Milford chronicle., 1941-11-14
| % o ME ED WGAT ION
"The Chiid's First School is the
Family-FRoEBEL
Issued by the National Kindergarten
Association, 8 West 4Oth Street,
New York City
DEFENSE MEASURES IN THE
HOME-II
Florence Jane Ovens

lOiCu Jduc ONtIl6
No loyal American women IL
likely to ignore the call to serve
our country which is being brought
to her through the American Wo.
mems Voluntary Services or one Of
its constituent organizations. Here
am-what shall do?" is the u.s.
ual eager response.
There is work for all, and it is
proving a definite satisfaction to
the A. w. v. S. to see that the vol
unteers are placed, trained and
adjusted according to their own
choice of service. However crowd
ed and binding the applicants per-
sonal program already is, If there
is a will to serve, a way to do it
will surely be found. Those whose
family ties prohibit outside engage
ments are being given work that
can be accomplished at home.
Now how will Mothers interest
in the Defense Projects effect the
children? How much should be ex-
planned to little boys and girls? Not
only explanations but casual re-
marks even, such as will arouse
fear, should be carefully avoided.
There should be- no air of mystery,
for that in itself arouses fear. No
despised enemy should be made a
bogeyman. So long as we can find
no good in our foe, let us not bring
him into the environment of young
children. Instead, why not make
plain, simple, truthful statements
to them? Mothers help is needed
on this work. l will show you how
you can help too" If she is knit
ting a sweater for the army, she
may say, "The soldier boys are
doing some work for all of us, so
Mother is very glad to knit sweat
ers for some of them. We want
them to be comfortable, don't we?"
Then the question arises, to what
extent should we care whether or
not those outside of our family are
comfortable and happy? To what
extent should we teach little chill
dren that it is a matter for their
concern?
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith have four
children. There are ten neighbor-
ing families with whom they are
quite well-acquainted. They meet
at church or social affairs and the
children play together. A catastro-
phe cannot come to one family
without casting a shadow on each
of the others. If Mr.. and Mrs.
Smith wisely encourage their chill
dren to make sacrifices in order to
help those in trouble, all will be
benefited. If they teach them that
their neighbor's distress is no af-
fair of theirs, tension, dissatisfac-
ton, indifference and finally self
centered purposes will result.
All peoples are nearer to us today
than ever before. The most distant
country is our neighbor. Little chill
lren should not be told the sad de-
.ails of their playmates' troubles,
and they should not listen to the
recital of the horrors that go hand
inland with the bombing of cities. {
they will, however, quickly learn
regarding the distress 5
hat others in this suffering world
ire enduring, and as soon as they
ire old enough to understand this
n the faintest degree whether the 3
distress be at home or abroad \
here should be given them an op- !
to make some effort to I
elieve it. This is an important n
Irinciple in the building of strong a.
America. For when, on all levels, :.
elfishness merges into kindness, =
tends to become univer- y y
al. Y