The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-06-24
LEARNING TO PLAY
ALONE
BY HILDA RICHMOND

All through life there are time
when we must be alone. Ability t,
meet such situations happily, begins il
the very early years. The child shoult
be given opportunities to test hi
powers at playing and working alon,
and at thinking things out by himself
Rainy days and days when othe
members of the family are unuSuall.
busy or mentally preoccupied offel
valuable opportunities for learnin:
now to be contented in ones own com
pany. You and l both know person:
who can never be quiet and seren,
when alone-whO, if alone, are alwayt
wishing to 90 somewhere or do some
thing in order to be with others. Sucl
persons have no absorbing hobby tt
fall back upon. They do not have tht
faculty of enjoying any occupation suf
ticiently to insure contentment.
However many little people there
are i'm family, there Shohld very of
ten-every day il possible-be time.
when each one plays by himself. Mucl
of the friction among children in the
home is because they are OVertired
but give each one half an hour away
from the others, and everything i:
pretty sure to be harmonious again.
Sometimes we hear parent say
"rommy, you are bad bOy" Now
there are really no bad children, are
there? Children are naughty some
times, and their naughtiness comes
from different causes. OF these, the
inability to amuSe ones self deserves
special consideration.
4 mother should help each of hel
children, from early babyhOod, t.
learn how to enjoy things by himself
Ability to handle the leisure hours OF
middle life and age has been found
in many cases, to revert back to early
childhood. Froebel, with his keen in
sight, his understanding and love OF
children and his recognition of tn,
value of play, brings out this particu
lar need again and again.
When children are creating they are
very busy, very much interested and
very cOntented. Look at the tiny tot
at the seaShore digging in the sand, on
the child helping Mother" with hel
pat of dough. Play is real thing to
do things himself, and often, by him
self
1t is good thing for the home tC
have n reserve drawer or box that may
be opened only when n child must en-
tertain himself. Such things as extra
crayonS, different sized and cOlOreG
pads of paper, stencils, forms and pic,
lures 10 be cut out, drawings to color
fitting and matching toys to test alert
ness and large beads that the youngest
can string will prove suggestive and
arouse initiative. If one of the family
is handy with tools, a folding easel il
Il worthwhile things to make. Keel
this for special occasions, too.
It is not easy for the busy mother
to care for the ConvaleScing child and
do her own work, yet most of us occa.
sionalIy are faced with just this prob,
lem. 1t will be an important lifelong
asset To the child if he learns to bt
self sufficient at such times. But I,
learn thiS of course, the young child
needs something to handle that will
interest him - something that offers
possibilities not too soon exhausted. A
tray of SaWduSt, sand, or earth Will
things growing is usually satisfying
y box of small objects should accom-
pany the tray. These should be of Il
kind that will suggest the making of q
farmyard, II garden or some other
scene. Then the child should be left
alone
Very little children like to take
things out and pun them in and change
them from place to place. a basket
lllled with small bundles to open usual
~ affords much pleasure. Some should
contain old friends and Il few, things
the child has never seen before.
This idea of playing alone should not
be- discussed before the child. AS fan
as he is concerned, it should be takel
FOR granted. In case it has been neg
lrcted, the ability to play alone hap
PLY, should be developed Il little at q
time, because it is SO very important
This does not, in any way minimize
the value of group activities. Boys anl
girls must learn To live and work annie
ably with others of their own age il
they are To become sympathetic, so
cially desirable citizens