Milford chronicle., 1932-05-06
HOME EDUCATION
Banlshing The Fire BOgey
Pearl Haley Patrick

Don't keep fire and matches away
from children."% ,.t
What? Let my child play will
fire?"
"Yes! Under your supervision. II
you don't he is likely to do it any
way, when you are not there to guard
him-and what tragedy may result
Fire lures child with sall the
beauty and mystery of the unknown; I;
if he is sternly and continuously for
hidden to play with it, the time will
very likely come when he will yield
to temptation too strong for him
and then When his curiosity
overleaps all bounds he will outwit
the grOwnup who thwarts him. He
will strike that little magic stick
that leaps to glowing adventure-and
disaster.
For that is what he Graves, that
child of yours, adventure, and to him
the lighting of match, the kindling
of the tiniest fire, is just that-ad-
venture. With no experience how
can he know that it will get away
from his control? With no expert
ence how can he learn how to con-
troll it?
But you told him-Yes you did,
didn't you? And you thought he
could learn by your telling. But the
child learns by doing.
My own little girl was less than
two when she struck her first match,
her tiny hand held firmly and safe
in Mothers, and guided so the pretty
flames would not scorch her baby
fingers. Seated on the floor in a
dark room we lighted little candle
beside us, little campfire" that
was a cherished institution for sew
eral years.
We experimental with that flame
every time we had our campfire. 1t
was very tiny flame and, baby al
ways had on her wool sweater.
We tried to see how near we could
put our fingers without burning
them; we blew it out and lighted it
again; we learned to hold a match
slanting down enough so that it
would not go out and up enough so
that the blaze would not burn our
hands. ftt%-
AS Little Daughter grew she light
ed it herself, all alone, but with
Mother nearby. Mother loved to see
the pretty flame and of course Baby
wanted her to see her do it, too.
Never did l hide the matches from
her.
When she was big enoItgh to get
them there was no temptation for
her to do so. Didn't she get them
out lots of times, for Mother? Didn't
she know all about the wonderful
things? Didn't she light the gas with
Mother nearby to praise her when
she did it just right? Didn't she light
the candles on the dining table? Why
she even helped build a bonfire in
the yard! She knew just how to
do it.
You always stand on the wiihlward
side of fire; that is the side where
the smoke blows away from you, and
so it doesn't hurt your eyes.
And she knew just what to wear
wooden, or Overalls. never
fluffy or starched dresses or trally
things.
No, you never light matches unless
Mother is along. You might drop
one and someone might step ON it
and set fire to things; and you never !
light matches when other children !
are around because perhaps their
never taught them how to |
use them and SO they might set fire |
TO themselves or perhaps their !
mothers don't let them have matches !
and of course they'd feel badly If |
hey couldn't light them and you |
lid. 4-,s
Steal matches? What for?
This child's curiosity was salts
fed; she had learned the principles |
,f handling fire which will not come
lmiss throughout life, and incident
llly-no, that is important, tool
she enjoyed her experience with fire.
And through all her pleasure in this
simple experience came safety.
%Note: Do not, for your happiness
sake, take to heart the first admOni-
ion in this article If you are going
o treat the remainder lightly. The |
title child who is to be trusted with
ire and matches must be very care
ully taught.