Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-01
Frightening Children.

A correspondent invokes our interpositon il
behalf of young children and against the com
mon practice of quieting them by the terrors q
the imagination. The thing is much more ire
quent with nurses than many people have an J.
dea of, no donbt; and it may exist as O house
hold evil most distressing to the little helpless
victims of it. We could occupy column ol
| two with recorded facts of the serious conse'
ouences originating in the practice; and if we
were to throw open the columns Of this paper
to the experience of our own citizens,in all prob
ability many painful illustrations would be fur
nished us. There is the greatest conceivable
difference in the development of the Youthful
mind under household influences. No doubt
nurses, to whom young children are contided,
without that supervision which they require, Of
ten aff1ict the sensitive mind of the child with
the most painful apprehensions, dstert its imag-
nation, and thus produce impressions wnlcli
years can only etface Aud there are many
grown persons who cannot conceive the distress.
and even torture, which children may be made
to suffer by the slightest distortion of natural
truth; yet the little people are often appalle d
without the possibility of relief by the most ex-
travagant abuse OF their natural fears.
| Different household influences prove their dit
ferent results remarkably in this manner And
early impressions cf the right sort are the best
means of protection children can possess fper-
sons are superstitious or even affect to be 80; II
| signs and omens are spoken Of as something real
and reliable; if supernatural appearances are
commonly credited by older members of the
household: if the mere fancirul Illusions Of the
imagination are induged; and especially ifthere
| is common and prevailing sense of apprehen-
sion with respect to any Of the actual circum-
stances that may happen in any household in
the career of life. these things will be daguerreo-
typed, as it were, upon the minds of the chill
dren, and in exaggerated and distorted forins.-
Such children, moreover, will be peculiarly i'm
pressihle, when Others, careless and indifferent
to consequences play upon their fears for any
purpose whatever. And unless they happen in
after life to attain through their own common
sense, rough experience or sound education, n
better and higher condition of the intellect, they
will again transmit to their own children the
like absurdities.
On the other hand, look into family in
which reason, good sense and practical charac
ter predominant. Boys and girls grow up with
just estimate of real life. They have been
taught to reject the fancifn and unreal. They
will be amused with ghost or q fairy story !;
but unlike others who have been exposed to per-
verse influences, they can take it at its value,
and use their reason in digesting it. 1t is true
they may not as the man OF mature mind would
read such things without any durable impression.
But in any conflict between reason and imagi-
nation, even children Of very tender years may
be so habitualy educated under family influence
as to exercise the former successfully against the
delusive power of the latter We could cite in
stances in point. But the fact is seit-evident to
the rational mind and should suggest to oil who
have charge Of children, the proprety of early
and constant impressions of such nature as
will insti into the mind discriminating per-
ception of the difference between the real and
the unreal-the substantial and the imaginary
pleasures and perils of life-Phna LedQer.