Recreation in the Home

Recreation in the Home OF the agencies which affect moral values there are none more powerful than those of recreation; amusements both make and unmake character. The vices of our generation grow out of uncontrolled amusements. The schools, the church and the home are in position to give moral direc- tion to recreation and of those the home is the most effective. A favorable condition for char- acter development in the home is provision for play and recreation. In the light of competing attrac- tions outside the home, which are often unwholesome, it seems im- perative that our attention should be focused in this direction. A PROMINENT psychologist, Groves, writes: "Commer- cial and mechanical recreation have not only robbed the family of a part of its former function: they have also affected the family life by their influence upon conduct. No form of public amusement has ever rivaled the moving picture in the intensity and cumulative effect of its influence." A well-known writer of our country, Wright, speaking of De- mocracy, says: "No present social fact seems to demon- strate in so signal a fashion the defects and drawbacks of democracy as the banal- ity and vulgarity of popular amusements when uncontrolled by an authoritative so- cial and moral tradition. The artificial and senseless excitement of the amusement park, the degradation of the theater, the sensationalism of the movie, the demoralizing accompaniments of professional baseball, boxing and wrestling, stand out in contem- porary civilization as convincing evidence that the advance of dem- ocratic ideas has meant no im- provement or elevation of the popular taste in the matter of amusement." A CCORDING to starts- 1 *■ tics obtained by Harold O. Borg on one week's at- tendance of children at Mo- tion Picture entertainments in Milwaukee (a typical city) almost one-half of the children attend the movies more than once a week, and almost three-fourths of these at- tend unaccompanied by parents or other adults. This is serious, for careful scien- tific investigation shows that the "tendency toward dishonesty is slightly greater among children who attend the movies more than once a week than among children who attend occasionally, but less than once a week." TF the home is to offset the ten- *■ dency toward unwholesome public amusements and avoid the accompanying vices, it must pro- vide proper recreation. It must provide for the expression of the play impulse. It must provide playrooms and playgrounds. It must provide for the expression of the rhythmic urge — music, songs and dance — musical instruments, phonograph, radio, piano. It must satisfy the love of companionship — father, mother, brother, sister, friends. It must satisfy the need for variety by way of toys, pic- tures, books, visitors. And it must give opportunity for intellectual expression — a home library, radio — intellectual as well as social companionship. No matter how adequate public or Church organizations may be, the fact remains that the home has the major task in determining the life of the child. The newer and more scientific knowledge of child life places the responsibility for a large portion of growth potentiali- The home, if it is to be successful, must provide for the expression of the play impulse; it must provide play- grounds and satisfy the need for com- panionship. ties, physical, emotional, and men- tal in children on their environ- ment during the pre-school period. Nothing perhaps, is a more vital need in the lives of parents than the power to vision the importance and significance of play in the growth and development of chil- dren. '"THE parent's attitude in the earlier life periods is reflected and augmented in early and later adolescent and adult life. If the family members play together when children are young they will likely play together the rest of their lives. A family reunion and home comings will be an individ- ual necessity for each member of the family. 'The family that plays together stays together." The home is the place where ideals are developed; and the family the basic unit of our American insti- tutions. There should be in the daily home program a regular time for work and for chores, a quiet period for study and, in a prop- erly regulated home, a time for family recreation. Theodore Roos- evelt had a sacred hour each day set aside for his family association and it was his habit to read to his children, and then to walk with them through the gardens of the White House, or to play with them on the lawns. THE essentials in the organ- ization of good home recrea- tion are: First, a sympathetic un- derstanding on the part of parents of the play needs of child life. There is a wealth of interesting literature on this subject. Second, the knowledge and skill in enough types of activity to have an interest in many and a personal leadership in one. If one does not sing, or play an in- strument, or have skill in some sports, nature lore, lit- erature or handicraft, he likely will not make an eminently successful parent, and unless some one supple-

