Need of Recreation 33 



public school authorities have provided such an 

 ideal course of training, parents must see to it that 

 the class-room duties be thoroughly supplemented 

 with carefully assigned home tasks of the industrial 

 training sort. In a later chapter specific attention 

 will be given the question of the schooling of the 

 country boy and the country girl. 



3. Recreation. What a vast amount of mis-' 

 understanding and misuse there is of this term ! 

 Observe, if you will, the real meaning of the term or 

 of the kindred word, to re-create. It implies in this 

 use that the body has been depleted, worn out, or 

 fatigued by work and that there is to be a rebuilding 

 of the same. But it is amusing or would be if it 

 were not so pathetic to see how city parents often 

 bestir themselves in an effort to provide recreation for 

 their idle boys. Many of these boys who are seen 

 loafing about the home town during practically the 

 entire summer vacation period are given an outing 

 in order that they may thus be furnished "recreation" 

 from indolence. 



But farm parents are inclined to err on the other 

 side. That is, they tend to over-work their boys and 

 not to give them enough outings to furnish proper 

 recreation and renewed zeal for the work required 

 of them. Hence, the need of carefully considering 

 the matter of the outings for the farm boy and girl. 

 It can most probably be shown, for example, that 

 the boy who works on the farm five and a half days of 



