Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-21
Play Pen
Good Idea
For Child
By GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS. Ph.D.


EVERY child from the time he
begins to creep a bit till he is past
two should have baby pen. An in
gsnious father or mother could
make one at very little cost. In case
it il homemade the tines or bars
should be close enough together to
be safe. There are good baby pens
on the market and any young couple
could afford to cut expenses in ever
30 many other ways in order to have
= sturdy baby pen. Any collapsible
one that easily can be folded has
great merit. 1t can easily be moved
from one room to the other or placed
outdoors. It can be carried in car
when you 60 visiting with the
youngster.
The baby pen is a great means of
safety and protection to the child
and great time and energy saver
for the mother. In it the child can
have practice at pulling himself up
to his feet and standing as he holds
to the sides. In it he may easily
learn to stand alone, even walk
alone. As the tot likes to be in your
sight you can move this play pen
about and still keep him from under
your feet while you are busy with
your work. If you will check on him
when he begins to try to climb over
it, you can train him to stay in it
to a far greater age than most pa
rents do.
A Play Pen
Having = play pen enables you to
train the tot consistently and sys.
tematically to avoid things danger
Gus to him about the house and
things he might harm or destroy
and also to train him effectively not
to get into everything. my bulle-
tins, Teaching Tot Care of Prop
erty," and "How Teach Tot Mean
ing Of No." may be had in a
stamped enveIope.)
Plan a program so that for a few
short periods of ten, fifteen or twen-
ty minutes daily you will let every
thing else go while you have him
loose out Of the pen. Center at first
on just one thing he must avoid las
fireplace, floor lamp, gas jet). Put
away some Of the unnecessary knick
knacks. Merely intercept him and
keep him from other forbidden
things without even saying Mo-
But the one thing (more later) you
have resolved to teach him to avoid
you will center on. Say NO just
once and in moderate tone as he
is about to touch or seize it and at
the same time slap his bare hand
sharply as you hold this hand in
your other hand. A slap on his bare
thighs may be better, if you can get
at them quickly. Don't push the for
hidden thing away or pull him away.
Always let him choose and get in
slant pain the moment he is about
to touch the forbidden thing.
If he persists in spite of the i'm
Observation-Disclosures for
over four or five times in success
sion, either divert him to other in
terests or rock and cuddle him for
= few minutes and then return him
to the play pen. At the next train
ing period proceed as before.
Follow the rule to the letter, of
immediate-pain- without exception.
Don't add a new forbidding thing
until he has avoided the old one or
old ones automatically. You will be
tempted to add new forbiddings too
soon and to shout NO at him. In
deed, after he has heard No few
times in connection with a forbidden
object it is better not to say No
At all but merely to give the pain
Remember, you wish to get best re-
suits with the least possible neces-
sary pain to him. Be sure also to
have available a number Of attrac.
tive things he may properly turn
to each time he must be punished
for touching the forbidden thing.
Answering Parents Questions
@. How early should imaginative
play be encouraged?
A. As soon as it appears without
your teaching, which may be before