Evening star., 1937-12-01
Room
Be
In Order
This Will Create
An Atmosphere
Of Happiness.
BY ANGELO PATRI.
MA, I can't 60 to bed"
"Wl,v noto"


why not?"
"'Cause my bed Is all piled up with
things"
20, goodness! forgot. The laun-
dry came just when I was busy with
the groceries. Run in and put 1t on
the table, Mollie."
But mother, the table is full The
suit case is on it,"
We'll put it somewhere. I'll attend
to 1t tomorrow"
Why the children's rooms should be
the family catchall nobody can say,
but everybody knows how it is. If q
room has to be cleared in hurry (per-
haps the bridge club Is coming) the
extra furniture is pushed into the chill
dren's rooms and some of 1t fails to
get back A delivery man brings the
winter coats and the blankets from
storage; the children's room will hold
them until they can be properly
placed. The ornamental plant gets so
shabby that it really ought to be
thrown out, but maybe it can be re-
potted. Into the children's room until
later
OF all rooms in the house the chill
dren's room should be free Of house,
hold clutter. The children need
standard Of order, and they need the
feeling Of repose that an orderly room
instills. Why clutter their room? At
least let the other rooms take their
share. Spreading the odds and ends
will relieve the children's room a bit,
and perhaps the few steps that have
to be taken in the effort will induce
the extra few that are required to put
things where they belong.
Childrens rooms ought to be restful.
That does not mean they should be
bare and cherries. Color Is restful
when 1t Is the restful sort. Well
designed furniture is restful, and when
1t is well-spaced 1t is more so. am
not for decorating the furniture and
the walls of children's room with the
pictures Of the ZOO and the jungle and
the fairy tale of grizzly doings pre-
fer the. pictures of comforting, inspir-
ing. happy creatures, and not too
many Of them at that Anything that
creates q restful atmosphere in the
children's rooms is good. That shuts
out the family clutter.
Big brothers and sisters are inclined
to impose on the younger ones in this.
It Is convenient to have old things out
Of their way and the children's room Is
the place. Just leave it there. I'll be
wanting it later" Later may be a
month or 50, or next house cleaning
time.
Unwanted furniture is showed into
the children's room, lust for the time
being" and takes root there. Out
grown pictures and collections are
passed on when they might better be
thrown out. All sorts of hand-me-
downs find their last resting place on
Juniors bed, in his closet, on his
shelves, and his room is robbed of the
order and beauty that should be there
to create the atmosphere of serenity
he requires for his healthy growth.
This is more lack of thought than
an intention, but it makes children
very uncomfortable and serves to
teach them poor habits of order and
uniting attitudes toward others be-
longings as well as their own. Give
the children's room the same consid-
Grafton shown to the rest Of the house
and many family wrinkle will be
smoothed out.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
velopment Of children. Write him in
care Of this paper, inclosing . Scent
stamped. self-addressed envelope for
reply.
Copyright. 1872