Milford chronicle., 1942-08-14
D o M E ED WGAT 10 M
"The ChiId,S First School is the,
Family"-FRoEBEL
Issued by the National Kindergarten
Association, West 40th Street,
New York City
FOOD BUDGEIING FOR
JUNIORS
Joy C. Baker

What are we going to eat?'
This, Mrs. Lyle realized with some
amusement, was the chief concern
of her three growing children
Though rejoicing in their hearty
appetites, she did wish they were
little more interested in theil
schoolwork. Their arithmetic, fol
instance, was amazingly inaccur-
ate. She sighed and, picking up q
pencil from the table, began plan
ming the next weeks meals and
grocery purchases:
2 lbs. butter at 45c a lb.
21a lbs. beef at 2815c a lb.
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 our
selves" MAY we have ice-cream
every day?" asked Freddie, the
youngest.
"Perhaps-if you fit it into the
weekly 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 in
clude those foods which you learn
ed in school are necessary"
"Whoopee!" the young Lyles ex-
claimed.
Their weekly menu scheme, they
learned, sexteIlded from Saturday
supper to the following Saturday
lunch, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. meals
each for five persons. An inventory
of the groceries 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 guild
ed them-the children scanned the
grocery advertisements for prices.
The cost of the different staple
to be made were entered
IN the budget. Each made his own
copy, so that any error might be
checked.
They turned next to the making
If menus for the week. AS each
additional dish was considered for
meal, the junior Lyles figured its
cost. The care regarding the in
'lusion of items of food necessary
or building strong bodies brought
more wholesome respect for the
owly carrot and humble spinach
.fter the children had weighed
heir values against their costs.
Elaborate frills, they soon learned,
ould increase the cost of a meal
wo-fold. Also, the value of the
abor of the homemaker was made
o evident to them that they were
lore willing than before to assume
uties connected with the prepara-
ion of food.
Perhaps it was because the prof.
ct was such a practical one for
with healthy appetites that
leir interest in it continued week
fter week. Perhaps, in part, it :
as due to Mrs. LyIe's watchful-
ess. She was always patient
hen any difficulty arose and made j
)ecial effort to prevent interfer-
ices of any kind.
And the arithmetical practice
Lch one of them gained! Addi-
on, subtraction, multiplication, 2
vision and fractions had to be Q
ggled constantly. Accuracy came =
it'll practice and the knowledge
at two. rival bookkeepers would r
low up ones errors with glee if a
was made. Encoun- g
RS with the mathematical world :
'out them made the young Lyles =,
lumber .; .;
'Whoopee!" they usually shouted a
len the budget was finished salts II
ctorily. 1--WE have the right r
swer!" And they really had-to =
lch more than one series of cal l.,
lations. .. II;