Milford chronicle., 1939-07-07
TOYS ARE EQUIPMENT
By Georgia Lott Setter

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please excuse me while I tidl
this room a bit, Aunt Jane" apol
ogized young Mrs. Frazier. "On'
must expect clutter where there ara
children, suppose, and 1t is easier
to pick up things myself than to gel
them to do 1t. Perhaps I did not be-
gin right for / find 1t very hard tC
make the children care for. theiI
own things"
"a mother who spends hours each
day picking up and putting away the
scattered possessions of her family
is doing herself and her children an
injustice; did you ever think OF
that?' answered Aunt Jane gently.
IAN injusticel" cried Mrs. Frazier
"You make it sound like a calam-
ity, when, after all. it is nothing but
an annoyance that every mother
must expect to endure for a season.
"Toys are the tools with which a
child works." answered Aunt Jane.
when playtime is over toys have
no more place on the living-room
floor than has your mixing bowl or
electric fiatiron."
81 suppose that is right" agreed
her niece, thoughtfully. What do
you suggest that do?"
First, remember that what you
really are endeavoring to do Is to
establish habits of neatness-habits
that will be important to your chill
dren all their lives. Try to picture
your boy. Tom. at his first real job.
If he Is neat, If he takes good care
of the equipment entrusted to him.
If he shows a sense of responsible
ity and promptness, he has taken a
big step toward success. And he is
developing a lifelong behavior pat
tern when he forms the habit of TAX
ing good care of his playthings IN
early childhood"
"But," demonstrated the mother,
mo matter how important this habit
may be, wouldn't it take all mo-
theirs time and cause endless bick-
ering to bring about such order In
the home?
mo. Be prepared to remind lit
tie child many times that TOYS must
be put away neatly. Do this without
showing irritation, and explain that
this keeps the toys in good condi-
tion and keeps the living room at
tractive. Restrict the number OF toys
in use by keeping some Of them on
a high shelf; and make frequent
changes. And don't expect an ex-
hausted child to put away days ac-
cumulation of toys. but have several
cIean-ups during the day. Be sure
that instead of dreading or disliking
this activity. he learns to enjoy 1t.
Make a game of which 1t is part. |
Everything may be loaded onto
truck and delivered to the toy clos
ct, or the toys may be conveyed oy
a loudly footing train or by braVely
prancing horses"
what about the child who delib-
erately leaves his things strewn all
over the house?"
"Show him that when we do not
take care of our possessions they
soon become broken and destroyed,
and tell him that when you find his
things thrown about you will sup
pose he does not want to play with
hem and so they will disappear for
4 long time. This works we'll. for I've
.ried It!
ION the other hand, every child
should have some place where he
,an play and leave his unfinished
work until another playtime-a place
IF his own, If nothing more than
ow table in a quiet corner, where he
,an build towers. color pictures,
make scrapbooks and solve puzzles.
Partly finished work Of this kind
,annot be cleared away each time
without keen disappointment to the
title worker. These things mean
OF in a child's development"
"It's worth trying, anyway" smil-
d Mrs. Frazier. II confess I'm tired
Il the confusion and weary Of con-
family picking UP playthings. II at
he same time I can teach a really !
-aluable lesson, that, of course, viii :
e a worthwhile accomplishments"