A tentative schedule of hours
Obedience may be regarded as a pre-requisite for successful boy training. So, the first light tasks required of the small lad will be intended as merely a means of training him to obey and to feel the meaning of responsibility. No one has thus far seemed to think it worth while to attempt to prescribe for the work and play of children. How different in the case of the school requirements! Even in the district schools the thing is reduced to a system—both the quantity and the quality of the work necessary for each age and grade are carefully scheduled. Now, why not the same forethought in planning the necessary amount of the other exercises? And why not have this scheme made out by highly trained experts as is the case with the school course? There seems to be no plausible defense for this traditional expensive oversight on the part of society.
The schedule below is offered as merely schematic and possibly suggestive. In any given case there may be wide departures from it. But the thought is that of training the whole boy, and that for the sake of his own and society’s future good.
Age 4 or younger.—May be taught the nature of a required duty from being sent on an occasional small errand about the place. Practically all the time should be given to play.
Age 5.—Use substantially the same methods as for age 4, but add the requirement of one regular light task daily and follow him up in the performance of it.
Age 6.—Continue as above, adding to the required tasks slightly. If the lad now be taken to the field, he must go more in the spirit of play than of work. Of course he will learn much about farm matters at this age, but his activities will be largely spontaneous. Note the plan reported above.
Age 7.—At this age, the boy should be required to do light chores at evening after school—such as carrying in wood and kindling and attending to the stock. Or he may help in the house. During vacation he may help for two to four hours daily with some easy tasks, preferably about the house. Of course there is much work about the barn and fields which is not too heavy for him.
Age 8.—Some boys are put to plowing at this age, but such a thing is little short of criminal. Moreover, they should be held regularly to no sort of work all day long at this age; that is, unless the parent desires to reduce his boy to a little old dried-up man before the age of twenty is reached, and perhaps drive him from home.
Age 9.—Intermittently half-day or all-day tasks may now be imposed; provided the lad be taken along as a mere helper and may, about two-thirds of the time, either play at his work or regard it in the light of a playful pastime. Do not work the joyousness and spontaneity out of him at this young age.
Age 10.—An average of five hours solid work per day is all that the 10-year-old farm boy should be required to do. Much play and recreation of the rougher sort should supplement it. The desire to construct something with tools is now strong and should be indulged. Or, see that he has a pony to ride as he hurries about the place in the performance of his many errands.