Evening star., 1937-08-02
Playnnates
Necessary
For Child
Nothing Can Take the
Place of a Living
Companion.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


and stay in your own yard You
know very well that I never allow
you to play anywhere else. Stay in
your own yard. Then I'll know you
are safe"
Sure about that? What is going
on in your own back yard? If it is
. solitary place of confinement for
the child or children, you are flatter-
ing yourself to call it safe Prisoners
wait and watch for a chance of escape
They dwell upon the beauties that
lie outside the walls and long with
bitter longing to enjoy them. The
longing colors the delights beyond
what truth can ever justify but the
liberty-starved soul sees only beauty
beyond its jail. Lonely children are
not safeguarded. They are bedevilled
by their own longingS.
What is in the yard to make 1t
safe for child, or children? Just
the earth and sky? Just fenced-in
hideaway for the discarded rubbish?
A place of hardened ground, tin cans,
weeds? Or perhaps a clean swept
tidy area for good clean play? 1t won't
do.
Happy children are safer than any
other sort. I cannot say they are
completely safe for there is no such
safety in this world, but 1 do say
that they have all the chance there
is for safety. Safety of mind. for a
bor,,v child ie ,,,opto11,, immune fro,,
unhealthy thoughts, and from i'm
pressions of such thoughts passed
along by others. Happy children are
healthy in body and so enjoy greater
immunity from contagious and in
fectious diseases Sunshine, fresh
air, freedom in reason. among COM
panions of their own kind. make for
goodness in all its varieties.
There ought to be playthings suit
able to the age of the children. BY
age I mean the whole age, physical,
mental social, experienced age. These
ought to be simple and allow for the
personal experience that attracts and
holds children of all ages. Sand
piles that are kept sanitary; pools that
are kept pure; building materials,
few toys to supplement the self
activity materials, are what is needed
But the greatest need of all is
eompanionship. Be sure that no.
body, and no thing, can ever take
the place of living companion,
boy or girl, of the same group as
the child in question. You can make
the yard a veritable treasure trove
of children's playthings but If it is
solitary place. no other child to share
it, it is prison and effects the child
tust that way.
But he has brothers and sisters
They won't play we'll together.
can't have them all over the neighbor-
hood. They have their own yard
and why can't they stay in? Be-
cause what they want and what they
must have, Is not in that yard. Each
child wants a child playmate OF like
tastes and abilities. There must be
some common ground of likes and
dislikes, too. Often there is too wide
a span of interest between children
Of family to make them good COM
panions at this early age, the play
Gge.
1t Is better, II it can be managed,
TO have neighbors group the children
in various yards, with various en-
ployments, than to keep each in his
own solitary yard No neighbor child
Is as good as ones own, of course, but
Isn't he as good as you can get in
this imperfect scheme Of living? Your
child is the neighbor child to some
one, you know.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leafet
entitled, "Convalescent Children"
tn which he tells parents how to
help such children to entertain them
selves without fatigue Send for it,
addressing your request to Mr.. Angelo
Patrt. Child Psychology Department
OF this paper. 1nclose a self addressed,
stamped (3-cent) envelope.
(Copyright 1912