PLACING THE BOY.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1919, Page 3

PLACING THE BOY.

I have “placed” hundreds of [joys in situations suitable to their capacities—but how to place my own .-on is a problem that baffles me. The trouble is, he does not show any particular aptitude or liking for any special thing; he is just an ordinary “good” boy. The fact is, he is too ’''good.” , T wish he had a little more spice of “devil” in him, and then I know he would be more likely to be enterprising and to succeed in .business. The bo vs who give trouble at school generally do succeed. That is my experience. They are not afraid to leave the beaten track.

I hate the thought of putting my ho y into a “safe job”. I would rather he went into a situation where he would have to fight his way. No, I would not like him to become a schoolmaster like bl s father —the job is too worrying for 'a conscientious man; and the struggle to become a “Head” is so hard, even in the elementary schools, that the effort is not worth cither the poor status or the remuneration it offers. The problem that my “good” sen presents is the problem which confronts tens of thousands of parents of “good” sons in this country. Parents wish to do the very best they can for thsir children, and secretly hope that their children will do better than they themselves have done—without the effort! , That is the fallacy, that is th c kink of fond parental reasoning; they «o afraid to let their children struggle 1 But it is Struggle which has brought out t^ l6 Lest traits both in our captains of industry and in our national heroes and parents who have done their be st in giving their children a good edu-a-tion and start in life can do no more-. They must leave the rest to the children.

But to give the boy the start to plaice him—that is the problem. It requires hard thinking. The start in life is everything. There must be ro mistake about that. There is only •.me way to make that decision correctlv; to regard your own son as somebody else’s, as a stranger, and sum him up truthfully I When T write a “character” for a boy, I ask myself these questions: 1. What has this boy done? What is the outstanding feature of his school

career ? 2 What marked aptitude does ho

show ? 3 What is ho likely to become? 4 What is he best suited for ?—a commercial house, a trade, or a profession? A.s I ask these questions truthfully for my “good” son; and out of his apparent dead level of attainments I must find his natural predilection or bent, and “place” him accordingly. After that, I must “let him win bis spurs.” I have already done my best to teach him the gospel of “Work” ’and “Push”! t