Age 14-16.—This is the time to begin to interest the boy in working to serve his own ends. His social instincts will now appear strong and he will desire many new possessions not hitherto thought of. Therefore, adjust his work to these new interests and lead him to feel as much as possible that he is working for his own advantage. There is still danger of over-work. So see to it that rests and vacations with opportunities for social experience are frequent. It is a matter for parental concern if the farm boy be not able to return to his labors at the beginning of each new day with freshness of spirits and overflowing energy.
Think out a reasonable plan
Finally, the farmer is urged to take up the matter for consideration early and make out what seems a reasonable plan of relating the boy to his work, and then to adhere persistently thereto. It has been charged repeatedly that the typical well-to-do farmer works his wife and children hard all day and until late bed time in the evening; that heavy chores are piled upon the boys after they have already worked overtime in the field; that they are routed out at four o’clock every morning, when they go half asleep and moaning to their work again.
If the foregoing accusation be at all true, its truth must certainly be the result of carelessness and ignorance of human rights, and not premeditative inhumanity and criminality as it seems to be! The reading of good farm literature, together with some intensive study of books and periodicals on the care and management of children—these will most certainly prove corrective agencies of some of the abuses named herein.
REFERENCES
Standards in Education. Arthur H. Chamberlain. Chapter III, “Industrial Training: Its Aim and Scope.” American Book Company.
Child Labor and the Republic. Homer Folks. National Child Labor Committee, N.Y.
Teaching the Boy to Work. (Pamphlet.) Wm. A. McKeever. Published by the author, Manhattan, Kansas.
Half Time at School and Half Time at Work. F. P. Stockbridge. World’s Work, April, 1911. An interesting experiment at the University of Cincinnati.
Care of the Child. Mrs. Burton Chance. Chapter X, “The Awkward Age.” Penn Publishing Company.