The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1934-05-17

the other way around; parents be-
moan their children's lack Of abil-
ity to amuse themselves and their
complete dependence on others for
their pleasure.
Billy and Betty were such a
brother and sister. 1--WE never
realized how much we depended on
Betty to keep Billy amused" their
mother said, until Betty was quar-
antined in her hoom. She kept
inventing all sorts of play for her
self-the nurse rarely helped amuse
her-but Billy kept us all busy find
ing something for him to do every
minute. 1t seemed he just couldn't
have any fun unless there were 9TH
ers around"
Children do differ in their per-
sonalities. of course, just as grown
ups do but in Billy's case, it was
just as much habit as tempera-
ment that made him want someone
with him constantly. Since he was
a baby. he has scarcely been alone
for a moment; mother and an in
ventive, entertaining sister have
taken turns amusing him. And be-
sides that, Billy and betty have so
many children of their own age in
the neighborhood now, that they
nearly always have a little play
group. Billy really doesn't know
what it means to be alone, and he
has never learned to develop his
own resources.
Joan, on the other hand, is an
example of a child who was train
ed to amuse herself. When she
was a tiny baby, her mother began
to give her the experience of being
by herself. She would leave her,
for an hour or so, alone in her bed
in her room, or in her pen, with
plenty of toys that she couldn't
hurt herself with, within reach.
We're apt to be so anxious about
the first baby that we hate to have
him out of sight when he is awake.
But Joan playing contentedly by
herself was learning a much more
valuable lesson than the provoking
one she might have learned, with
mother beside her, tossing the toys
back into the play pen as she tossed
them out!
Joan at four amazed a visitor
one day. by paying no attention to
her, but sitting at a low table in
another room. very busy with paper
and shears, getting ready for May
Day. eff that was my Mary" ex-
CLAIMED the visitor, shed be in
here fifty times to poster u.s."
Joan's experiences with being left
alone to amuse herself had all been
pleasant ones and the things she'd
been given to play with had stimu-
lated her imagination and kept her
busy long hours making things.
Of course children need compan-
ions of their own age; they need
them as desperately as they need
nourishing food and sunlight and
affection and security. But some
times child has been so surround
ed with amusement and compan-
ionship that he has no chance to
develop his imagination and skill
in projects of his own, and is help
less when he is thrown on his re-
sources.
Giving children materials to play
with instead of toys, is one way of
training them in solitary play. Be
ginning early to leave them alone
for bit-in perfectly safe sur
roundings, of course, and under
pleasant conditions-is another. En-
couraging them to make things,
simple paper constructions and
weaving for the toddlers, for the
older ones building things, sewing,
dressing up and dramatizing the
stories they read-these will call
forth personal ingenuity and keep
them busy and interested for long
periods of time. And incidentally
it builds up habits that will carry
over into adulthood. The bored
adult rushing madly from one
amusement to another pictured in
Love in the Machine Age" was the
child who was utterly dependent on
others for his pleasure.