Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-26
FOOD AND THRIFT IN THE HOME
Children, Home and School
Parents Should Give Assistance in Making
Work Agreeable-Social Events and Eff
ciency-When Child Has Room of Own.

habit of lisping and talking baby1sh
Is likely not only to be misunderstood
but will become an object Of ridicule
among the other children.
Boys Own Room.
| A boy spends many hours of the day
under direct supervision at school and
at meals, but when in his own room he
Is free to do as he pleaSes to a GER
tain extent. The theory that boys are
not aware of their surroundings is not
true. They don't know, Of course,
whether you have used complement
airy or three-color harmony In furnish
ing, but they do know whether q room
is cheerful and comfortable, or gloomy
and uninviting.
The prime keynote in boys room
should be comfort, which always can
be achieved without sacrificing artistic
effectiveness. Color may be used freely
and successfully to produce cheerful,
homelike room, and you may be con-
f1dent that any time and money spent
on giving your boy that sort of room
will be appreciated. A boy likes ap
attractive room just as much as his
sister does. and however unimportant
his activities may seem to older people,
he really needs that sort of place in
which to lounge, and read, and think.
The first requirements in a boys
room are sturdy, simple furnishings,
plenty of closet and drawer room, and
good heat and lighting. There should
not only be bed, but also a chifonier
with a good mirror, a desk or writing
table, q shelf tor bookcase, a waste
basket, and big, comfortable armchair
without rockers, and an attractive lamp
rightly placed. One of his most cher
iShed luxurieS will be a footStool.
A boy will add things to his room
as the years go by. There will be sea-
sons of pennantS, flags and banners.
There will be baseball eras, and per-
haps tennis cup or two. He may have
a liking for cartoons or for collecting
geological specimens, which would turn
his room into a gallery of exhibits. A
very important feature for a boys room
is built-in window seat with hinged
top. In addition to furnishing more
seating space, it would provide Splen-
did place in which to keep bats, balls,
boxing gloves, tennis rackets, and many
more things, and Is much more con-
venient than keeping such articles in a
closet.
Mothers Helpers.
The following plan, which has been
tried and tested, will be a great help
to any busy mother with large family
to care for. It will make her house
keeping lighter by securing the chill
drenS help in systematic way. Make
a list of all household chores that each
child can do, then divide the list into
equal sections according to the num-
Der of children in the family, and make
separate cards. Number the cards and
post them up on the kitchen wall. Give
each child a section for recording his
E41. he MnY4d1U
morning the children should change du-
ties. For instance, child No. l should
take section No. 2, and the other chill
dren change their duties according to
the same plan. This way of securing
the children's services has several adj
vantageS both to mother and children.
Each child gets valuable training in
various household tasks, and the work
does not become boreSome to the children
because there is a variety OF occupa-
ton and because they all have duties
to perform. No child can say that he
forgot his duties, because all he has to
do to remind him is to. refer to the
cards on the kitchen wall. Every child
knows what to do and when to do 1t
without instructions from mother, and
the plan gives the mother more time
for important duties that the children
can't perform.
Another mother solved the problem of
keeping three young sons, under 10
years of age, occupied while she was
preparing dinner, especially in bad
weather when the boys are in the house
and are restless, with apparently moth
ing to do. A schedule for setting the
table was worked out and placed on
the breakfast room wall. Opposite the
name of each boy were seven squares.
Every time boy set the table correctly
he was given blue star. For one mis-
take he was given a red star, for two
or more mistakes yellow star. The
stars were marked in with colored cray
ons. At the end of the week the boy
having the most blue stars was al
lowed some little extra pleasure. If you
don't believe that boys are accurate
about culinary matters, try this little
plan and you will see. The mathemati-
cal exactness with which each piece of
silverware and china will be placed will
be a revelation to any mother. Cut a
picture from magazine showing cor
rect table setting for the boys to use
as guide.