Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
FUN TASKSBAN|SH
CH|LDREN'S PAIN
Hospital Recreation Super.
visor Tells How Problems
Are Mastered.

Tony was sick and fretful and, worse
than all, just bored to death as any
normal boy of would be after weeks
b. in a hospital bed
Tony's mental state actually had be-
come contagious among the erstwhile
cheerful little patients in this particular
ward of ChiidrenS Hospital when Mrs.
Mary r. Weller. the recreation super
visor, entered one day and sensed the
situation with a single experienced
glance.
Now what's the mater. Tony?" she
asked as she patted his rebellious curly
head.
Jaw, I'm just sick and tired of lying
here all day, want something to play
with" Tony rebelled.
Mrs Weller. who had her own idea,
fetched him q monkey on a string and
mechanical toy.
For about 30 minutes Tony appeared
perfectly satisfied and contented. He
made the monkey jump and laughed at
its antics and he ran the little engine
up and down board. For while his
troubles were ended.
But wise Mrs. Weller, who knows the
ways of children far better than most
of us, knew otherwise She waited pa
tiently until Tony tired of his play
things and threw them aside to renew
his fretfulness.
Mrs. Weller went to the play room
and returned with piece of card board
and pair Of scissors.
New Interest Aroused.
Nov let's make some animals" she
told Tony and with experienced skill
she cut out ferocious looking tiger.
Tony cooked his head to one side and
registered interest.
Suppose you see what you can do"
Mrs. Weller suggested, turning over the
implements
"Tony cut out dog. At least he
said it was dog. He next tried some
thing else. 1t soon absorbed his inter-
est and he was the envy Of all the other
children in the ward.
Finally one little girl couldn't con-
ceal her wish any longer. Let me try
it." she pleaded.
ME too" arose the ward chorus.
That was how piece of paper and a
pair of scissors started a game in this
ward of sick children that lasted a
week. Mrs. Weller supervised it and
each child tried to cut out some differ
ent figure. Before the week was over
counted so different objects these
boys and girls had cut out themselves"
she said. They thought them all out
on their own initiative. That ward was
o happy and contended place all week. !"
Mrs. Weller told this story merely TO
IIlC k1uO Vi IeCEcdILOLlAl WOI u
that is being done at Children's Hos
pital Mental or occupational therapy.
you may call 1t, but whatever it Is, the
attending physicians are enthusiastic
about the value of 1t.
Mrs. Weller explained it was simply
teaching children that they have this
power to do creative, inventive work
when they can indulge their own facili-
ties for self entertainment She be-
lieves that is one of the most important
things-perhapS the most important
thtng-to develop in child.
Has Way With Children.
For six years Mrs Weller has been
doing just that thing at Children's Hos
pital. She has a way with children.
Whenever there is q particularly prob
lemmatical case, it's the habit with the
nurses to say, Go get Mrs. Weller,
she'll quiet him down." And she does,
without fail. by getting the cllild's mind
in entertaining himself In a way that
has source without end.
If parents could only understand the
uses to which odds and ends in their
household could be put to entertaining
their children, she contends, their
pocketbooks as well as their patience
would not be so sorely taxed.
up scraps of amusement for children
whose minds simply must be taken from
= their own troubles If they are to get
well and strong again.
Every one knows about the little sticks
with which the nurses, after applying
cotton on the ends, Swab out the pa
tents throat. These are ideal for
many other purposes, and Mrs. Weller
teaches her boys and girls how to weave
them into tiny baskets or into small
chairs, some Of which are offered fol
sale in the Thrift Shop ct Tenth and
z streets, where Mrs. Weller win ex-
hibit some of the work this week.
But it is not with the idea of selling
their articles that Mrs. Weller spends
hours in instructing the children. "It'i
for their own self-expreSSion, to create
resourcefulness in entertainment" she
stresses.
= One of the most popular things in the
playroom is q small loom. Mrs. Weller
didn't know how to operate 1t when II
arrived so she experimental with II
and made the children do likewise
They solved the combination" eventu-
ally and now happy hours are spent by
q convalescents weaving mats and small
rugs.
Boy Prize Lace Maker.
A 7-year-old boy is the prize lace
maker at the hospital just now. 1t isn't
necessary to buy expensive material tc
make lace. A hospital has no end Of
mosquito netting and when it is un'
raveled, the threads can be made into
all sorts of attractive lace articles. Un.
der the skillful fingers Of eager children
crepe napkins and towels are being