The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-05
Vacation Is
ReuIPe1iOd
ofIOuble
BY MARTHA LEE.

One of the hardest problems
mothers have to face is the sum-
mer vacation. Not the vacation it
self but the enigma as TO what they
shall do with the children those long
( summer days when they suddenly
arc thrown from scheduled actlT-
! ity to no schedule at all (but the
same amount of energy to be used
up.
With the young children it means
trying to keep them amused and
interested and at the same time
keep them from having sunstrokes
or getting run over by trucks. Of
course this Just is tucked in between
keeping the house clean and the
meals cooked and the baby happy,
With the adolescent children. the
problem takes a little less man pow
er. but about twice as much brain
power. These young hOpefulS must
be kept off the streets. not because
they might get run over. because
they have learned how to dodge
trucks and whatnot, But the streets
are not such good places Tor chill
dren who are just growing up.
Children Get Restless
And they BECOME restless and dis
satisfied Staying about the house
constantly. They have tired OF the
games the Younger children play
They are too old for dolls and too
young for beauS.
The burden of the worry and the
strain on the imagination tails on
mother. who must spend these new
free hours with her children.
One mother writes:
Dear Miss Lee: I dread to see Taca-
ton time come this wear. Last year
was not prepared for the deluge Of work
ana worry that fell into my hands. so
this year I am going to write YOU TO
help me and perhaps hundreds OF other
poor mothers who feel the way 1 90
about things.
I have three children. a girl, II. q Roy.
-. and another SON :. Ny girl and
oldest bov are. of course, OLD enough to
| take care OF themselves pretty well, but
the baby boy needs constant attention.
+ I must watch that ne does not leave the
| yard, that he is not sitting on the damp
! ground, that he is not running all over
| the neighbour gardens. and all that.
/ Which is hard enough.
Watch Older Ones
But the older hoy and girl arc the
! ones who really wear me out The boy
! is not content to stay nome He must be
! out with mis- gang. And the girl. during
/ the last year, has gotten slightly boy
I 7 n
can believe it myself
This year before vacation Is IN fill
swing want some suggestion. so that
by fall I will not be a nervous wreck as
was last fall.
Your older children are the ones
you must work on. What is trou-
bling them is this sudden freedom
from 8 in the morning until 6
O'Clock at night, without a single
thing really outlined for them to do.
You know your children best. Give
them chores to do. so many hours a
day, with either a weekly allowance
! in return, or a promise to buy them
something they want very badly
when the summer is over. The
allowance is the best idea. You can
! get them to save toward something
they want and let them buy it them
Selvese out of this allowance.
Send Them to Camp
If you can afford it. send both the
! boy and girl to camp for a couple
j Of weeks. There they will have or
ganized activity and ali the health
building outdoor exercises. If you
can not afford it, get them to form
a club among the neighbor children
and allow them to meet in your own
yard.
There will be loads of times they
will want to do things that might
not be an added attraction to your
lawn, but it would be better to have
a shabby lawn than a shabby brain,
wondering whose yard they we're
playing in.
About the girl. Encourage her to
bring her friends in every few weeks
for a little party. Meet them and
make the evening SO enjoyable they
will want to make your home a
gathering place. That will solve
your girl problem.
For a few years, until your chill
dren are married, you will have to
devote quite a bit Of time and
energy to them, and you might as
well make it as enjoyable as pos
sible. I do hope this helps a little.