The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 28, 1918, Page 9

TR W o THE FARM WOMAN’S PAGE ~The Training of Little Children Mother Writes of Need to Begin Early and Value of Kindergartens— Finds Use for “Pat-a-Cake” Play BY MRS. LOUISE GULDLIN SIMON- SON VERY young mother should memorize a few of the songs and finger plays, and study the explanations, mottoes and pic- tures in Froebel's “Mother Play,” so that she may begin to use them in her home long before the kindergarten age. I have used them and find that they teach the virtues which later it is so hard to instil, for, as Froebel says, “Mother, you can now do with a touch as light as a feather what you can not later accomplish with the pressure of a hundredweight.” T have also found that the songs and plays fill the child’s heart with joy and contentment, entertain him im- mensely and supply his imagination with wholesome foocd. If the mother has memorized some of the songs, she can sing or c¢roon them while busy ‘about her household tasks, and in this way can- often direct her child’s thoughts and play, with definite aims in view. Her walks or rides with the children may also be made occasions for such play. To -illustrate how Froebel's philos- ophy helps the mother to train her child, let us consider first the pat-a- cake play. You smile and say, “Why, all mothers play pat-a-cake with their babies; that is nothing new.” Yes, mothers have played pat-a-cake for ages and ages, but if they want to know why they play.it, let them turn to Froebel, who points out that the reason the little game is so widely ‘known is because “simple mother wit never fails to link the initial activities of the child witk the every-day life about him.” He also says, “The bread or, better still, the little cake which the child likes so well, he receives from his mother; the mother in turn receives it from the baker. So far, so good. We have found two links in the great chain of life and service, Let us beware, however, of making the child . feel that these links com- plete the chain, The baker can bake no cake if the miller grinds no meal; the miller can grind no meal if the farmer brings him no grain; the farm- er can bring no grain if his field vields no crop; the field can yield no crop if the forces of nature fail to work together to produce it; the forces of nature could not conspire together were it not for the all-wise and beneficent Power who incites - them to their predetermined ends.” VALUE OF THE PAT-A-CAKE PLAY It is because we mothers have felt perhaps dimly and unconsciously the-: lesson which the Pat-a-cake play teaches of dependence on one another, and the gratitude each owes to all, that we have played this little game from' ancient times. °, I start to play pat-a-cake with my ~ baby when he is six months old. It -affords him great satisfaction to exer- “ cise his'arms and to direct. his move- ‘to, that both little dimpled ' ments hands come ‘together. When he is about 18 months or two years old I begin to show him the picture of pat-a- cake found in Froebel’s “Mother Play.” Through this means, 1 grad- ‘ually and easily lead him to seé that ~“for his bread he owes thanks not .,only tb his mother, to the baker. the . miller, the farmer, but also and most of all to the Heavenly Father, who, through the instrumentality of dew and rain, sunshine and darkness, win- ter and summer, causes the earth to It is only after having studied the picture thoroughly and read the chap- ter .on Pat-a-cake in the ‘“Mottoes and Commentaries” and committed to memory the - verses and tune in the bring forth the grain.” “Songs and Music” of Froebel's 'THEIR MOTHER IS FOR THE LEAGUE The mother- of these four girls, Mrs. J. E. Stone of Powers Lake, N. D., won the fourth prize in the Leader’s prize contest for farm women who were invited to answer the question, “What does the Nonpartisan League mean to you.” She Is the mother of four boys also, a pioneer in the state, and a stanch supporter of the League: Read her/short, pithy letter given below and see what the great farm movement means to her. FOURTH PRIZE LETTER v Powers Lake, N. D. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I am a farmer’s wife, and one of the ploneers of this part of North Dakota. YA The Nonpartisan league means to me thé saving of the farming industry of this locality, and the saving from future slavery, of our boys and girls, of which I am the mother of four of each sex. It means’better schools. It means better enforcement of the law. It:means our only hope of being able to remain on the farm, on ac- _count of the unjust laws made by corporations and monopolies. It means the overthrow of the money power and equal rights and Jjustice to all. It means, more brotherlv love among our -neighbor farmers, and better social tlmes, and I believe it means; the bringing together of the farmers and laborers of our United States, Whleh wonld be heneficial to- all mankmd Yonrs asa he]per to make it'so.. B SEl { MRS J E STONE “Mother Play,” that I am ready to teach Pat-a-cake to my baby, and as I have shown, I do not teach it all at once, but refer to it and again, perhaps when we are out working in the garden on a sunny day, or in the house watching the rain. GIVING THE CHILD HIS FIRST LESSONS ~ When my child is old enough to be interested in such’ things, we go into a bakery shop and, to the aston- ishment of the baker, ask if we may see his ovens. We often pass a mill and I tell my child that this is the place where the farmer Dbrings his grain. Thus the lesson of Pat-a-cake goes on for a long time after it is first played in babyhood. The active child of four or five in- stinctjvely desires to measure himself against children of his own age, and : : if deprived of the opportunity to do this, loses much of what is necessary for his highest and best development. Through contact with each other, children learn to wait their turn, and to be considerate in many other ways. A KINDERGARTEN IN THE SMALL TOWN Moreover, the®child wants to make things, and, although the mother can play little songs and games with him while carrying on her household tasks, she "can not always take the time necessary to direct and assist the child in manual occupations. This is one reason why the kindergarten fills a great need. Association with play- mates, work with various materials and tools and songs and games are all provided in the kindergarten. It was because of my study of Froe- belian methods and their successful application to the child below four, and because I realized how impossible it was for me, a busy mother, to meet the growing needs of my children that I wanted a kindergarten in our town, not only for my own little ones, but for all the boys and girls. A number of mothers and fathers became inter- ested in, my project; we petitioned our board of education and a kinder- garten was soon established. It was a succes from the very start. DODGER AND CRACKLING BREAD " Pour over two cups of cornmeal, one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of fat, enough boiling water to make a stiff dough. Set aside to cool and rise. When cold shape into small oblong pones and bake in a moderate oven 25 minutes. The crust of these pones should be thick, crisp and golden brown. Make crackling bread by the above recipe for corn dodgers. Omit the shortening and when dough is cold mix in one cup of very dry cracklings. This bread is very rich, and can. be served without butter or meat. Hot stewed fruit, apricots or tart apples, is the right accompaniment for this rich bread, The combination makes a good breakfast. One way to help save wool is to ‘make the old suit or dress do duty 'a little longer. Suits and garments, per- fectly good, are -often discarded for new ones due to being out of style or for' the mere pleasure of wearing new clothes. - Wearing - the old clothes longer is ‘one way ot helping ‘to /win : the war,