Milford chronicle., 1939-01-27
UNHURRiIED BREAKFASTS
Lucia Mallory

Lucia Mallory
When read in the Central
School Notes" that Joan Burroughs
had won the first prize with her es-
say on Keeping Our City Beautiful"
was pleased to know OF my little
friends achievement, but / was not
surprised. Every child In Joan's
family has been equally successful
in school work and the older ones
are carrying this same spirit of
/ splendid accomplishment into life.
What is the secret of their sue
cess? They are blessed with good in
tellects, but not one child in that
family could be called gifted" They
live, in what might be cIassed as an
average American home. The father
works. as an accountant at a moder-
ate salary. The mother makes their
home a pleasant place in which to
live and gives some time to outside
interests. That she shares her chill
dren's activities goes without say
ing, but what is the secret of that
fine spirit of self-reliance manifested
by every child in the family?
When l saw JOan's mother a few
days agos ventured to ask her that
very question.
Mrs. Burroughs flushed at my
words of honest praise. "0f course
/ am proud of my children's sue
cess" she replied sOberly, but I'm
not sure that I've had large enough
part in 1t to be able to answer your
question. l believe that most par
ents. nowadays, try to help their
children find the work for which
they are best fitted. There are doz-
ems of homes in this city just like
ours, Miss Mallory.
81 can't think of anything special
to tell you-unless-well, there was
one mistake that corrected a long
time ago when Ted and Mary first
went to school and Maurice was a
baby. We didn't have Joan and
Edith then. II seems a little thing
to emphasize-and yet-things went
better for all of us when we began |
to have unhurried breakfasts.
MY own rising hour had been
early enough to prepare a good
breakfast, and my husband always
had plenty Of time to read his paper |
and still reach the Office at nine, but |
we had let the children sleep until
the last possible minute. 1t seemed !
heartless to awaken them early! So
dressing was always a mad scramble
and they never had time to eat
enough breakfast. 1t was always,
Hurry up. Mary, or you'll be late
to school, Never mind about that
milk, Ted. You'll be late if you take
time to drink it
zone morning when the children
had scampered off to school after
the usual breathless- race with the
clock, sat beside the baby's high
chair, feeding him, his cereal. He
was laughing and % happy at his
while Ted and Mary had
been cross and irritable. 1t came to
me in a sudden flash of understand
ing that Baby Maurice was happy
because he had time to eat his
breakfast in peace. Nobody was
lurrying him as I had hurried Ted
md Mary! resolved from that min
lite to awaken those children half an
iour earlier than / had been doing.
Phey would still have plenty of
lleep. for they had an early bed
ime.
You'd be surprised how much
hat extra morning half hour meant
o my family! Bad. tempers disap- !
'eared as If my magic! The next re- |
ort cards they brought home show
d a quickened interest in their I
chool work. s
You may be sure | never made
he mistake of letting any of the e
hildren sleep too long on school a
after that. tried to give
ach day good start" a
UnhuTried breakfasts such as Mrs a
burroughs provided for her children L
lay be the answer to many a mo- /
ler's problem. I