The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-01-18
Two Ways Of Governing ta Children.

4Wo Nv ayS ;oA uoVefu4ag OA1UIeA'
The best. government ofrchildrsn. is
that which trains ,thcu properly. to rule
themselves. A boy who reirains from
wrong only or principally. because he
fears the rod, is in q iuir way to ruin !;
when he has grown too large to be
whipped, restraint will be gone, and he
will hasten to crafty his passions all the
mora 6ercely because Of the, previously
enforced denial Of indulgence. The
constant, effort of parents should be to
teach children that Inconvenience, pain
aud misery, are'the natural consequences
Of trapsgressiou. Merely repeating this
day after day to child will not be sufi. !.
cieus to implunt it as principle Of nc.
ton. It may be thus impressed on the
memory, but not on the life. Children
learn to avoid physical danger, first by
experiencing the pain resulting from it,,
No child will let fire alone merely frou'
being told that it will burn; but utter hc
has once or twice felt the smart, lie will
not only shun the fame, but he will be
more likely to heed future wnrningsy
both of this danger and Of others ugainst
which his parents may caution him. II
his constant experience be thutt the trans:
gressiou Of the commands and disregard
Of the counsels Of his guardians are in
evitubly followed by evil consequences
which be Gun ieel, and that his pain is
the direct result Of his infraction, he
will ultimately be convinced Of the su::
perior wisdom Of those in authority over
him, and Of their just and kind motives
in imposing restraint. "l always whip
my boy when he disobeys ne, and yet [
cannot make him mind" was the reply
of parent to the writer, when urging
the necessity Of proper discipline. In
this case, aud it is one Of thousands,
pain follows the disobcdience. not as n
direct result, but as an arbitrary and
temporary consequence. The boy might
feel that perhaps the whipping came
merely because the futhcr was displeased,
and console himself with the reflection
that at some day he would be too big to
whip. Or, as is more frequently the
case, the thought might be 4" will look
out and not get caught next time AS
an ILLUSTRATION Of another aud better
mode Of treatment take the fnllGwing..
which occurred under the writer's notice.
\ lady had placed n quantity Of grapes
in clu<et for safe Keeping until she
could preserve them. Her little boy
found them and silly helped himself so
literally that the loss was noticed. He
was called to account. plead guilty, Tor
the proof was strong, and received not u
whipping, but the following just SEN
tenre: II am sorry you chose to take
your share Of the grapes silly and dis
honestly. when by waiting little yon
could have enj"yed them with The rest ut
US, and without, fear nr shame. Or course
you cannot expect any more, having
eaten your portion, and shall not allow
YOU to have .lhcm." The sentence was
faithfully carried out. Every time the
preserved grapes came on the table the
little fellow felt not only the deprivation
of the luxury, but he could truce the
natural aud just connection between his
sin and its punishment, and the lesson
was remembered longer than a severe
whipping would have been. A boy who
should refuse to bring water or cut wood
or milk the cows, or do similar work,
would be. more successfully treated BY
being denied his share in the benefit of
these operations, than by scolding or
whipping. Thus in most cases of dis
cipline, the punishment may be SO direct
ly connected with the offtnse, that the
child will wish to escape the effect BY
avoiding the CAUSE. and learn. to'do this
hubitually ; and when this is done long
step is gained toward tho practice Of self
government, and foundation Of good
principles is laid for his continuance in
well doing when parental control can no
longer be exerted. : 81.