a problem
= that confronts the average mother,
at some time or other, and one which
q requires a wise solution, if she is to
4 give the child the best care possible.
- She has been told that these trips to
- the city are injurious to the delicate
nervous system of the young child,
- and having given much thought to
. his best interests she hesitates to
take him anywhere.
To the mother who must take her
, child or children, or else stay at
home, this is indeed a grave consid-
GRAFTON. 1 have often seen these mo-
theirs, with two or three youngsters
= trailing petulantly and fretfully in
their wake. One look at the little
faces proved that it would have been
much better for these children to
have remained at home. The mothers
-too-shOwed plainly the fatigue
marks that support this conclusion.
Here the wisest solution is to ask
the father occasionally to give his |
weekly half holiday to caring for |
the children, so that the mother may
shop, free from the burden of keep
ing an eye on restless youngsters.
Perhaps Dad will demur, but most
men, not in a position to provide an
assistant for the wife and mother,
will be glad to perform this duty, if
the reason for it is made clear.
However, it is to the mother who
can leave the children in charge Of a
competent person, that I purpose to /
address this article. AS a matter of
course she leaves the children at
home when she goes shopping. Yet
perhaps she is often perplexed as to
how to answer the repeated pleading
of the youngsters to be allowed to
''gO with mother"
A solution of this problem may be
found in plan I have tried with
great success. When my eldest boy
was little over a year old, I al
lowed him short trip; that was the
beginning. had been attracted by
show window in big store, a wind
Nv full Of gaily colored balloons, II
ossed about by fan, and the next
afternoon 1 took the year-old son to
zee this window. For half an hour
le stood and crOwed with delight, Y
ust watching the gaily colOred balls
loating about. And for a week he
would clap his little hands and call,
Blow"
OF course on this trip there was M
10 shopping to tire him; he was
merely allowed to watch the fun,
hen taken directly home, and I a,
Ound the small adventure did him Al
o harm. Naturally, it was not re-
eated often, but as he grew older
e was given opportunities to watch
ther windows, never, however, to
ne point Of fatigue, nor was the od
lip topped off by lot of rich candy M J1
nd ice cream, although a simple tb,
eat, such as a milk chocolate, was ~
)metimes allowed. SiI o
These trips, window education" ',ai Sli
y friends call them, have proven No, no.
ally instructive, for as direct re- ~,
1t the children have learned many ~
teresting things. They have seen SCe
)nderful displays of jewels, music oee
instruments, and goods from many W
reign countries. They know just L
W silk, cotton and wooden goods guI
2 made from seeing replicas of Teri
ese processes. They know how ci- wei
RS are made, and how a piano is strl
-de. They have seen windows that mel
their appeal to the childish imagi- lnsl
tion have been a true delight; VINE
ster windows and Christmas win the
VS. have afforded them pleasure nav
It lasted for weeks. o
Gore rarely, perhaps once in six pect
eight weeks, they see a really sucl
I'd motion picture, one that I have of ;
viously seen and found suitable. chal
course they do not go if an epi- ply
mic is prevalent nor unless in ther
feet health themselves, and take dair
further precaution of inquiring to s.
the box Office when the house is Pf
st crowded. Safeguarding them in time
Sc ways, have found it beneficial ceiIi
indulge the modern youngsters a ne
ging to go to the movies. tight
ne feature that appeals to me boar
Y strongly in favor of this mild to d
ing to town" is that the children be a
thus acquiring natural poise, ceilil
are at ease with any person with be r,
m they are thrown They are g.,
ming to take an intelligent part ,rood ~
and while not for toT-o %UoU
d, are not self-conscious and to,
as the child is apt to be if kept ,,oa,,
much at home. iai y,