Household Economy in the Church-School by Grace O’Neal Robison

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1908

Household Economy in the Church-School

By Grace O’Neal Robison

“The youth need to be taught that life means earnest work, responsibility, and caretaking. They need a training that will make them practical,—men and women who can cope with emergencies. They should be taught that the discipline of systematic, well-regulated labor is essential, not only as a safeguard against the vicissitudes of life, but as an aid to all-round development.”

There was a time when just such a training was given to every child—given by the mother in the child’s first school, the home. Children were taught to make the beds, sweep the floors, and perform their part in all household duties. Consequently these children grew up with a love for home life and home duties.

But in modern life there seems to be a new order of things. The art of home keeping, with the twentieth-century child, would sometimes seem to have quite passed away; and with it, his love for home duties.

In the eyes of the world to-day, the girl who must make her livelihood by cooking the meals for the family, has an inferior sort of education, and the boy who works with his hands is taught to look forward to the time when he may occupy a position of prominence as a physician, teacher, or lawyer.

What may the church-school teacher do toward bettering this condition, and carrying out the instruction given by the spirit of prophecy? This question has come to my mind many times, and I have arrived at the conclusion that the solution of the problem may be found in the schoolroom, and worked out, with very little effort on the part of the teacher, by means of rightly conducted industrial work.

In most of our schools now we find that classes in sewing, carpentry, cooking, etc., in the older grades, and this is right; but if we would accomplish our object, we must begin, not with sixth, seventh, or eighth grades, but with the very first. We must have one central thought in all our industrial work, that of teaching a love for the common, ordinary duties of every-day life, and then plan our work to accomplish this object.

Briefly, I will give a plan that has proved a great help to me in teaching household economy in the lower grades. During the manual training period, let the second, third, and fourth grades model from cardboard, on a small scale, the articles of furniture needed in the four rooms of a house—kitchen, dining-room, bedroom, and living-room.

As the child makes the kitchen furniture, opportunity is afforded for daily instruction on such subjects as setting the table, systematic way of washing dishes, care of kitchen while preparing food, care of the cupboard, kitchen sink, refrigerator, care of table linen, silverware, tea towels, etc.

In making the little cardboard stove, naturally one would take up the subject of cooking. Right there the child may be given some lessons in simple cooking. Let him make a little note-book of his own, containing proper combinations of food, some menus to be followed on each day of the week, and some simple food recipes.

Then the bedroom is studied,—first by making the articles of furniture needed, studying meanwhile the proper care of the sleeping apartments, sanitary conditions, proper making of a bed, etc. Sewing is then introduced, by making the little sheets, pillow-cases, and quilt to fit the cardboard bed; and with these, demonstrations of bed making are made by the child.

A study of the rest of the house is made in the same way, the first grade also taking part in it, making their models on a still smaller scale, and with paper instead of cardboard.

Then the days of the week are taken up, the duties of each day being systematically outlined and studied.

Here sewing plays an important part also. For instance, Tuesday is our day for ironing and putting away clothing; so we actually make the little garments needed for demonstrating this. Then Wednesday, being generally devoted to mending, darning, and patchwork, we learn to do this work also. Special attention is paid to Friday, as this is preparation day, and affords opportunity for teaching proper observance of the Sabbath.

The first grade also have their part in this study by modeling from clay the articles needed for each day’s work, as tub, wash-board, irons, broom, cooking utensils, vegetables, etc.

Thus in simple manner, they are taught a love for home duties, and that there is a pleasure in performing these duties well. They learn that sweeping, dusting, and cooking may all be done to the glory of God. Then no household duty, however simple, should be passed by without drawing from it a spiritual lesson. “Christ did draw his lessons from the day of rest, but also from the week of toil,” and I believe he wishes us to do the same. When children learn to see in all homely cares and duties that thread of gold, the thought of God, they will learn to do all to the glory of God, taking him with them in their play as well as in their work, and it will be the means of drawing them nearer the great Teacher—Christ.

GRACE O’NEAL ROBISON.