Milford chronicle., 1940-06-21
HOMIE EDUCATION
THE ChiLd's First School IS Ihs
Family-FRoEBEL
Issued by the National Kindergarten
Association, West 4oth Street,
New YORK City
OOS
HOW WE GET THAT WAY
HOW WE GET THAT WAY
90
MRS. D. W. KINDS


Although we start crying for some
thing shortly after entering this
world, our first desires are merely
for food and bodily comfort and are,
in most cases, easily satisfied. Soon
our interests, though for some time
remaining quite objective, extend be-
yOnd our immediate needs. At this
age. our senses are keen; we inves-
tigate everything within reach; life
is so full, and we are so eager our
delight cannot easily be restrained,
and we really are happy. We hear the
birds sing and watch the plants grow,
and, enjoying the love and appreci-
alton OF others, we are contented.
When and how do we lose this
healthy response to nature and take
up the false idea that we are lacking
in something, that our happiness de-
pends upon the accumulation of ma
teFial things? 1t is often implanted
in our subconscious minds during
our very early years, when we are
81 young, so new to the world, that
we are easily misled by our elders.
When we hear Mother intimate that
her happiness depends upon a new
hat or the purchase of a new car, we
do not question her. When Father
says that his coming increase in sal
airy will make the family happy, we
do not doubt him-he is so big and
wise. And gradually, we come to be-
lieve that we ourselves are wrong in
being happy and contented, that hap
piness lies outside ourselves, around
the corner. In consequence, by the
time we have reached the teen-age,
we are ready to give up the funda-
mentals of life for the illusions of
our elders.
The false premise remains with us
sometimes throughout life. If we rid
ourselves of it in middle age, we are
fortunate. We see men striving for
money with which to make themsel-
YES happy, yet many persons now
wealthy are miserably UNHAPPY We
know young persons who pine for
travel, while others who do travel,
do so in complete boredom with eyes
closed and minds filled with preju-
dice. We hear il said, ITO be happy,
we must have health" Yet, we see
about us specimens of perfect health
who are far from happy. On the
other hand, we see invalids who are
extremely useful and happy. In spite
of this evidence to refute our concep-
ton Of life, it is dificult for US now
to realize that happiness comes from
the ability to use and to enjoy what
we have.
1t Is not yet too late. perhaps, again
to cultivate our natural resources.
BY forcing ourselves, painfully, we
can take sufficient exercise to awak-
en- our old zest for eating. By stu
dious effort we may once more learn
to smell the meadows and to hear the
tinkling brook.
But what Of our children? Shall we
mislead them as we ourselves have
been misled? Shall we teach them by
word and implication that they are
not to be happy now but later, when
they have acquired something which |
is now beyond their reach? Shall we
keep them reaching constantly for
the unattainable or shall We, by ex-
ample, show them the truth? What |
is the truth? That they will always
be happy provided they keep their
GOd-given active curiosity, their
pleasure In achievement. their natur-
al reverence and kindliness and the
ability to enjoy the simple things of
life