Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05

of beauty, whether they provide sufficient
shelter OR living space for the best Development
of the family, whether it is advisable to locate
the home near the business of the father
mother near the schools and playground.
They are also seeking to find out what effects
physical factors of the house, such as the ma
terial of the floors, have on the physical well
being of the family
They are studying types of furniture adapt
able to the needs of children, whether pictures
and floor coverings both pleasing and of
the best type for healthy development.
1T is also hoped that the conference may
make available to the housewife suggestions for
managing her home so as to provide more COM
fort and leisure for herhelf. She should have
information on what the length of her work.
ing day should be, the causes of fatigue, advice
as to the segregation of her time. the Interrupt
tons which should be avoided and how she
might use and enjoy any leisure time"
MISS VAN RENSSELAER, had set forth
some of the ideas to be pursued in train
ing boys and girls, young men and young women,
in the physical side of homemaking, the prep
aration of food and the management of the
household. But she called attention to the
fact that no program would be complete which
did not take into consideration mental train
ing and the medical aspects of training for
parenthood.
Go to see DR.. Mary Dabney Davis" Miss
Van Rensselaer, advised, "if you want to find
out what is being done in education by way of
adjusting young people mentally to life and its
problems Miss Davis is specialist in nurs-
cry, kindergarten and primary education in the
Office of education, Washington, with the Wash
ington Child Research Center.
Our attitude toward education today Is that
1t is process which is continuous from the
parental period throughout life" DR.. Davis told
me. We consider that there is no step or
CT of Nryaio ~
haVior is determined by our physical condition,
our intelligence and our spiritual and social
experience. 1t is the way in which our ex-
periences are presented to us and the way in
which we meet them that determines our lives
and our points of view.
Therefore, the first five years of our lives
are the most important in the molding of our
characters and attention is being centered on
getting socially acceptable responses during
those years. We believe that happiness and
success come with the ability to get along with
people. When one can think beyond the desire
for immediate satisfaction he learns to control
his behavior. BY taking advantage of this
knowledge and directing childs responses, he
is helped to build those qualities of character
which make him socially valuable.
To-day we define education not in terms of
the accumulation of knowledge but in abilities
to control ourselves and our behavior We say
that there are three main behavior drives-the
drive to dc. to have and the finest of all, the
selves earliest in child's life and through
them he learns most about this new world into
which he has come. He gains muscular control,
which, of course, is absolutely necessary be-
cause it is only when he unconscously con-
troll his muscles that his mind can be free for
other things.
I'm the Child Research Center for instance,
the play of the children is guided but not
directed. There ladders slides, climbing
apparatus, Ginning bars and other devices on
which children can learn muscular co-ordina-
ton. A child is not told that he can do this
or that he cannot do that Each child is
permitted to try anything that appeals to him,
and 1t is remarkable that they almost never
attempt more than they can accomplish.
"On one occasion fuzzy, roly-poly youngster
of stood looking at plank propped against (
q ladder which ordinarily only older children
attempt. He marched up to it and climbed
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