THE LADIES’ WORLD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2607, 15 September 1909, Page 3

THE LADIES’ WORLD.

THE CHILD WIND

GOME DELIGHTFUL 'ANECDOTES

“We are changing the emphasis of Christian work, and more and more, as. the years pass, we are putting-the child in the midst,” so declared the Rev. A. B. Chappell in a most attractive ;.d----dies.3 dn modern methods: of. teaching children, which he gave at the Jiuror Christian Endeavorers’ demonstration at Wellington, last w r eek. The new development, he explained, was in part the outcome of the recent better understanding of child nature, due largely to those (who had led us to an understanding of the,mind of the child. We had learned very clearly that the child was “not undeveloped man, fe.ut diverse,” that there was a different nature in the case of the child than in the case of the adult. Mr Chappell quoted a formidable authority of an older day to the effect that “play, of whatever sort, should be forbidden in all evangelical schools, and its vanity and folly should be explained to the children, with warnings of how ft turns the mind away from God and eternal life, and works destruction to their immortal souls.” Such opinions were due to an ignorance for which there was no longer much- excuse. Adult emotions and purposes had too long been made the standard for children, and instead of depriving childhood of its natural joys and imposing rigorous discipline, as ff there wore some special merit in suffering, they should study the growing consciousness and adapt their methods. The bright banners, colored sashes, and decorated letters of the young Endeavorers were adopted on this principle. Some deliglyfcful anecdotes were told by Mr Chappell to illustrate the peculiarities of the child mind. A little boy who bad been told that God could do anything, asked his father anxiously if God could ride a bicycle. His father replied in the affirmative, and the child, after a long pause, inquired: “Father, could God ride a bicycle with one wheel ?” Another story was of a child who asked his father if God made everything. “Yes,” was the answer! “Did He make the elephant and alligators!”’ “Yes, He certainly did.” “Did He make the flies, too, father?” “Yes.” Gravely, the child replied: “It must have been fiddling work, making flies. ’

Instead of laughing at such questions, said Mr Chappell, adults should note the confidence of. the child mind in believing all that it was told, and the direction of its consequent inquiries. Such study could be turned to advantage in the work of teaching. They should learn that atmosphero counted for much, that feelings had to be educated, and that to preserve a child’s right attitude to truth was of more importance than to cram him with facts. The grand simple verities of the Christian faith could be helpfully taught to boys and girls, and in a way that was not irksome, but pleasant. Because the Junior Christian Endeavor work was learning and applying these lessons it succeeded, and because of this it appealed for sympathy and help. DOLLS AS BABIES. KINDERGARTEN LESSONS. Philadelphia has hit upon a way of training the future mothers of the race, that sounds extremely attractive, says the New York “Tribune.” In some of the kindergartens of that city they have regular doll sessions, and the little girls are taught to take care of their dolls as if the dolls were babies — to wash them, dress them, take* them out to ride, and especially never to slap the waxen, rag, or china infants. The notion of utilising dolls in teaching small girls, things they ought to know when they grow up and have children of their own came to a certain Philadelphia woman one day when she ~ chanced upon a tiny mother who was giving her doll a dreadful scolding. It was a dilapidated doll, in a rickety carriage, and the embryo mother was slapping it with vast enjoyment. “How many times, Dolly, have I told you not to sit like that? Don’t 1011, I say! Hold your head up—no, not like that. Oh, dCar, will this child ever do what I want it to do? I’m worn out telling you! In a minute I'll lose patience and give you a good whipping, and if ever a child deserved it you do. And you’ll go to bed and stay there the rest of the day.” All this with an accompaniment of slaps and twitchings. Some , people might have thought the scene amusing, but this woman didn’t. She said to herself: •.•Poor little thing! Probably that’s me way her female parent ‘mothers’ her. And if. she has children of her own by and by she’ll treat them in the same way. She ought to have another ideal of motherhood placed before her,”

And the new plan-, was. evolyed and suggested to kindergarten teachers, who received it with great favor. “The doll session is very popular with the, children,” said one of the teacheers ini the institution where the class was shown. “And while they are playing and having a good time they are having heaps of things they ought to know ingrained in their little minds. We begin with a washing class, giving each little Igirl a sponge, which she uses dry, of course, but which she is taught to pass over the doll’s face and body exactly as a baby should bo washed. Then comes the'dressing, and t great rivalry there is among the little girls to gee which can dress her child most prettily. Before we began these-lesrsons the dolls were a sorry-looking lot of playthings. The lifd of the children around hero isn’t a.life to give them a feeling for neatness. But now the little girls take great pride in showing each other' the garments they have made for their dolls, and we encourage them to nif ko real little petticoats, etc., such as babies wear.* The dressing done, the dolls’ hair is fixed, and then they are taken for an outing. The children. are taught by means of the dolls the right way to carry a baby, how. to give it fresh air, how to shield It from draughts, how bac( it is to drag it around by one arm, how wrong to slap and scold: And there’s nothing farcical in 'all this. The littlo. girls take it very seriously, indeed.”