The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-10-13
Let Them Help!
Children Learn
By Experience
. MENTAL LIST OF POS
sible activities will do much
totOard solUing problem Of
naughtiness. Childish energy
demands outlet, and should
be put to a constructive pur-
pose through suggestion.
By LEILA MUNsELL

naQ SOMetninS 10 90. WISH
Arlene didn't have the measles, or
that I'd had them so could GO
over and play with her,"
ST 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"
ssWhat?"
''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'n make a
little scrapbook-of some Of my
new notepaper," she said delighted
ly. "Arlene 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.
''It will be all right to 60 to the
door," So Sue trotted across the
street with the scrapbook material
and bottle of paste.
Tomorrow we will think Of some
thing else,' said Mother. The next
morning she laid out some maya
zines, all of them open at paper
dolls. ''When you're sick you like to
play with paper dolls" she said to
Sue.
20, this is going to be a nice
thing to do" was the smiling re-
Spouse. She began to sing and sang
almost all the time she was cutting
out the dolls and putting each doll
and her wardrobe into separate
envelope. Then Mother brought a
big envelope.
"When you're sick it's nice to have
something to smile over. Can you
read what I have written?" she
asked. grsa ssB.s lNg ii
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. Elbow about taking Arlene
a bit of outdoors?" suggested Moth
er. ''Do you know the names Of the
leaves of all the trees in our yard?
See if you can think up a game for
Arlene"
Help Children When Necessary.
After a time Sue came running in,
her eyes shining, "Cou1d / get some
pieces of paper and pin a 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
leaves in the yard and was earnest
ly at work preparing them for Ar
lene.
Mother had large envelope
ready, on which she had written:
"Cut out each name and pin 10 tight.
Tomorrow you'll see sohich 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, a
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 de-
stroying 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 children's efforts, no
matter how crude-ignore them, or
criticize too harshly, and we chill
their enthusiasm.
National kindergarten Association
lWNU SerXice.l