Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1917 — Homes Happy Where All Help [ARTICLE]

Homes Happy Where All Help

A household, the members of which all'work together, is the best example of active cooperation. It.is.jm example of a family doing worth-while things in a worth-while way, Tlie * children go forth from such surroundings ready to take their plpce in a world where the value of team-work is more anfl more recopiized. It is the training, and especially the early training, of children that is mort important in bringing put these “woVking-together” qualities so essential to suefceas. The first lessons in Aelpfulness are to be learned in the home. Once learned there as they should be their effect will be lasting, says a Newark News WTiter. Parents sometimes complain that their children are not helpful, that they do not want to do the * little Ihingsthat Are a- of them, that it occasionally a task to get them to perform duties which are clearly theirs t<f perform. There are, of course, special reasons for this unhappy lack of response on the part of certain, children. But, as a rule, the unwillingness, if it may so be spoken of results from 'l.so things. The first is the mistake of the parents in not seeing that 'children, as they grow older, share in a reasonable way in the responsibilities of the home. The second is the lack of opportunity given to children themselves to help. To share in home duties should be a pleasure and a privilege • for the child. It can be made eo if only a little sensible attention be given to the matter. A, child likes to do things which are interesting to him; things that, at first at least, show immediate results. He likes to give pi nrtf that he may be trusted, and he appreeifdesr quite in the light of a reward, bis being trusted to do things by himself. If he does a thing well, he naturally looks for praise, perhaps for some special form of commendation. To give this praise, or it may be, to make some return to the child for duties satisfactory done, are matters for the parent’s discretion. But It Is to be remembered that praise and rewards are, after all, only accompaniments. No parent should ask a child to do a thing that it is not right for the child to do, and for the child to do without the expectation of *pward\ save that reward which comes from the knowledge of something well done. - - - ■ t

Helpfulness on the child’s part comes from.a training in ways to be useful. And wa children once get the idea of being usefulT and sdf QRT help and happiness that they give ways occur to them. There probably is nothing that gives a parent more genuine pleasure than to have a child give some evidence of thoughtfulness in this regard. Not a few parents, out of a mistaken consideration for children, give the youngsters small, if any, opportunity to develop in usefulness about the home. Certainly the wise parent makes no such error. No matter what tLe circumstances of the family, It is the poorest possible training for the children for them to be made to feel that they are expected to do little or nothing for themselves or others, feeling at the same time that all sorts of things, constantly will be done for them. Mothers, particularly, have a very obvious duty to their daughters and to themselves in this matter. - ' It Is no kindness to a girl not to ground her in the preparation of meals, lathe fashioning of simple articles for herself, in the care of her room and in such other things as come in the rovince of home making and keeping. When this course In helpfulness is followed the girl gains In- self-re-liance as well as in ability. SBi becomes a real factor in the smooth and efficient running of the home. A boy,too, can be taught to make himself useful in many ways about the house. The making of little repairs, the construction, perhaps of some handy device, the keeping of the grounds in order, the doing of errands —all these things help and they help in the /boy’s development, too. The interest shown by the father and the encouragement that he may v give ance of Such' duties, mußt be powerful aid in the ordering and operation of the household machinery. The happy well-ordered home Is the home in which every member of the household Ims a part to perforfa, a part ■ defined naturally by the very things to be done, but suited, so far &i poßßible, to ability and tastes,