The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-01-17
HE YOUR CHILDREN
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ADULT HABITS START IN VERY EARLY INFANCY
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 Training q baby to help himself at once tofthe eye. We look at him and see only q little dependent creature who seems to be utterly Incapable of doing anything con- structive. And, of course, for the most part he Is.
 However he is utterly, filled with potentalities, and it is wrong to see only the side that looks to Us for
 As almost everyone knows now, physical training is the entering wedge to character training. Thc regular routine of hours. itself q discipline, makes him pleasant to live with because he accepts life as 1t comes without too much rum- pus or fight.
 But this is after ail sort of passive affair, and the mother will have to make up her mind wheth. CT or not she wants to let 1t go at that until he is older.
 Danger In Delay
 The only trouble with waiting too long for this fairy of capabil- ity to wave its wand is that 1t never may show up at all. Children today grow into manhood and wo- Fmanhood with the infants idea that thcy are not called on terribly to do very much for themselves; when necessity drives they resent doing things not entirely to their liking. So it seems that the earlier the tiny grains of self-help are coaxed to grow, the kinder we are being to the future citizen who ig to find life filled with things to be done, q responsibility he cannot cvade, I do think it not too early to begin at two whon each new day is another game and every nef cx- pcricnce thrill.
 One cannot say to child of two. Now come and help mother. Clear up the room and put away your blocks" By some miracle he might do 50 and obey the order. But he isn't ready for many abstract com fnhnds yet.
 The secret of all training is to deal with each stage Of bnbyhood nnd childhood as mental develop ment enlarges. The "cofnmand" to do q thing won't take root and be ready for next time, because there iS no "interest" attached. Tine baby is interested only in play. So the means to our end--self he1p--must be through play. Games Aid Training | By little cheerful games moth- CT con teach her little boy or girl hoes" To hold his own spoon and Feat 1t all up like the boy in the ! picture" TO hop right up on the bathroom stool and wash his hands "quick, quick before daddy comes and says, "Ail thot dirt on Harry's | handgp
 Little settlements. little games, little references to things he knows. rousing small pride and co-opera. ton. This Is the beginning. It may seem unimpCrtarit, but q beginning of any constructive habit is never that.
 It sets the habit of directing energy to purpose. It puts afi end eventually to waiting for gofne- one else to do it. Before long this very baby will be oroginating his own ideas as self help. Latcr on will come the time that he will have to do the things he does not care for. Then he will be ready for that, too, but not in early bnby- hood. To be cross and force him too much may kill the germ of duty at It's very inception. The little child learns most quickly through happiness md interest. It ig mat. ter removed from obediencG, It \ the direction of energy, the budding of duty. | (copyfight 1885 NEA Service. Incl | A----..~@@4----M-ss----~-4.@...s
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