The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-08-11
SING A SONG OF
WHAT TO DO
LEILA MUNSELL

"I wish," mourned Sue Tressel, "I
had something to do. l wish Arlene
didn't have the measles, or that I'd
had them so | could go over and play
with her."
81 expect" smiled Mother, "that
Arlene wishes much the same thing.
She's just sick enough to have to stay
in bed, and just well enough to want
something to do. Maybe you could
fix something for her to do. That
would give you something to do, too"
"What? ?"
"Arlene's mother has little lap
board that Arlene could use for past
ing. Of course, you wouldn't want a
big scrapbook if you were sick, but"
Sues face beamed. "I'll make lit
tie scrapbook-of some of my new
notepaper," she said delightedly. CAR
lene can handle that"
Mother punched the holes for her
and she tied the sheets together with
ribbon. Then she had the happiest
kind of time finding and cutting out
pretty pictures that would fit. When
she had enough, Mother said she could
carry them over herself. at will be
all right to go to the door," So Sue
trotted across the street with the
scrapbook material and a bottle Of
paste.
Tomorrow we will think of some
thing else," said Mother The next
morning she laid out some magazines,
all of them open at paper dolls. "When
you're sick you like to play with paper
dolls," she said to Sue.
90, this is going to be nice thing
to do,' was the smiling response. She
began to sing and sang almost all the
time she was cutting out the dolls and
putting each doll and her wardrobe
into a separate envelope. Then Mother
brought big envelope.
"When you're sick it's nice to have
something to smile over. Can you read
what | have written 2" she asked.
Sue read:
'These dolls cannot take the
measles from you, and
Dressing them all will be
something to do"
After enclosing the little envelopes
she trotted across the street and left
them at Arlene's door.
The third morning was bright and
sunny. "How about takingi Arlene a
bit of outdoors?" suggested Mother.
"Do you know the names of the leaves
Of all the trees in our yard? See if
you can think up game for Arlene"
After time Sue came running in,
her eyes shining. "Could ! get some
pieces of paper and pin different leaf
to each and let her write what she
thinks their names are under them :"
Mother nodded. $50 that she need
not think too hard, write the names
for her on another sheet of paper, but
don't arrange the leaves in the same
order. Tomorrow you can give her
some more leaves with the name of
each written underneath, and she can
change the names or the leaves on her
sheets if any are wrong
Soon Sue had samples of all the
at work preparing them for Arlene.
Mother had large envelope ready
on which she had written:
"Cut out each name and pin it
tight.
Tomorrow you'll see which
names are right
Sues mother was not only under
standing, but she was wise. She knew
childish energy demanded an outlet.
In this instance she made use of two
fundamental principles. She gave Sue
an objective: to help make Arlene
happy, and she led Sue to think out
what to do herself.
Much of what we call naughtiness
in children is lack of something to do.
Let US keep our thinking caps handy
and have, for ready use, mental list
of possible activities. AS we use these,
from time to time, let us give the
children help where needed, but not
to the extent of destroying their own
initiative.
And let us help them to help in the
things we do. It's sometimes tiresome
to have them messing around" but
that is the way they learn. And we
mustn't forget to appreciate the chill
dren's efforts, no matter how crude
ignore them, or criticise too harshly,
and we chill their enthusiasm.
Editors note: Watch for "Lct Them
Help" by Mildred Sizemore in our next
issue.