Evening star., 1939-03-13
Book Containing Colonial Virginia Recipes and Galleries
MakeHOme
Attractive
'ToChild
Youngster Will Not
Play Elsewhere
If This Is Done
By ANGELO PATRI.

my boy QOeSnC Z come nome from
school. Either he goes to play on
the field or he goes visiting in other
boys homes. Nothing I can do
or say seems to help. He simply
will not come home. He is 10, and If
I can't make him come home now
what will I do when he is in his
teens?"
You can never make a boy or
girl come home. You cannot make
them do anything and have 1t
stick. What you need to do is to
get the child to want to do the
things you wish he would do. ANY,
thing you do with any other aim
In view is so much wasted effort.
Work to win the will and to har-
ness the purpose of the child, and
not to make him do what you
want. When he wants what you
want everything goes smoothly.
How can one get boy or girl
to want to go home after school?
BY having something at home that
the child wants. He will go home
If he finds there what he is want
ing just as he goes to the field,
or to the other boys homes, for
1t. There is something there that
he wants, and he goes after 1t.
Put that thing in his home in bet
ter quality and greater quantity
and he will go home
You won't bribe him to obey?
Neither will you force him. Make
up your mind to that. You can
not force anybody, especially a
boy of 10, to do what you want
by imposing your will upon him.
You may catch him and hold him
as you might capture and hold a
prisoner. But the instant he sees
a chance for escape he is of and
away and it will be much harder
to catch him and bind him an
other time. Experience works for
him, as it does for you.
What do boys like to find at
home? First welcome, some
body glad to see him. Then a
welcome for his friends. Some
thing good for them to eat. A
place for meeting, talk, play and
work. If home provides these for
Its children the boys and girls
will go home rather than any,
where else.
1t is no idle thing, this well
coming of Homecoming school
children. Mothers are tired of
housework. They have cooked
and cleaned and washed dishes,
and there is still another meal to
be cooked and served and all the
work they entail, still to do. Taking
in a group of hungry, restless
children is doing something. But
that is what home means, a service
to children for 18 years or so. After
that, things ease off bit, but
home becomes lonely empty place.
So be careful
If the children are taught to
help do the work that their enter
tanning makes for the household,
they will be all the happier, and
the mothers work will be light
ened. It is a fine idea to simplify
life at this stage. Use much paper
in the refreshment department.
Plates and cups and napkins,
when used, can well be of paper.
Furniture and fittings can be the
sturdiest and simplest possible.
Children are not particular about
the quality of the rugs and chairs,
or games. or table service. It is
the feeling of being welcomed, or
having chance to relax in the
presence of friends, in the prac-
tice of games they know and like.
Begin early to train children
with this sort of home back
ground, and when they get to the
place where they need chums,
need the bunch" you will have
the comfort of their presence in
the safety and protection of their
home. They 60 after what they
want. They stay with it when they
get it.
Mr.. Patri has prepared leaf
let entitled Annoying Habits" in
which he tells parents how to cope
with some of the common infan-
tile faults. Send for 1t, address
ing your request to Mr.. Angelo
Hatri, Child Psychology Depart
ment Of this paper, and inclose
self-addressed, stamped -(3-cent)
envelope.