West-Jersey pioneer., 1866-03-17
CORRECTING CHILDREN.

Not long ago an editor in Nothern part
of New York told his son, about eleven
wears old, that he would whip him IN the
course of few hours, and locked him IN
an upper room until he had leisure to 90
so. When the boy heard his father com,
ine. he became so alarmed that he jumped
out of the window and broke his neck
About year ago mother punished
her little daughter, of eight years, Dy
shutting her up in a dark closet; the
child became so frightened that convul-
sions were induced, which resulted IN
death. In another case OF similar
character, the result was still more calam-
itous, for the child became epileptic, and
SO remained for a long life afterwards.
The object of paternal correction should
be the ultimate good of the child, and to
make it effective.
1. The character of the punishment
should be according to the disposition and
temperament of the child.
2. The punishment should be IN pro-
portion to the nature of the offense.
3~ The punishment should be inflicted
with the utmost self-possesion; for II done
in a towering passion it takes the charac-
ter of revenge; the child sees 1T and re-
sists it with defiance, stubborness, or with
feeling of being the injured or oppressed
party.
a. Punishment should never be
threatened. for one of two results, both
unfortunate, is certain; the promise will
not be kept and the child looses confidence
in parental assertions; or the childs mind
dwelling upon what is expected, suffers
heightened torture, imagination always
aggravating the severity of the chastise-
ment, and child gradually learns to
startle at every event which is at all likely
to usher in the correction, and the tounda-
ton is laid for that fearfulness OF the
future which is the bane of all human
happiness; and in some cases the severity
of the expected suffering looms up so
largely under the influence of distemper-
ed Imagination, that, as in case of the edi-
tors child, suicide is considered the lesser
evil. 1t is nothing less than savage
barbarity for any parent to hold the mind
of a child in state of terrorism for a
single hour, let alone days and weeks.
5. Never correct child by scolding,
admonition. or castigation in the presence
of any other person whatever. 1t is an
attack on its self-esteem, which provokes
resistance and passion. Let grown persons
recollect how i'll they bear even deserved
reproof in the presence of others.
6. Never punish child twice for
any one offense; it is great injustice, a
relic of barbarism; and always either
discourages or hardens Make each
settlement final in itself, don't be forever
harping upon the past.
I. Punishment should not be inflicted
in any case without placing clearly before
the child's mind the nature of the aggra-
walton, and that the sole design of the
chastisement Or reproof is his present and
future welfare.
s. In all cases where punishment is
decided upon, it should be prompt or
deferred, according to the degree of ag-
gravation or palpable wrong. 1t is almost
always better to defer; but in such cases
threaten nothing, say nothing, do nothing
which indicates in the slightest degree
that anything is to come. And when
the time does come, do not alarm the
child with any show of preparation, but
gradually and affectionately bring up the
whole matter; place it in its true, just
and clear light, and act accordingly; and
always as much as possible appeal to the
child's conscience; to its sense of right, to
its magnanimity to its benevolence toward
men and its gratitude toward God.