Milford chronicle., 1928-04-13
Home Education
BEING FAIR TO THE CHILD
Ruth Valerie

EllZdDeIu Was d llILlS girl WIZ
was trimming over with high spirits
and the joy of life. One day when
she was about three years of age
on being corrected by maid for
making a room very untidy, she
gave a witty, but saucy reply. This
was received with shouts of laughter
from the family, the members OF
which repeated it in the response of
the child to all who came to the
house. Delighted with the result,
, Elizabeth never lost an opportunity
for a smart" answer. For some
time these sayings continued to be
considered remarkably brilliant by
her parents and were duly repeated
to all who would listen. She was a
bright child and was encouraged to
"show Off by reciting very dramati-
cally, dancing and playing the piano
and later the violin. 1t was not
long before she began to expect a
great deal of attention, delighting in
flattery, and consequently her man
ner soon became Objectionable.
One day after giving what she con-
sidered a clever back-answer to her
mother who had corrected her, she
was astonished and mortified to re-
ceive a singing slap in the face.
Seething with a sense of humiliation
and injustice, she asked the reason
and was told she had been very
rude. AS she had answered only as
she had alyaws been encouraged to
do, she was quite at loss to under
stand the sudden change.
From this time on thes laps be-
came very frequent, and were some
times administered in the presence
of other members of the household.
Often the child had no idea she had
been rude, and she continually
smarted under keen sense of in
Justice. Almost uncOnsciously she
drifted away from the mother she
had hitherto adored. She was hurt
and Inundated repeatedly by having
her shortcomings related to relativ-
es and guests, who now condemned
her as much as they had formerly
applauded her.
"Girls are far more troublesome
than boys" the mother would COM
plain, "I'm sure I don't understand
my girl; she has changed so. She
used to be such a bright happy lit
tie thing"
Hearing the remark so frequently
the child unconsciously adopted a
pose. She was misunderstood"
She became sulky and morbid. The
rift between herself and her mother
widened. until at an early age she
left home, and struck out for her
self. She was decidedly gifted and !
was able to do dozen things bril-
liantly but her training had been
and she found herself UNI
able to turn any of her accomplish
ments to a profitable account.
She married while very young.
Her own home life still being vivid
IN her mind, she determined always
@ play fair with her own children.
Her second daugter was named for
Ter. Elizabeth and developed char
lcteristics so similar to hers that
he embodiment seemed like a re-
,eption of her childhood. She real
zed that great care and sympathy
YER needed to bring out the finest
nd best in her. The child's quick
Wit was often directed against her
elf. Often when corrected little
elizabeth would insist she had not
meant to be rude, and the mother
new the child was speaking the
ruth. Very gently she would point !
ut the mistakes of making smart /.
nswers at other peoples expense,
nd would teach her the respect due :
} older people. 1t took years of
areful watchfulness and patience to
evelop the unaffected, charming 1
Elizabeth that so many people later I
dmired. Those years bound moth [
r and daughter very close together. '
hey were happy years and their =!
appiness endured. .
81 believe the kindergarten plays ?
very important and most whole {
)me part not only in the early edu- S
alton of the child, but also in our n
1tire educational system. &C. H.
ordiner, Millerville State Normal p
e
The National Kindergarten Asso- il
alton, 8 West Fortieth Street, New e
ork, will furnish free literature Il
nd loan a set of eight beautiful il
1sters, setting forth the value of
e kindergarten to any organization p
responsible individual wishing to n
ork to get a kindergarten opened d