The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-12-24
ENCOURAGE SIMPLICITY

Children, naturally, have very sim
ple tastes and inclinatlons.
How is it then that many of them
even before the age of five become
spoiled and petulant and demanding?
This is the reason: their natural ten
dency toward simplicity has not been
fostered and developed.
Since mother is the strongest in
fluence in a child's life in his early
years, surely it is mother, then, who
must hold to the simple standard if
the beautiful artlessness of childhood
is to be preserved.
"Give baby his other rattle box,
he's tired of this one," mother said
to her little daughter in my presence.
So, the rubber rattle was picked up
and put away because baby had just
thrown it down number of times,
and a pink celluloid one was substi.
tuted.
Without entering into discussion
of whether rattles are ever suitable
playthings for babies this mother
was destroying the ability Of her
child to find pleasure in simplicity.
The baby was barely old enough to
grasp anything in his hand. AS yet
his own fingers and fists were a per-
feet marvel to him. He would have
played with them contentedly until
he dropped off to sleep, and when he
aWoke and was once more fed and
comfortable those same fingers would
be as attractive and novel as if he
had never seen them before.
Yet in the space of half an hour Of
his waking time, he had been enter
tanned with two different rattles, a
bright balloon tied to the foot of his
bed and one or another of several toy
Ianimals which aroused very little in
terest in him.
Giving the baby toys too early and
in too great variety creates un-
natural inclinations and desires. He
is being forced ahead, and like a hot
house bulb, he may grow more quick
ly but he will be less sturdy in char
acter than if permitted to develoI
naturally.
Drawing attention to the baby's &C
complishments repeatedly and exploit
ing his achievements before visitor.
Or relatives are sure ways to MAKE
him self.centered and artificial in
manner. How can he remain uncon
scious when folks continually exclain
over his abilities, and direct attention
to him?
[ have a friend with cunning
year-old boy. Occasionally / drop il
to call on her, but never do we hav
an opportunity for a good old-tim
chat on little personal affairs or an,
sort of consecutive conversation TO
Billy always interrupts: Mother, Sc
what Pm DOING" and if mother doe
not look Immediately he screeche
louder than ever, "Whatch me now
watch me-
| And more often than not the moth
er says to me, sLook at him-don
you think he's quite wonderful to b
able to do that at his age?"
Another mother strelses clothe
until Anabel is vain. Each time tn
mother embroiders a new frock ST
sends Anabel around the neighbol
hood among her friends to show no
| cute she looks dressed up in herr ne
| togs. Alas! Simplicity will soon
| a lost art with Anabel.
u Surely we cannot blame our be
. and girl for their sophistication az
false attitudes toward life when the
\ grow older if we do not cherish
Il beautiful and precious traits their vi
Il consciousness and simplicity. Mother
4 will do well to remember that it
II in babyhood and during the early pr
II school days that a child is "spollet
in the sense of losing his native I
nocence of thot and manner. 10 Gu
Il tivate simplicity means to add raj
II charm to any personality.