Social Life for Children
Some Things a Child Should Not Be Allowed to Do—Entertaining Little Visitors—When Visitors are Impolite—The Child's Correspondence—Conduct of a Child's Party—Form of the Invitation—Place of the Older Person.
A child should not be banished from the family living room when visitors are present. He should learn to be at ease with strangers. Very early he should be able to greet a guest politely, to answer questions properly and not to ask too many. A "smart" child should not be "shown off" nor allowed to hang on a visitor, handle her belongings and chatter. As he will have little interest for a grown-up caller, he should amuse himself quietly. If a guest is staying in the house no child should be allowed to go to her room uninvited, nor be curious or meddlesome. He should watch, however, for chances to do little services. If the mother is obliged to take a child along when making calls, he should be told not to handle books, ornaments or hangings in other people's houses. But a child's chief social education should come through his own family, in the school room and by association with other children.
Very early a child should have his own little visitors and learn how to entertain them properly. Many grown-up people are awkward about making introductions. A little five-year-old girl should find it perfectly natural to lead a playmate to her mother and say: "Mama, this is my friend, Marion Howard." The visitor should be greet cordially, even ceremoniously: "I am very glad to know you, Marion. Helen talks about you so much." "You see, mama, we both just love dolls," says the beaming little hostess. Both Polite Welcomes to Little Friends children are impressed by the courteous treatment and put on their best behavior. They learn to introduce people naturally, that the young person should be presented to the older one, the gentleman to the lady. Then they should be told to pronounce names distinctly, for it is embarrassing not to catch the new names, and if they can mention some mutual interest, like dolls or base ball, that starts a conversation without awkward pause.
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