Milford chronicle., 1924-03-28
COOPERATE WITH NATURE
By Ora A. Clement

Goodness, taking care of childrel
means spending all your time making
somebody do something he dOesn'
want to do exclaimed young Mrs
Lane as she took Daddy's letter-Open
er from the baby and mOtioned Billy
and Sister to continue their task O.
picking up blocks and toys.
"Oh, l hope it is not as bad as
that" her mother laughed comfOrtab-
ly. In fact, do not remember it in
that way at all"
But how did you manage, Mother
when there were six of us to get into
mischief and tease and hurt one an
other? 1t must have been Bedlam all
the time"
Il suppose it was noisy, and don't
doubt that 1 was sometimes worried
and cross. But 1 have forgotten that
part of it. That is one Of the nice
things about growing old-you forget
so much that is unpleasant.
But about the children-I learned
one thing while 1 was taking care of
mine that helped me lot, and it was
that Mother Nature keeps firm hand
on all her babies and is quite deter
mined they shall grow up to be nor
NAL, healthy human beings. So that
working against Nature is very much
like swimming upstream, while CO.
operating with her makes the care OF
children comparatively easy"
II don't know what you mean" the
daughter confessed.
'Well," explained her mother, "af-
ter watching six of my own and many
of myf riends' and neighbors' children
go through their childhood, have de-
cided that all children pass through
certain stages of development, and
during each stage it is especially
easy to teach them certain things.
"Of course, at first, the baby's at
tention is chiefly occupied with learn
ing to manage his hands and feet. We
do not usually interfere with this pro-
cess, though sometimes people urge
baby to walk too soon, and sometimes
prevents him from walking
when he should.
Usually the four-year-old has
learned to use his hands and feet, and
his chief delight is in their use. Move
ment of the arms and legs is what he
and heimitates the motions his
mother makes as she works about the
house. During this period children
can be taught habits of order and |
which will stay with them |
LII their lives. Though too small to do |
actual work, they are pleased to do |
title, step-saving tasks for mother, if |
he task is a matter of imitation. This
age is a period of golden Op-
Fright on top of this lOvable age
ONES the individualistic age, when,
lmost overnight, the child becomes
Interestingly selfish. He wants the
est of everything for himself and will
ght to get it. He wants the attention
nd adulation of adults and will try
} gain them by 'show-off' antics. He
ullies the younger children and
eases the older. He becomes family
and his discouraged mother
-onders what she has neglected to do
)r Johnny that he should get so far
eyond control. 1t is not her fault, n
lough. Johnny's Mother Nature is N
repairing him for the battles of life; +
le is teaching him to think and act ]
II himself.
"That the process is painful to his s
lrents and friends does not infu- {
ice the old Dame for one instant
he knows what she is doing. Soon {
S selfishness will be controlled by {
self-denial, and Johnny will l
,gin to show real character. His
,astful cOntrariness, which challen-
IS every spoken statement, will soon I
tempered by reason. a
There are many things you can @
ach him at this age. He appreciates S
aise for his individual effort and S
ii spend tremendous energy to gain 1
He can be taught to take respon- e
1ility. The irresponsible and un-
lthful young people, who are alto e
ther too numerous today, were not S
ndled rightly at this age. The child
ks innumerable questions, and your c
eatest possible mistake is to ignore,
Iicule or evade these questions. Give Il
lthful, serious answers, drawing f
n out when you suspect that some
Dubled thought lies at the bottom of a
: questions, and in later years you
II not have to suffer that worst of e.
hurts, the knowledge that your C
lids confidence is being purposely
thheld. 81
Besides these there are other-but, al
rcy, child, see what time it is! If
sit here lecturing, James will find fC
dinner when he comes home" ST
< y y " y x y y y y y y y y xx h,
"The true end of education is to
unfold and direct Alright our whole th
nature. It's Office is to call forth
power of every kind-power of of
thought, affection, will and out
ward action; power to observe, to M
reason, to judge, to contrive; pow Pl
er to adopt good ends firmly, and
to pursue them efficiently; power te
to govern ourselves, and to influ-
ence others; power to gain and to at
spread happiness" w. e. Chan pc
ming.
The kindergarten considers the da
whole nature of the child-physicA
al, mental, moral-and gives every wa
aspect of that nature a chance for p
exercise, training and growth. The pc
National Kindergarten Association, ty,
8 West 40th Street, New York, will fes
gladly assist interested persons to at
obtain kindergartens. Write to the be-
Association for information and Al
leaflets.
MI
Tho LuolU Part - T. lie
,..6Iino- = sTVou+h TokaS T,-suN Mr.