The Improvement Era for January, 1930 217 ments the deficiency, a dwarfed life may result for a child. Third, one must provide a place to play, things to play with and some intelligent leadership in their use. HTHE parents and the community must give to the child what ev- ery child needs: space, trees to climb, rivers and brooks to wade in, nature to explore, things to make. Modern invention and scientific discovery have taken from the home much of the cooperative work that had to do with feeding, clothing and housing the family. It has given to every member of the family a larger portion of leisure time — and has developed outside of the home many things which may lead to the spending of that time wastefully. "Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute: Afore its home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it; You've got t' sing an' dance fer years, you've got t' romp an' play And learn t' love the things ye have by usin' 'em each day; You've got t' love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome — It takes a heap o' livin' in the house t' make it home." — -Guest. The home is the oldest recrea- tion hall. The family group, grown-ups and children, was prob- ably the group that first learned to work and play and study to- gether. Sheltered and fed under the same roof, loving and learn- ing and living together, there de- veloped within a group a feeling of comradeship, loyalty, fair play and cooperation, that resulted in the beautifying of the family life and dwelling place. Ownership HTHIS is my house." The feeling •• associated with that statement can never quite be explained to a person who has not had it, and yet it is made up of a profoundly in- stinctive feeling. The Latter-day Saints can justly feel proud of the fact that 75% of their families own their own homes. A sense of ownership is one of the strong- est elements contributing to family happiness and the development of character. Each member of the family should feel the personal interest of ownership. This is my room — my bureau — my desk, etc. And of course he must do something to make that interest personal. Hav- ing done it he should be privileged to feel the sacredness of it. Other members of the family should re- spect that feeling. REGARDING this Brigham ^ Young said: "Every child should be allowed to own a small chest in which to keep his little trinkets, such as little bosom pins, ribbons, doll clothes, etc. This is considered by all the family the child's chest. Now let none go into that chest and take anything from it, without the consent of the child. This is a very small mat- ter, some may think, but begin at as small a point as this to create confidence. The child's little chest with its contents is as sacred to him as mine is to me. If this principle were strictly carried out by everv man, woman and child among the Saints it would make them a blessed people indeed." Making Things for the Home '"THE thing one plans for and works for is the thing one loves. Never is this more true than in regard to the home. To study out the needs of the house, and devotedly set about providing for those needs naturally draws tighter the threads of love and in- terest. A room, dull and uninteresting, with gray walls, and drab wood- work and floor, lacks only the imagination and energy of a girl to transform it into a bower of loveliness. A rose and blue border stencilled high on the wall, a coat of creamy paint on door and win- dow casings', a couple of bright rag rugs thrown conveniently here and there, dainty ruffled curtains to catch the fresh breeze; furniture made new with bright colored enamel and covers for dresser and table; a good print or two on the wall, and a bed-lamp rightly placed to illumine that perfect half- hour of quiet reading before drop- ping to sleep — these all can be ac- complished by a girl, and her happiness at home is forever in- tensified. A BOY'S interest in making a -**• fern box for Mother; a foot stool for Dad, or a cupboard for Sis will be irrevocably linked with his love for home. Merely staking up the blue larkspur in the garden increases his devotion to the place, and makes it nearer and dearer than any other spot. Parents are constantly planning improvements and repairs about the home, and one of the greatest blessings they can put into the lives of their children is the respon- sibility of helping to plan and work for the beautifying of their home. Social Life in the Home '"THE antique parlor — with its ■■ drawn blinds and furniture undisturbed, except when guests of sufficient distinction arrive — has been displaced by the heart-warm- ing living room. We have rooms in which we sleep, work and eat — and the living room, where we spend our leisure hours in the home. The wise parent welcomes friends of the children into the home and tries to create an atmos- phere of sociability which will draw the young folks towards home rather than send them out for pleasure. Candy-making, corn- popping, games, music, all help to make of a home a social center not easily duplicated. In considering the social life of the home, due emphasis must be placed upon the rights and priv- ileges of each individual member of the group. There must be a cer- tain privacy accorded everyone in the family if dignity and self-re- spect are to be maintained. Stan- dards of general conduct are largely determined by standards of home, and the beauty of solitude is one which every girl and boy should know and appreciate. The days of courtship — most vital in the life of youth — should be spent largely in the home. (To be continued}