Show TRAINING CHILD IN FIRST YEARS The Earliest School l Is the Family Br Dy HILDA IlILDA National Kindergarten Association NewYork New NewYork York City Mrs Wood a young oung mother whose children would soon Boon start to public school was anxious to know what she could do to help them At the beginning of the previous school year she had seen her neighbor almost dally daily bribing coaxing and arguing to get et her twin sons started with the theother theother theother other children What was wrong Tong there that they did not want to go asked Mrs Wood of pf the primary teacher whose class the twins attended Too much sugar coating at home answered Miss bliss Doane frankly This she went on to say was not good for tor any child This mother had never allowed her boys to feel that there were hard tasks to be performed performed per formed and difficult lessons to be learned In the first years of their lives and so they had Imd not formed the habit of ot attack and had missed th the Joy of achievement She had waited on them had ball paid them for each little service and amI had tried to eliminate every hardship from their young youn 11 lives VIs Miss Don Doune Doane ne said th the e children child best prepared for tor school entrance entrance entrance en en- trance were those who had learner learned to watt walt on themselves to sit quietly for short periods of time when there were guests to perform little errands and chores without being rewarded for each art apt r and nd who knew how to work and play with others This she site added Is ls what boys and girls learn In kindergarten I wish WP WI had one here So Mrs Wood conducted a little survey of ot herself herselt and her children to check up on the various Items She found that she was waiting on her children more than was necessary and was paying them In pennies peonies and treats much too frequently On the other hand band she ahe had runny many strong trong points to her credit as at slip she had bad always al al- ways talked with them about school Scholl In a very happy way speaking of It as being a great pleasure and one to which the they would be admitted when they were sufficiently big and brave and strong She had hafl been firm In Innot Innot innot not allowing them treats that would upset digestion a a frequent cause of ot naughtiness In school school and and she had seen to It that they were fair and generally unselfish In their play So with w this good fo foundation on which to build she gradually eliminated eliminated elim elim- the the other habits not so desir desIr- able She She played school with the children representing It as a very verI de experience and she gave them specific duties including keepIng keeping keeping keep keep- ing their play plaT desks In good order At other times she set them tasks In Inthe Inthe inthe the kitchen and dining room And although It made considerable extra work she Invited many other boys M end 1 girls to the house to play She Sheon Shevon von vun on saw a great change In the chil chil- dren She had tried to keep kepp them babies before now she put emphasis on their development and the Joy of ot added responsibilities How did you know all these things 2 she asked the teacher who toad had guided her Miss Donne Doane laughingly laugh answered I 1 have dealt with babyish children too long not to know or not to have the desire to help when I can can The teacher was always eager that the little mUe pupils who ho came to her should get the very ery most out of ot their first school year and that was what the properly property prepared children usually ally did |