your sake, whatever you allow him to suppose about it, but chiefly
for the sake of their influence on his character. Therefore, if the
influence of any work is bad, you will change it, although the
new work may not be nearly so much what you prefer to have him do.
Whatever the work is, if it is only emptying waste-baskets, don't nag
him, merely expect him to do it, and expect it steadily.

[Sidenote: Helping]

In their earlier years all children love to help mother. They like any
piece of real work even better than play. If this love of activity was
properly encouraged, if the mother permitted the child to help, even
when he succeeded only in hindering, he might well become one
those fortunate persons who love to work. This is the real time for
preventing laziness. But if this early period has been missed, the
next best thing is to take advantage of every spontaneous interest as
it arises; to hitch the impulse, as it were, to some task that must
be steadily performed. For example, if the child wants to play with
tools, help him to make a small water-wheel, or any other interesting
contrivance, and keep him at it by various devices until he has
brought it to a fair degree of completion Your aim is to stretch his
will each time he attempts to do something a little further than
it tends to go of itself; to let him work a little past his first
impulse, so that he may learn by degrees to work when work is needed,
and not only when he feels like it.




UNTIDINESS