THE LAZY CHILD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17352, 17 May 1924, Page 18

THE LAZY CHILD.

(By CONSTANCE MARCOTTY.) Everyone has met the child who is too lazy to walk or talk until long past the age when these teats arc generally accomplished. It does not necessarily follow that he will be lazy in later life, but a. chid who shows a tendency to slackness should be en- i couraaed —never forced—out of the ! habit. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. 111-health is often mistaken for laziness. and it behoves every parent first to assure herself that the child is physically healthy. The next movement is to arouse his interest. Few children can lesisi the fascination of “ something alive," be it a dog or a silkworm, and to give a! child a living pet, of which he is to j have entire charge, is to ron.se in him a sense of responsibility that proves an excellent cure for laziness. It too often happens, however, that a child tires very quickly of looking after a pet. and the task is taken on by mother who “ cannot bear to see the poor thing neglected.” The right thing to do at the first hint of neglect is to give the child clearly to understand that if the pet is not well cared for it must go. If the neglect continues, the threat must be carried into action. But it is not often that a j child is sufficiently lazy or callous to ! neglect the first morning especially I if his better nature is appealed to by a tactful mother. 1 SENSE OF CONSTRUCTION. Having helped the sense of responsibility to develop, encourage the child to use his constructive sense, j Instead of mechanical toys, which ! often increase the destructive sense, give him clay for modelling, bricks for j building, beads for stringing, anything, in fact, that encourages him to use his brains and his hands. In this way the naturally lazy child can be persuaded into taking an active interest in life.