Ogden Daily Standard | 1918-10-12 | Page 14 | Protect the Child While at His Play

1 ... Protect the Child 1 I J While at His Play i . Every mother should ask herself who. ' M In her community is seeing to It that the j fl boys and girls who havp gone to work too ; ! - early are not being deprived of their right f to abundant decent play. '3 ' Tho war has not only drawn boys and i A E'rls into employment; it has taken thou- ; ' i3 i sands of mothers as well. Tills docs not ff refer exclusively to those at work for ' - - wages. The nether undertaking to spend I)J' her mornings at a Tied Cross work room j or a canning kitchen Is as truly absenting herself from her homo' on a war Job as 'Yl . the woman machine operator In a munl- Ai tlons plant. jl In both cases the children are left for all I or Part of the day In care of older chilli chil-li drcn. Household (servants.' a neighbor or tj perhaps no ono but themselves; In none (!,. " of these situations Is there adequate pro-'' pro-'' t I vision for nuitable recreation. , i , A neighborhood playground, convenient M i" t of access and properly supervised. Is the I, , 1 best answer to every situation of tills ;'. I " ' kind. I J , If you will notice the children about you , 1 you will find them playing to-day war ""J games of their own invention, with "mimic lit, attack, defence, wounding and slaughter. 1 This is quite natural with war In the very I; . atmosphere. But games such ns these. ,; left to follow their own course are likely lj. r frequently to end in dlsascr, perhaps doll' do-ll' , lng moro violence to the child's mind than r j !;- to his body. j , ' Directed into supervised games and a "Jill "Ji-ll ' letlc contests this bamc spirit, these same I . energies, will have a healthful, wholesome I , effect instead of a destructive one. B Tho community with aoldicrs 1n Its vl- i -i r ' clnlty should not so absorb itself in the ' pleasant duties, of providing recreation for I " ' soldiers as to forget its even greater duty I to provide such recreation for children as I j ' wJll compete with the attractiveness of the I t camps. I I After all there Is not very much dlffer-I dlffer-I enco in the play Instincts ofboys and girls 1 of a 6elect residential district and those I J j of the children In congested areas Both inped Intelligent direction and control, and I usually receive only restrnlnt or neglect. A mother of children well fed, housed and clothed may fool that her children have been too well brought up to be In danger from existing war conditions. True, her boys may not be in much danger of tho Juvcnllo court, but thoy may. on tho other hand, very likely comu Into contact with tho child Avho has been affected by a relaxation re-laxation of restraint upon him Protection of her own home, the ultimate ulti-mate success of her own life work 'requires 're-quires that every mother lend a hand' and do her full part to help spread Vholesome. organized, healthful play more widely over every community than over before.