The Shasta courier., 1863-01-17
On the Government of Children.

ing raised family of six clf dren,
sui e the following as mainly the result of
m. N ohscrvat,cn aud experience.
arr & Z sFSEsss LII eli. an. hssalways
cor dent. even children Anow tikt incon-
sis ,c- is sure mark of error TbSgoyern
eas !, and we'll, you n,uss show yourself wor-
thy o govern.
z Be just and reasonable in yourlpwn con-
du and invariably keep your word.
81 Sive your commands in concise and
cled.r language, and in kind butt positive
mptner, and then always enforce them. Be
CAREFUL to avoid giving too many commands,
lest the child become confused and think
ODD Hence impossible. No practiceis is more
cruel and idle than to give commands you
do pot intend to enforce. If you fill to en-
forfs your commands once il two cases, the
CHI will calculate the chances Of escape,
ana act accordingly; and you vii be thus
fofv si 70 infiict more than double thesamount
Off a.shment, in the aggregate, tt produce
theI same effect. The punishment Should be
mo- crate. but prom and certain.
4 Allow your children reasonable liberty,
according to age and capacity. ItIis imposs-
iibfs 1T once to make grown reopie of child.
ren Let them be as children while tley
are children You should never expect 200
much.
s. When you have inflicted punishment
upqn your child make friends with it; never
afterwards, by word or act make the slight
est allusior to the difficulty and never permit
others to do so. Let there be an end to that
case once and forever. The child will not
fail to duly appreciate this delicacy, and the
effect will be most beneficial.
G. Never speak of your child's faults before
strangers. This practice inficts crilel and
unnecessary wound. The child instinctively
knsws that such treatment is wanton and
un5 I, because it inficts an extra punish.
melt not specified in the original command.
Treat all your children vita the same
all sction, and never compare one with ancth-
er Such comparisons are most odious, nev-
Ell fail to create present ill-will, and, if per-
sisted in, will ultimately produce hatred be
tween brethern.
8. Never take the property of one child to
give, even temporarily, to another. 1t is a
very common, but most unjust practice, to
take the property of the older children and
give to the younger to quiet them. Such a
prkctice destroys the confidence of the child
in the justice of the parent, and tAus.under-
mines the very basis Of good government. II
you wish your child to respect the rights of
others, you must begin by respecting its
rights. and not by abusing your powers 1t is
better to let the little fellow crv 'for that
which is not his, than to violate correct prin
ciple.
,. Never Jest about virtue or vice before
yos.r children, This most erroneous practice
destroy, all just distinctions by degrading
virtue and elevating vice to the same, level
10. Never jest about Furnishing your child
ran is thor taa d,lioafaa c,,b,ao- 70 n
jest.
Ii. Never mention a vicious act or princi-
pie in the hearing of your children, but to
condemn it, unless, indeed, you wish them
to be dishonest.
II. While you should never permit your
children to argue with you, after you have
made your decisions. you should voluntarily.
on proper occasions, explain the reasons for
them. Children have more reason and iudg-
ment than they generally get credit for,
and will obey reasonable commands much
more readily when explained.
13. 1t is better, in some instances, not to
notice fault. This is especially true of the
children in their teens. When the conduct
of the child is generally good. it is much wis
er to pass over an occasional error, and trust
to the returning good sense and affection Of
the child. | remember a circumstance re-
lated to me by friend. A father had rails
ed a family ofseven daughters, none of whom
had violated his commands since their early
childhood. The utmost affection existed be-
tween the sisters. On one occasion, and un-
der peculiar circumstances, one Of the daugh-
tiers attended party of pleasure without her
fathers consent. for which she received se-
we're reprimand. She was at once plunged
into the greatest distress. 1t was in vain
that her father and sisters did their utmost
to,console her. She rested under the convic
tion that her father would never again esteem
her as he would his other daughters. The
whole family were most deeply grieved, and
the poor girl did not recover from the wound
for some two or three years. 1t would have
b3en more wise and merciful to have passed
tlfs single transgression entirely without no.
THE.
Il. Teach your children that religion which
you believe to be true.
Is. Train the eldest son and daughter
properly. and the younger children will fol-
low their good example.
l6. In short do yourself what you would
wish your children to do and then require
them to do as you