Part 18 (1/2)
It is a serious matter, however, to observe how many grown men there are who look upon their work with the dread and disfavor natural to little boys. One is inclined to wonder at this and at the cause of it. So far as can be learned by inquiry among workmen and those who dread their enforced labor, their view of the situations is about as follows, to render liberally the language of a stonemason-philosopher: ”Work is something no man is naturally fond of. Every worker would quit if he could afford to and take life easy. If I had ten thousand dollars ahead, I would never work another day. Of course somebody has to work or we should all starve, but my advice to a boy is that he get a good education and thus learn how to make a living some other way.”
Here the parent who has true foresight in respect to his child's development is confronted with a serious problem. It is not merely a matter of teaching the boy to work, but rather that of teaching him to become master of his work in order that personal pleasure may finally come from the performance thereof. So, one must follow the boy most thoughtfully in the latter's initial steps toward satisfactory industry.
While it is sometimes advisable to take him forcibly back to the place where he failed and even to enforce obedience and effort with the rod, it is most certainly the parent's duty to praise the small lad for his first light tasks well performed, and otherwise to show appreciation thereof.
”It took me a year to get this boy down to business,” said the proud father of a fifteen-year-old who had just won a second prize in a state-wide corn-raising contest. ”During the summer of his sixth year I took him with me into the field on occasions when he could do something light and learn from it. But my chief plan was to train him in garden work. I gave him a small plot to tend and helped him lay it out and plant it. At first he showed great interest, but I knew that it was of the playful kind and that it would soon wane. Sure enough, in a short time he was dodging and slighting his garden work. Then, I began a more definite method. At morning I would instruct him very carefully what he must do for the day, and at each evening I required him to compare results and instructions with me. Punishment was necessary more than once, but slowly he began to catch my point of view.”
”I bought the boy's first spring radishes for table use and permitted him to spend half the money. This seemed to open his eyes. Later I paid him for his other produce. During the second season I emphasized such matters as carefulness in selecting seed and the arrangement and cultivation of the garden produce. Several of the neighbors expressed surprise and delight when they saw the attractive garden. This merited approbation was noticeably effective. Since that time I have had little trouble. I can give that boy any ordinary farm problem to-day and he will work it out most enthusiastically. He has learned the joy of mastery in his work.”
The foregoing somewhat lengthy statement is given with the thought that it may furnish ill.u.s.trative material to others. It is a mistake to keep driving boys to their work ”just because they ought to do it,” as one stern father put the matter. But it is altogether fair and advisable that a series of rewards be offered. The youth must be made to feel that his work is to serve some worthy personal end. This well-trained boy's reward came gradually as follows: (1) parental approbation. (2) a money return. (3) the praise of the neighbors, (4) the joy of self-reliance and mastery.
PROVIDE VACATIONS FOR THE BOY
It is unreasonable to expect the growing boy to have the same vital interest in the work as that of his parents. The wise father will see to it that his youthful son has some outside incentive for work, as well as money payments and words of praise. Vacation periods and holidays judiciously placed will prove a splendid tonic for the working boy's mind. The schedule given below will indicate the relative amount of time that should be given to such recreative indulgences. Even in the matter of holidays there is a tendency of some fathers to regard them as so much stock in trade to exchange for the boy's extra effort. So, some farmers will map out more than a reasonable week's work and say, ”Now, boys, finish that up by Sat.u.r.day noon and you may quit.” In such case we have mere exploitation of the boy's strength and energy in the interest of the work and the profits. The scheme will fall flat sooner or later and leave the boy still despising the work and mistrustful of his employer.
The plan pursued by a prosperous farmer in dealing with his two sons may serve to ill.u.s.trate a very good method. This thoughtful father reports substantially as follows:--
”The work on our place is never ended, but whenever I find that the boys need a vacation they get it just the same. They are fourteen and sixteen and splendid help during the summer. I never permit them to work more than ten hours a day, while they are allowed a full half day off each week to use as they please, and about once each month they have an entire day to themselves. Also during the hot weather in the middle of the summer they have from three days to a week for some special outing.
Last summer they camped out five days with some other good boys. It is my theory that the boys who are given such vacations will do more work and do it better than those who are not.”
The foregoing plan may seem to sacrifice the interests of the work, but in fact it really does not. After all, it is merely a question of the right point of view. Is the boy for the sake of the work, or the work for the sake of the boy? Answer the question conscientiously for yourself, dear reader. And may the boy be forever the gainer!
A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF HOURS
Obedience may be regarded as a pre-requisite for successful boy training. So, the first light tasks required of the small lad will be intended as merely a means of training him to obey and to feel the meaning of responsibility. No one has thus far seemed to think it worth while to attempt to prescribe for the work and play of children. How different in the case of the school requirements! Even in the district schools the thing is reduced to a system--_both the quant.i.ty and the quality of the work necessary for each age and grade are carefully scheduled_. Now, why not the same forethought in planning the necessary amount of the other exercises? And why not have this scheme made out by _highly trained experts_ as is the case with the school course? There seems to be no plausible defense for this traditional expensive oversight on the part of society.
The schedule below is offered as merely schematic and possibly suggestive. In any given case there may be wide departures from it. But the thought is that of training the whole boy, and that for the sake of his own and society's future good.
Age 4 or younger.--May be taught the nature of a required duty from being sent on an occasional small errand about the place. Practically all the time should be given to play.
Age 5.--Use substantially the same methods as for age 4, but add the requirement of one regular light task daily and follow him up in the performance of it.
Age 6.--Continue as above, adding to the required tasks slightly. If the lad now be taken to the field, he must go more in the spirit of play than of work. Of course he will learn much about farm matters at this age, but his activities will be largely spontaneous. Note the plan reported above.
Age 7.--At this age, the boy should be required to do light ch.o.r.es at evening after school--such as carrying in wood and kindling and attending to the stock. Or he may help in the house. During vacation he may help for two to four hours daily with some easy tasks, preferably about the house. Of course there is much work about the barn and fields which is not too heavy for him.
Age 8.--Some boys are put to plowing at this age, but such a thing is little short of criminal. Moreover, they should be held regularly to _no sort of work_ all day long at this age; that is, unless the parent desires to reduce his boy to a little old dried-up man before the age of twenty is reached, and perhaps drive him from home.
Age 9.--Intermittently half-day or all-day tasks may now be imposed; provided the lad be taken along as a mere helper and may, about two-thirds of the time, either play at his work or regard it in the light of a playful pastime. Do not work the joyousness and spontaneity out of him at this young age.
Age 10.--An average of five hours solid work per day is all that the 10-year-old farm boy should be required to do. Much play and recreation of the rougher sort should supplement it. The desire to construct something with tools is now strong and should be indulged. Or, see that he has a pony to ride as he hurries about the place in the performance of his many errands.
Age 11.--Increase the required tasks about one hour per day with similar treatment as for age 10. This is the age for training the boy to be a sort of ”page” in service of his mother and sister.
[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE XXI.
FIG. 27.--A tennis court in connection with the country boys' camp.