MRS. VINA SHERWOOD ADAMS by Mrs. Vina Sherwood Adams

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 31, 1914

MRS. VINA SHERWOOD ADAMS

By Mrs. Vina Sherwood Adams

Our Little Table, and How It Solves Some Home Problems—No. 2

MRS. VINA SHERWOOD ADAMS

I THINK I hear some busy mother exclaim, “I should like to have the children cut out pictures, but I can’t stand the litter over the floor.” Well, why have a litter over the floor? Just convert a round peach basket or a large shoe box into a waste basket, setting it in the middle of their table; and as they cut off a piece of paper, teach them to drop it into this receptacle. A few small scraps will necessarily fall on the floor, but they, not you, can pick them up. If they fail to do this, just remove the privilege of cutting next time, and instead have them sit with idle hands, and they will not forget the little scraps very often. What a lesson in neatness you are thus teaching your children!

Our little table is often carried by the children out into the kitchen, when my work calls me there, and they sit happily cutting out, coloring, and pasting pictures. We have a place for all their materials, and they help themselves; so it causes me no extra trouble. Many a nature lesson I have taught them right out there in the kitchen. Perhaps I had better tell about this. It does not take a learned professor to teach small children nature lessons. Perhaps he could give a few more flourishes to his instruction than we mothers; but then, what is our object in telling small children about nature? Is it not to stimulate their observation, and thus lead them to gain closer acquaintance with the things about them, and foster a love for the things God has created? Once a child learns to love the birds, the horses, the cows, and the chickens, it is but a short step to the welling of his little heart with gratitude to God, the One who gives him these interesting things.

Nature lessons usually grow dry and uninteresting if given in a “preaching” way. You will be surprised at the texts of Scripture that will come to your mind as you make this effort to help your children. Many of these may be deftly woven into your story, but it is not always necessary to have the exact words of the text; the thought of the text may be given. Every story that is wholesome for a child to hear cannot help but be in harmony with some Bible principle. I find that children best enjoy stories that happened in either our childhood days or in our grandparents’ time.

Nearly all families have a fund of such proper stories to draw from, regarding both wild and domestic animals; as, the bear grandpa saw when he was a boy. Or, if it is the horse you are studying, tell some incident about grandpa’s old horse, some horse you have known, or a true story you have read, in which you can describe the horse in detail, bringing in the characteristics of the animal. If told in the right spirit, tender sympathy for all animals may be aroused in the child’s heart. This helps to develop a warm, generous nature. Most small children, until taught, do not realize that animals have any more feeling than their wooden toys; and alas! all too many adults fail to recognize this same fact.

To aid in this nature work we have a set of about twenty animal pictures, prepared with simple outlines cut from heavy paper. By looking at one of these pictures, the wee fingers of the three-year-old can tear or cut from lightweight wrapping paper a representation of the object. An older child may place the outlined figure on paper and trace around it, or he may trace, color, and cut it out. When he has succeeded in a fairly good production, mount it in a cloth scrapbook which you have prepared for this purpose.

In cutting or tearing out objects by looking at the pattern, encourage them to make the pictures large, as the tendency is to cut them too small. Have them make several at the same time. Then you may select to keep the one having the best points.

On the wall we have a long piece of heavy bed ticking (though some heavy cloth of a plain dark blue or green color is preferable). The best work is often pinned to this. Be prepared for some very strange-looking animals at the first trials; but you will be surprised at the improvement that will result as lessons continue. To aid in this improvement, call the child’s attention to the shape of the ears, the nose, the foot, etc., as compared with some other animals. One characteristic of young children is that they enjoy hearing a story retold several times. So one day they may tear out the object; and, again, in a few days, as the story is retold and more characteristics described, the same animal may be traced, colored, and cut out.

To determine what points the children have failed to grasp, or what parts they enjoyed most, have them gather around the fire about lamp-lighting time and tell each other or papa the story. This helps to deepen the impression the story has made on their minds.

Our girls are deeply interested in reading. I think this is because of their early training in stories. Now that they are older, I still read stories and occasionally relate one, but they now read largely for themselves. If you wish your children to enjoy right subject matter for reading when older, begin to cultivate their taste from babyhood by story-telling of a helpful, uplifting kind.

Stimulate the children to think for themselves. They learn that the squirrel stores his food for winter. The rabbit does not store his food. How is bunny fed in the wintertime? Call the attention of the children to the different animal tracks in the snow. They will soon learn to distinguish these tracks. Perhaps you can trace the tracks up to some shrubbery where bunny nibbled his breakfast. Do this during your Sabbath walks, which please do not omit even through the winter months. This is a good opportunity for father, who is with his family so little during the week, to bind the children closer to him by a ramble of an hour, giving mother a quiet time by herself. Let me tell you, parents, walks like these with one or both of you are never forgotten by the children. We used to take them when I was a child—mother, the four children, and usually two cats and a dog. The Sabbath seemed one of the most pleasant days of the week.

So you see, mothers, teaching nature to small children is not so difficult after all. The story may be told at one time, and the occupation accompanying the story performed at some other time if more convenient; but through all our efforts let us not forget our object,—the developing of the child mind to grasp and appreciate the greatness and kindness of his Creator.

Battle Creek, Mich.