Evening star., 1938-04-08
Let Children
Rest After
School
Don't Expect Them
T0Do Home Tasks
On Their Return.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

II HAVE family of four children,
all going to school. and a house
to keep. I do all the work myself; I
can't get the children to help me-
They grumble and grunt if ask them
to do the least little thing. But I
have been working all day. Surely
they could relieve me little when
they get home from school,"
All children should help in the
housework. But school children do
hard days work if they attend to their
business, and they are not exactly
rearing to go when they get home
from school. They need an hours
rest. an hour of free time, to stretch
their muscles and relieve their minds.
They need a light lunch and chance
to chat over it, telling what happened
during the day.
After they are rested they can do
their afternoon chores. These should
be few and light. After dinner they
have to settle down to study. If they
face their tasks with free and happy
minds; if they are rested and content,
they can do good work. Otherwise
they cannot.
Each child of the family ought to
have a home responsibility in accord
ance with his ability to carry it. The
task should be completed early. before
school time, when he is fresh, and
not saved for the afternoon, when he
returns tired after days occupation.
These home chores need to be care
fully planned. 1t won't do to- call
suddenly upon child to make his
bed if he has not been trained to do
that job every morning Of his life.
Washing the dishes is a daily job
Two or three children should share it
and take turns. It is too much for
any one child to wash. wipe and re-
place dishes and tidy the kitchen. It
is a job that needs cooperation. and
it has to be we'll supervised If the
children are young.
Some mothers do not think of ask
ing children to help themselves or her
when they are little. They wait until
some day, when they are overpowered
with the pressure of work, and call
upon them for immediate and efficient
help. The children, quite unused to
such demands, are confused. They
feel at a loss and, because OF this
feeling, rebel Those who face a
strange situation or are called on for
unusual and unexpected service are
likely to feel rebellious because they
are afraid they cannot make good.
If the children are trained from the
beginning to help themselves and each
other: if they have been taught to
feel responsible for their set share
of the household work from the first
day they we're able to perform it, there
is no souch trouble. They may fuss
now and then; they may complain
about one or the other not doing his
part, but on the whole they go along
nicely. Such training not only makes
them helpful in the household, it de-
velops their intelligence and their
characters.
Don't wait until the children grow
up to ask for their help. Train them
from the start to help. And be careful
to give each his duty and set schedule
to follow. Routine helps us all.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leaflet
entitled, "Spelling," in which he
tells parents how to successfully
help ch\lren with their spelling
lessons. Send for 1t, addressing
your request to Angelo Patri, Child
Psychology Department Of this
paper, and inclose q elf-addressed,
stamped (3-cent) envelope.
(copyright. 193eJ