Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-11
Teach Child
Personal
Power
The Greatest Gift
Parents BestOW
On Youngster
Pine Arts, Treasury Department.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

1t is impossible to give children,
or anybody else. anything worth
while. Things that are given chill
dren drop off them like brittle
branches in the wind.
We all want to help children to
make the best of their opportuni-
ties, and of their gifts and strengths.
We want to share what we have with
them. freely. We long to put our
experience at their service and so
give them a head start in the race.
We get in our own way. and theirs
by trying to give to the children
something that nature has decreed
impossible. Each must create his
own good or go without it.
When we see that children want
something that may help them we
can help by letting them do some
thing about it. If they want to
own toy, bit of play equip
ment, some material for their hob
by interest or their more serious
work. instead of handing it to them
we enable them to do something in
order to gain their object, we truly
help.
A boy wants a wheel. He likes
the idea of riding it. and he knows
it will help him get about quicker
so that he saves valuable time
that he can use for purposes in
view. He tells you how if he had
wheel he could deliver his papers
before school and still have time
to review his chemistry which is
his weak subject. You understand
that and agree. But-don't hand
him that wheel. Let him scheme
to provide for it; let him find a
way to work for it, so that when
1t comes he has paid for it in ex-
perlence that gives it great mean
ing and, consequently, value.
Things in themselves mean lit
tie to children. The toys, gifts of
fond friends and relatives, are soon
thrown aside and neglected. But
the article that a child made, or
which he secured through his own
efforts, is cherished and used to the
last ounce it holds. What one Gre
ates he loves. What he buys with
experience he values. 1t is only
by personal flrst-hand experiences
with things used and enjoyed that
children learn the values rightly to
be put upon them.
Mature people understand some
thing of the value of time, labor,
and creative effort applied to hv-
ing. Children do not. When ma
ture people hand children every
thing they want without showing
the child the reality of getting and
keeping, which is creative doing,
they deprive the children of the
very gift they would bestow-per-
sonal power. Don't give a child any,
thing for which he has not made
creative effort. Instead of increas-
ing his personality you lessen it.
The pity and compassion grown
person feels toward yearning child
is not strength, but weakness. 1t
is more desire for personal gratifi-
cation than 1t is for the happiness
of the child. Gratitude and smiles
and thanks warm the heart, and
hearts love to be warmed. But If
that warmth cheats child of his
courage, his power, his soul growth,
is it worth the price and is it worthy
of praise?
Help the child by showing him
how to work. Help him by letting
him see that what he gets by his
own effort is worth a world of gifts.
Nobody can give anybody anything
worth the having. Value lies in
ones own creative work. Doing
must go before getting or the get
ting Is useless, and a handicap.
Copyright. 1890