Hippity hop to the barber shop To get a sUck of candy I

-Nursery Rhyme

Haircuts. At The Barber Shop

Haircuts can be frightening, because most barbers wear white coats just like doctors who give shots. And the clippers make a scary sound. And anyway, who likes to have his head fooled with in this way ?

But there are some things you might do.

Go by a barber shop. Look in the window. Let him watch Daddy get a haircut Let her watch Mother. Just before you take him, act it out Pretend you have clippers and go Buzz all over his head.

Sometimes a child wants his mother to sit in the barber chair and hold him in her lap.

At Home

Buy your own equipment and do it yourself. If your children behave better for other people, make it a Neighborhood Haircutting Session, and all the neighborhood children can have their hair cut at the same time, like a party.

Give everyone a sheet, or take turns with the sheet. Let them hold a comb and mirror, just like at the real barber's. Brush their necks with talcum and put some sweet-smelling stuff on their hair. Then have ice cream.

Sometimes a little child can be diverted while having his hair cut by setting him in front of the dishwasher, while it runs, or the TV set or the dryer. If he isn't diverted by the machinery in your house any more, try a neighbor's.

You can cut his hair before his bath, so the bath will wash off the "tickles."

Children Help

And what about Johnny ? He split the kindling, filled the woodbox, lugged the water, fed the creatures, fished the brook, and whistled at his work.

-Journey Cake, Ho ! Ruth Sawyer

Few children care if the house is neat and tidy, but they do like to play "Grownup." Grownups work, so it is natural that children will play Work. They especially like to play Work if they can do the same thing mother is doing, or if she is not more than a few feet away.

If they are looking for approval, they will get it here. The smallest task such as handing Mommy a spoon is usually received with the most enthusiastic appreciation. But praise for stirring batter in a bowl and blame for stirring mud in the flower bed sometimes may seem puzzling to a child.

Children like to perform prodigious tasks and will do them several minutes at a time or several days in a row, and then may stop, right in the middle of the job. If they are playing Mud Pies and quit, you don't care. But somehow, when they are playing Work, you may think they ought to finish what they started.

Here are some things that some of the children do some of the time, but none of the children do all of the time:

Emptying The Waste Baskets

If you find the child can empty the waste basket into the trash burner successfully, but has a hard time getting it back in the house in the proper place, make an X mark with chalk on the floor or rug where it belongs.

Setting The Table

Anything that isn't too hot or too heavy children can manage to -get on the table, and don't usually object to some necessary rearranging on your part.

Bringing In The Newspaper Or Mail

It doesn't usually occur to parents that this is a good idea until the child has presented you with all the papers he could carry from neighboring porches.

Sorting The Laundry

Fun and easy. White clothes go in this pile, all others in this pile.

Hanging Clothes

A child that will hand you wet clothes from the basket can really save your back. "Daddy's shirt, Mommy's slip, my pants," is the game which accompanies this activity.

Dusting

Children can wear men's socks on their hands and dust table tops and rungs of chairs.

Dish Washing

If you are concerned about your best china, wash it first. Then invite the child to help with the silver, plastics, and iron wear. A game called "pouring" is very popular with preschoolers. The child stands at the kitchen sink and pours water from one container to another.

Vacuuming

A child cannot possibly clean your house or even a room completely, but he can work over the middle of the living-room carpet, a chair, or an area of bare floor.

Watering House Plants

If the pots or containers are small enough to carry to the kitchen sink, this is safest Let the child fill a small can with water, then slowly pour it on the plants.

Cleaning Fish And Turtle Bowls; Bird Cages

Once the animal is removed, there's no reason to be nervous.

Shining Shoes For The Family

Shoe polish and small children have never been a good combination. But some children will work fiendishly getting a high shine with a brush or cloth, after you have applied the polish.

Carrying wood and laying the fire: This is a job children fight over.

Caring For Animals

Children can feed, water, and walk the dog, or let the cats in the house in the morning.

Putting Groceries Away

Oranges in the bin, cleanser under the sink, paper napkins in the drawer, canned goods in the pantry, soap in the bathroom.

Washing Windows

Wiping a wet sponge across a bar of Bon-Ami and applying it to windows is fun for a while. When picture making with fingers takes over, don't discourage it. It all wipes off with a clean cloth.

Polishing Floors

Sliding on freshly waxed floors in clean socks or being pulled on scatter rugs is a treat for both the child and the floor.

Outdoor Helpers

Rake leaves and grass clippings.

Sweep porches and steps.

Help Daddy wash the car with big sponges.

Water grass with a hose.

Hose screens and windows.

Often children volunteer their services in answering the phone. Whether they talk or just breathe heavily, they rarely get the message. Others like to bring in heavy, slippery milk bottles from off the porch. Other "helpers" like to "ride" the vacuum while you are running it or get in or on the bed while you are making it. Playing games such as "You pretend you're asleep in this bed, and I'll pretend to make sister's bed," do not always work, nor does it always work to make the beds together. Sometimes the beds never get made.

It is often easier to do the work yourself, but turning work into play is part of their growing up.