White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-07-11

The following is the second of a
series Of articles prepared by the Ma
tional Kindergarten Association on
home edncation:-
THE BREAKFAST
"You are not going out of this
house until you've eaten your break
fast, Leon" said his mother emphat-s
ically.
Leon let go Of the front door
handle, threw down his cap and
school book, and went to the dining
room, scowling. In about three mill
ut.s he was back again. His mother
had gone upstairs, but she heard him.
Leon" she called, you haven't
finished? You can't have eaten any,
thing at all!''
eve had all / want" was the an
swer, and the next moment he was
gone.
With slight variations this scene
bad been enacted every morning dur :.
ing my three weeks with the Thorn
toms. More than year elapsed be-
fore my next visit, but I soon found
plenty Of evidence that the perform
ance had been continuous.
Another nine months passed; again
/ was with these friends. But a
change had taken place. Each morn
ing Leon sat quietly down to break
fast when l did, his mother sitting
with us though she had eaten pre-
vious]y. He ate each course in turn
slowly with evident enjoyment. l was
surprised and so. glad that, on the
morning / was leaving, I could not
refrain from commenting on the
transformation. Leon had gone to
school and we were just sitting down
for final chat.
cit came about through the Par
ent-Teacher Association" said my
friend, smiling. eff Bob and / both go
we have to take Leon. One evening
we all went and listened to a particu-
larly clever lecture on 'Nagging'. The
next morning while Leon was dress
ing, he said, Mother, the man last
night didn't say anything about break
fast, did hep 'Breakfast?, / said.
"'Yes - well ~ that's the only
thing you ever nag me about.
II was amazed, and for the mo-
ment, angry.
".Do you think that's very nice
way to talk to Mother?' I asked.
81 didn't know you didn't want to
talk about it, he said, in perplexed
tone.
All right I said, you had better
try to eat your breakfast properly
every morning so that we shan't have
to discuss the subject
''But after he had gone to school
thought the matter out. Leon was
right, did nag him about his break
lasts. What was mere, they were a
source of daily worry 70 me. often
felt that he was going out without
being properly tortitiea.' She paused
thoughtfully.
"1ou Know" she continued, Bob
has to leave here before seven, and I
like to have my breakfast with him.
1t hasn't seemed wise to waken Leon
SO early SO OF course he has had to
eat his breakfast alone. had not
Leen particular ABOUT having him rise
at any regular hour and often he had
to hurry IN order to reach school in
season. Usually, by tine time he was
dressed, some OF his scnoolmates
would be here waiting for him.
GAS I thought about it I realized
that these conditions were far from
being conducive to quiet, orderly
breakfast. / therefore determined to
change them, and. l did. Leon gets
up regularly now at seven o'clock. By
half-past seven he is ready for his
breakfast, the other children have not
yet arrived and he doesn't feel hur-
ried. I can't eat second meal, but I
can and do sit at the table with him.
/ plan to talk with him, at this time,
about things in which he seems par
ticularly interested.
"At first, when I sat down in this
way, numberless little duties would
suggest themselves to me and it was
hard not to pet up and be about them,
but have learned to be deaf to most
of these calls, and it has paid. Leon
eats his first meal Of the day properly.
He looks better and he is better; he
has more seH-control and is doing
better work in school, and,-I don't
have to nag"