Evening star., 1937-03-24
Teach the
Children
TO Help
The Work of Washing
Dishes and Utensils
Should be Divided.
BY ANGELO PATRI.
'TAN I 60 over to Eva's and do

IAN l go over 10 Eva ana 90
home work tonight, mother?"
Yes, but remember that you have
the dishes to wash first"
20, then we won't have time"
20 yes you will. Plenty of time.
I'm too tired tonight to do those
dishes. I've been working all day,
and I do think that the least you
can do is help me with the dishes"
You always want me to do dishes
the night I have to do something
else"
And you always want to do some
thing else the night I want you to
do the dishes, don't you? You'd never
offer to do them if didn't make you"
Eyes, would too, but tonight I
want to go over to Ewes and"
Listen to the radio. Yes, 1 know.
But you do the dishes first"
Dishes are great source of strife.
Nobody seems to like doing them and
yet it isn't such a job, nor so un-
pleasant as this might lead one to
imagine. There is a right way to do
them, and if they are done that way
the job is a pleasure.
The cook puts hot water in each
pot she has used, sets the lid on it,
and so leaves it ready for washing.
(Dry pots are hard to do. The
steamed ones are easy. She also
arranges for plenty Of hot water.
Some one is appointed to clear the
table That person sorts the silver,
wipes the dishes with clean paper,
and stacks them neatly ready for the
washing Glasses are lined up with
the silver.
Now the washer starts work. One
pan full of warm soapy water, another
filled with clean hot water, dish
cloth, couple of clean dish towels,
and the job starts. A quick wash,
rinse, in the hot water q wipe with
the clean, dry towel. Nothing hard
about that, nothing unpleasant. Then
the dishes are put away, the sink
washed and dried, the floor wiped
up-and there you are.
Pots and pans are washed after
the dishes, or before. If the dish
washer Is inexperienced, or very young,
or both, some older person ought to
do the cooking utensils first and clear
the way for the dishes The full
quota of dishes and utensils would be
too much for a beginner.
Where there are several children,
boys and girls, the work should be
divided, organized and assigned, in
turns, so that habit makes 1t come
easier. Practice makes perfect, and
routine makes work acceptable. Where
the mother is the houseworker dish
washing ought to be the work OF
other members of the family. 1t
is too much to cook and clean up,
too, and the children need the ex-
perience.
Little children should be taught
to help right from the start. They
can carry spoons place them, wipe
them and the like. Soon they can
wipe some Of the dishes, by and by
put them away. Gradually they learn
the ritual perfectly, and after that it
comes easy to them to relieve their
mother And she needs the relief as
much as they need the skill.
Praise for good job is great
incentive. Dishwashing is not bad
experience for children any way you
look at it, unless it is made drudgery
by poor management.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leafet
entitled, Lying" in which he tells
parents the causes of this habit and
how to help children to overcome it.
Send for it, addressing your request
to Mr.. Angelo Patri, Child Psychology
Department Of this paper. Inclose
self-addressed, stamped (3-cent)
envelope.
Copyright 1879