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Show ' II ber bands, empty typewriter-ribbo- n straining, swinging and swaying, almost falling as he worked to pull himspools, practically anything around the self up. My muscles stretched with his, house that a baby can't hurt too much strained to swing him in wlehe and that can't seriously hurt him. swayed out I had to fight to keep my Helps: If I had been more ingenious off and hands big my big mouth shut and handier with tools, 'I could have Finally proudly, triumphantly he made a lot of things to help John in made it My triumph came when I was his quest for independence. The one able to set him back down on the floor x "help" I made that really worked was so we could both go through the a small stool. It was pretty crude, but ordeal again. After three days of this, by standing on it in the bathroom, he John had learned to climb. could reach the soap and the faucets. After a whole year of watching our He was thrilled to be able to turn the son grow and learn and do things for water on and off himself, and tried himself, I knew enough to keep my washing his hands without help. helping hands to myself, while he This accomplishment, like all the went ahead on his own. others, meant more work for me. I before he could look me in had to mop up the water he splashed Long the eye and say "No," I recognized a around, but it was worth it I nailed a determined yell or an angry cry as an towel rack and hung a towel where he assertion of independence. Now I'm could reach it (not that he used it); L willing to go along with what John is put up a hook for his toothbrush, and trying to do once I find out what it a mirror he could see. I cut a card is. And I'm proud of his independence table down to his size, and, set aside and sturdy space for him to use in the bookcase How can a parent encourage a baby and the record cabinet and the kitchen to develop these qualities? cupboard. All these helps made it Judging by my own experience, you possible for him to reach things and don't have to encourage It you just hold things and do things. have to keep out of its way. But there Time and Money: Does an infant's are many things parents con do. Here independence cost money? Yes, a are some of the things we tried. little. And I, at least, had to get used Space: First of all, there was the to the idea that broken toys, smashed matter of providing space to live in cups and dishes, spilled puddings, When John was born, we decided that strained liver on the floor, and soap this was going to be his house, too. and tooth paste down the drain should We agreed that we would arrange and legitimately be charged to the cost of run it for him as well as for ourselves. raising a child. To deny him the right After all, we had a baby. Why try to to spill milk or experiment with tooth live as though we didn't have? paste, I finally realized, would be We put a folding gate on the door, much like buying an older child a and turned my office, which was also handsome box of crayons and forour living room, into a big play pen. bidding him to use them. The hardwood floor was easy to keep Time is important Sometimes it was clean, and our unstained and unvarhard for me to give the extra time it nished furniture was practically baby-protook for him to wash his own hands Most important of all, John had or feed himself. I admit I cheated room to do things. sometimes and slipped a spoonful in In addition to Things: space, a baby his mouth before he could stop me. needs things to do with. John had the Before he could walk, I could hardly usual number of toys, which he used wait for him to start After he had over and over. He pushed them, pulled learned, as we slowly made our way them, pounded them, and piled them. to meet Loretto's train, I often reHis first favorite playthings weren't called the happy, carefree days when toys at all, but tin cans empty for- I could plop him down in the old mula cans. Some babies choose pots buggy and roll along as fast as I and pans or similar objects. And why wanted to. At Loretto's suggestion, I not? If they like pans or pie tins, why finally allowed 15 extra minutes for not buy some just for them, so they the three-blo- ck trip, and gave up can pound and dent them to their urging, cajoling, and threatening him. hearts' content? He needeGoe for himself, too. John tried to play with our books, Free, uninterrupted, uninterfered-wit- h so we gave him some pocket-siz- e time to experiment with his books of his own and a blocks, to test his tin cans, to paper-boun- d try out small shelf to put them on. Other ob- his plastic cars. He needed time in jects seemed important, too. Chairs which to be independent were good not only for learning to All in all, it was an interesting exclimb but also for pushing across the perience for me as a father, having a room; rag rugs for stuffing into cor- baby in my e. It was for behind. ners; drapes hiding challenging, too, and exciting. The The list of things with which, if you sternest challenge was learning that let him, a baby can exercise ingenuity even an infant is an independent perand practice independence could go son, with full rights to his own life, cardboard cartons, rub liberty, and pursuit of happiness! r om 'saap in iMvvri:-- '' . TV : K:;r 9' 1 v ' f i I ifie;eyes :ri:-Wir- 1 ' ' " I V a V J:i',-J v self-relian- ce. v, of. office-at-hom- on-indefin- TOT BURM pAMPOO' ? or IRRITATE eyes i j Iu... o Loaves hair 1 itely ! o dnhing, easy 4o comb Pung, gentle, safe lAfonderuI for all I VvZ -- -- ffie family -- V. V" .v r . r v . 5 Vn . - ft y . . v : JUIY 10, IfSS MMIIV WIIRIY r I -- ' MACAZINI 1 v |