The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-19
WOMAN,S REALM
.RAkElNIB----'--
 Your Children
By Oliye Roberts Barton


 Is there such Q thing as "pure" ambition in children2 Do they pitch in and work for a goal just because we say, Some day you will be glad you practiced so hard or studied 50 faithfully"
 Actually it is almost impossible t. hold out abstracts to children as bait. We cannot expect them to see eye to eye with us because of the old saying 'The higher the view the longer the vision" And they cannot view the rainbow land beyond the hills of hard work. We know, but they don't that after years of effort some sort of reward will come, if only that of self satisfaction.
 Pure ambition is work for works sake plus certain plan of purpose. Doesn't the very sound of it prove something?
 There is a type of child who loves plugging for it's own sake, but he is rare. Either he has some particular affinity for the book or the violin, the mechanical drawing or conjugation, or he has an enlarged bump of duty. Either are admirable but they are not even second cousins to pure" am- bition if individually considered.
 Futile Effort to Spur Ambition
 And 50, since 1t gets us mo- where to say "Some day you will be glad, John, that I made you practice, when you are leading an orchestra" or Mary, how you will thank me some day because I taught you to cook. Now you will be 8 good wife and mother"
 since this is almost useless, is 1t permissible to use synthetic spurs to coax lax minds and fin- gers along the path to success2 I think 50, Moreover, 1t is being done all the time.
 Homer never worked on his grammar. He has always been careless speaker and slovenly about his cases and participles. But he has a good mind and quick wit, 50 he enters the debating society, headed by Mark, his rival. Sudden ly Homer is eaten up with con- suming ambition to study English. Because it will get him somewhere some day and he will be glad he did it? Certainly not. He is going to beat Mark at his own game and show him something. Admirable? Why, yes, It is the stuff that most urge ito get there" is made of, and the world claps it's hands.
 Aptitude Should Be Guide
 Mary won't practice. Then she hears that there is to be recital. She pictures people saying, Did you ever hear anything 50 lovely as Mary Jones' rendition of Eve ming Star'?" Mary buckles down to work. Because she thinks that some day she will be glad her mother showed her how glad" she would be? Mary's more low ly spur to conscience is vanity.
 I don't think it wise, ever, to force any child to worry with an extra-curricular job, let us say, like music, dancing, public speak ing, or a special study, for any of which he has the highest distaste and complete lack of affinity. When he can't get the first principles after a fair try, it seems nonsense to think the time on it well spent. Naturally he has to get the rudi- ments of literacy and a protective knowledge in general But barring the school program, why add 10 misery and misspent time? Chi!- dren won't excel by our wishing.
 Parents are often right, however, encouraging the child over rough places. I do not discount the wis ion" of maturity. And 1t does hap pen that many a child, grown to success, owes his happiness and glory to a mothers sense and clear eyes.
 Copyright l93s, NEA Service, Incl