The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-11-12
Homemakers' Column
Edited by Miss Mildred Barton, Home
Demonstration Agent, Oakland


Demonstration Agent, Oakland
"The Child's First School Is The
I Family"
A girl of seven danced along on
her way to school, humming merrily.
"Hello!" she called to me. "Look at
my pretty dress! Aunt brought it
last night"
Lovely" smiled back in surprise.
Was this the shy, nondescript little
Ann Gaunt who passed my door
daily? Why, her face was radiant.
She was pretty, vivid child. I'd
thought her ordinary!
"I'm going to say piece in school
todayw She'd never spoken to me of
her own accord before and had scarce
ly answered when l had spoken to
her. But the charm of the simple
bingham frock and clean socks and
her freshly washed brown hair had
entered into her spirit and radiated
delight too great to keep to herself.
Do we realize how much children are
affected by clothes-or have we for
gotten? The boy or girl conscious,
even vaguely, of being well dressed
has bearing among his fellows that
the dowdy, not quite clean, child has
not. A torn stocking, a spotted,
ugly dress, untrimmed, or unbrushed
hair evoke sense of inferiority that
tends to make the child timid, and
friends, even teachers, quickly adopt
a corresponding attitude. A girl who
had been content and eager to wear
the uniform of a private school she
had attended, surprised her mother
by refusing to wear the same frock to
the public school. Nonsense, Molly,
of course you must wear it. It's a
pretty dress"
81 know, Mother, but nobody else
wears anything like it, and the girls
make fun Of mel"
One Saturday, boy of nine strobe
past my door, petulantly kicking
stones. When he'd gone over the
ridge he glanced back, jerked off his
tam, hid it under a bush, pulled off
his tie, opened the neck of his shirt
and rolled up his sleeves. Then, hands
in pockets, he whistled along. Other
lads similarly clad joined him. Ridi-
cule from the crowd is hard for an
adult to bear; it is genuine pain to a
child. Boys are as sensitive as girls
in this respect. If tams and neckties
are not the fashion on play days and
rolled up sleeves and open collars are,
why then the boy is pretty likely to
be happier if the parent doesn't in
sist on more formal dress.
Clothes have ON educational value.
To be "out of style" or to be untidy
or badly dressed is an offense to those
who must look at us. Flowers, birds,
all are beautiful. Boys and girls, al
so, should be made personally attrac-
tive. And if the parent begins early
and does not lay undue stress on this
particular phase of the subject, it is
not hard to persuade the child that
clean hands, orderly hair and cheer
full face play an important part in
making one presentable. Selections
of pleasing combinations can be easily
taught to both boys and girls. It
may actually hurt sensitive child to
have to look daily at dull brown or
gray frock, unless it is relieved by a
dash of color, as trimming or hair
ribbon. A becoming ribbon will often
make little girls heart dance. Har-
mony in color, when understood, is
generally enjoyed quite as much by
the young as by the more mature,
and it is a lesson well worth teaching.
H. d. A. Schedule
Tuesday, November 17-H oyes
Homemakers club, 1880 p. m, at the
home of Mrs. Victor Frazee.
Wednesday, November 18-Deer
Park Homemakers club, 200 p. m.
Thursday, November 19-Bittinger
Homemakers club, 1880 p. m, at the
home of Mrs. Oswald Georg.
Friday, November 20-Kempton A.
H club, 400 p. M, at the school house.
Friday, November 20-Junior Ex-
tension meeting, 1880 p. M, at the
home of George and Lena Miller,
Accident.
Saturday, November 21-Hoyes A.
H club, 200 p. m.