Some of those pastimes are dangerous, but they are sure to be indulged in at some time or other, with or without permission.  There never grew a child to sturdy manhood who was successfully kept away from water.  The wise mother, then, will not forbid this play, but will do her best to regulate it, to make it safe.  She will think out plans for permitting children to go swimming in a safe place with some older person.  She will let them go wading, and at holiday time will take them boat-riding.  If she permits as much activity in these respects as possible, her refusal when it does come will be respected; and the child will not, unless perhaps in the first bitterness of disappointment, think her unfriendly and fussy.  Above all, he is not likely to try to deceive her, to run off and take a swim on the sly, and thus fall into true danger.

[Sidenote:  Precaution with Fire]

(4) Fire is another inevitable plaything.  Miss Shinn reports that the first act of her little niece that showed the dawn of voluntary control of the muscles was the clinging of her eyes to the flame of a candle, at the end of the second week.  The sense of light and the pleasure derived from it is of the chief incentives to a baby’s intellectual development.  But since fire is dangerous the child must be taught this fact as quickly and painlessly as possible.  He will probably have to be burned once before he really understands it, but by watching you can make this pain very small and slight, barely sufficient to give the child a wholesome fear of playing with unguarded fire.  For instance, show that the lamp globe is hot.  It is not hot enough to injure him, but quite hot enough to be unpleasant to his sensitive nerves.  Put your own hand on the lamp and draw it away with a sharp cry, saying warningly, “Hot, hot!” Do not put his hand on the lamp, but let him put it there himself and then be very sympathetic over the result.  Usually one such lesson is sufficient.  Only do not permit yourself to call everything hot which you do not want him to touch.  He will soon discover that you are untruthful and will never again trust you so fully.

[Sidenote:  Bonfires]

Under proper regulations, however, fire may be played with safely.  Bonfires with some older person in attendance are safe enough and prevent unlawful bonfires in dangerous places.  The rule should be that none of the children may play with fire except with permission; and then that permission should be granted as often as possible that the children may be encouraged to ask for it.  A stick smouldering at one end and waved about in circles and ellipses is not dangerous when elders are by, but it is dangerous if played with on the sly.  Playing with fire on the sly is the most dangerous thing a child can do, and the only way to prevent it is to permit him to play with fire in the open.  A beautiful game can be made from number of Christmas tree candles of various colors and a bowl of water.  The candles are lighted and the wax dropped into the water, making little colored circles which float about.  These can be linked together such a fashion as to form patterns which may be lifted out on sheets of paper.