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Home Education

Teaching Efficiency In All Things

A business man not long ago was complaining seriously of
his inefficient office help and he remarked, "The
trouble is, these folks never learned to use their heads
when they were small." Now this man was very close to
one-hundred per cent correct in his statement. Too many
children are not trained at home to make decisions, take
responsibility according to their age and strength, or
meet emergencies without shrinking. Let us say that
Bobbie's duty is to pick up his playthings. But he picks
up two or three and leaves the rest scattered about.
Right there he should be taught a lesson in
thoroughness. Very young children can be taught to hang
up their coats and hats if the hooks are placed within
their reach, and thus they first learn the lesson of
order and of care of their clothes.

Let us suppose that Dorothy is asked to wipe the dishes.
But she asks, "Mother, where's the towel?"  and calls
from upstairs, "I can't find my apron;" and then she
asks, "Where does this pitcher belong?" Some mothers
expend as much energy getting a child ready to do a
thing as they would use in doing it themselves. Let
Dorothy look around until she finds the towel, there's a
place for it and if she will use her head a little she
will discover both the towel and her apron without
calling to mother. If the daughter is dusting, see that
she does well what she attempts and that it does not
have to be gone over by mother afterwards. This is the
most helpful method for mother, besides making little
daughter competent -- and a competent person acquires
poise and confidence naturally.

"I want you to do an errand, son," says mother and
instantly she is besieged by a volley of questions --
"Where's the basket?"  "Where's my pocket book?"  "I
can't find my roller skates." And if this mother is not
using the efficiency method she will be tired out simply
making preparation for the trip.

"O I'd rather do things myself than get the children
ready to help me," is often the excuse; but that is
decidedly the wrong attitude for a mother to take, if
she considers both herself and the child. Let the
children find out by experience where things are and
they'll soon be glad to take responsibility when they
are trained to assume it. Even very young children will
surprise you in making deductions and following out
difficulties to a logical solution.

How often we see households where there is a panic from
rising time until the last child is off to school. "Come
now, it's seven-thirty -- you'll be late if you don't
hurry. It's cold this morning and rainy too. Wear your
mittens and rubbers and be sure to get a handkerchief."
Thus Mother follows the boys and girls about and they
know she won't let them be late or forget anything, so
they are utterly unconscious of any responsibility in
the matter.

Now the wise mother whose household is builded on
methods of efficiency will let the children be late just
once if necessary. That will be enough. The disapproval
of teacher and schoolmates will do more than month's of
talking and urging on mother's part, in addition the
children will have been trown on their own
responsibility. The share of the burden thus lifted from
mother in no way equals the great gain made by the
children is self-reliance.

A child at five is forming most of the personal habits
that he will use at twenty, and just for him now, so
much, will his efficiency be reduced by later life.

Let's make the children see that to stand up under
responsibility and cultivate resources within themselves
are praiseworthy achievements. Only then do the boy and
girl grasp the idea of TRUE SERVICE.

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