The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-04-09
FOOD BUDGETNG
FOR JUNIORS
BY LUCIA MALLORY

What are we going to eat?" This,
Mrs. Lyle realized with some amuSe-
ment, was the chief concern of her
three growing children. Though re-
ioicing in their hearty appetiteS, she
did wish they were Il little more in
terested in their schoolwork. Their
arithmetic, for instance. was amazing
ly inaccurate. She sighed and picking
up Il pencil from the kitchen table. be-
gan planning the next weeks meals
and grocery purchases:
. lbs. butter at 45c a lb.
2Ia lbs. beef at 2S12c a lib.
Stop!-Why couldn't the children help
do this?
During Fridays breakfast she
broached the subject. "How would you
like to help make out our food budget
for next week?" she asked.
John, the eldest, stared at her in
credulously, and Nancy asked, "You
mean we may decide what we are To
eat, and buy it ourselves?' May we
have ice cream every day." asked
Freddie, the youngest.
"PerhapS-if YOU fit it into the week
ly budget-the amount of money we
set aside from your fathers pay check
for buying food supplies" their mother
replied. but first, YOU must be sure
to include those foods which you
learned in school are necessary"
tWhnnnAn'' / ,-ln
claimed.
Their weekly menu scheme. they
learned, extended from Saturday sup
per to the following Saturday lunch,
ncluSive-twenty-on meals each for
five persons. An inventory of the gro
ceries on hand showed what staples
must be purchased. After discussion
of the qualities of different brands and
grades of -four, extracts, butter and
similar itemS-in which their mother
guided them-the children scanned the
grocery advertisements for prices. The
cost of the different staple purchases
to be made were entered i'm the budget.
Each made his own copy, so that any
error might be checked.
They turned next to the making of
menus for the week. AS each addi-
tiOnal dish was considered for Il meal.
the junior Lyles figured its cost. The
care regarding the inclusion of items
of food necessary for building strong
bodies brought more wholesome re-
Spect for the lowly carrot and humble
spinach after the children had weighed
their values against their costs. Elab-
crate frillS, they soon learned. could
Also, the value of the labor of the
hOmemaker was made so evident to
them that they were more willing than
before to assume duties connected with
the preparation of food.
Perhaps it was because the project
was such practical one for children
with healthy appetites that their in
terest in it continued week after week.
Perhaps, in part, it was due to Mrs.
Lyles watchfulness. She was always
patient when any difficulty arose and
made special effort to prevent inter
ference of any kind.
And the arithmetical practice each
one of them gained! Addition, sub
traction, multiplication, division and
fractions had to be iuggled constantly.
Accuracy came with practice and the
knowledge that two rival bookkeepers
would show up ones errors with glee
if miscalculation was made. En-
counters with the mathematical world
about them made the young Lyles
''number-c conscious"
"Whoopee!" they usually shouted
when the budget was finished satisfac-
torily. "We have the right answer
And they really had-tO much more
than that one series of calculations.