The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-11-06

i .i,iiIu, 40 not compel them to go to bed in
the dark-they may be kept awake long
time through fear. You need not think of
the light as useless expense and similar
reasons, for children who 60 to bed feeling
well in mind and body will drop to sleep in
from five to ten minutes, when the light
may be removed. Do not tell your children
wild, tragical stories of hairbreadth escapes
from wolves, bears, Indians, ect. l recol-
lect book in our school district library
which used to hear my older brothers and
sisters read The stories and pictures it
contained really haunted me. l would
dream of them night after night, often
Weakening up terribly frightened. If you
wish to tell them stories, let them be enter
tanning, and such as will leave pleasant
remembrance, if any. Children must be
amused; if they have something to amuse
them, they will be 80 much less inclined to
mischief; yet too many playthings are
worse than none. In this case, they do
not appreciate them, and consequently des-
troy them. A little boy will often leave a
room full of toys for an old hammer, a
piece of board, and nail; or little girl
will leave all for her doll. AS soon as a
little girl is old enough to handle thread
and needle, keep her supplied when she
wants them. Do not give her needles with
broken points, WORKOUT scissors, thread too
coarse for her needle, ETC., but just as good
as you use yourself: these things try the
patience of grown people, to say nothing of
a child. Give her pretty little pieces of
goods, such are found in every house; en-
courage her to cut and make her doll S
clothing. When she comes and asks you
to do it for her, give her only hints, and
let her do the work herself, unles you see
she has really tried and failed, then by all
means give her little assistance. In this
way you will teach her to be self-relying and
ingenious.
Give children occasionally some little
piece of work: nothing pleases them more
than to be able to do something that "big
folks" do; but do not overtask them by
compelling to tend the baby, rock the era
die, ETC., for any great length of time. I
believe many little girl has been injured
for life by being compelled to take care of
her younger brothers and sisters. We can
not be too careful in measuring their
strength
A little boy is generally servant to the
whole household; he runs all the errands,
and in the end gets the credit of "doing
nothing BE careful how you say this
You will find, if you make a close calcula-
ton, that he has, perhaps, taken twice the
number Of steps of any one else in the
house durins the day. You may not see
the work accomplished, but he has worked
faithfully notwithstanding. Donot wound
his feelings ny saying he has done nothing,
until you have we'll considered the matter.
If one Of your children has something
nice given llim-say, for instance, fruit, or
anything you feel willing for him to cat
Children soon grow to feel that they can
not enjoy a luxury unless they share it
with the rest. Teach them to play to-
gether peacefully with each others toys
If two want the same thing at the same
time, and persist in having it, take it away
from both, until such time as one is willing
to yield to the other. You will only he
called npon to do this few times; the
matter is soon settled.
Never send children to bed out of humor :;
if you have had occasion to punish them,
do not send them off half repentant, but
make them yield entirely; then let the
matter drop-it is wicked to refer to it any
time after. 1t is quite common, l am sor-
ry to say, for parents to delay forgiveness
thinking, if the child reflects on the enor-
nifty of its transgression, it will prove Il
benefit. Here you make great mistake,
believe. The tendency is rather to har-
den than otherwise. When child asks to
be forgiven, do it at once. When his little
heart is melted and ready to confess his
fault, should you not be ready to forgive?
have seen child denied goodnight
kiss, from father or mother, for some
fault committed during the day or evening,
when the child had already done all that
was required of him-that is, acknowledged
he committed the act, said he was sorry,
and promised never to repeat the offence.
Is such a case consis ent? Think of it
II NAV seem small matter to you, but you
know very little about children if you
think it Il small matter to them. The feel
ing to a sensitive child, that father or mo-
ther is not willing to give him kiss, is a
trouble to his mind as great as the trouble
a man in business might feel when he re-
tires at night thinking the morning may
find him bankrupt.
Again, never show preference for one
child over another; let your love be as
equally divided as possible, and in all your
acts be guarded, that they may have no
possible chance to imagine you love one
better than the other. Never speak of the
faults of your children before others than
YOUR own family. How often you hear
mothers or fathers speaking unguardedly
to some friend, in the presence OF their
children, like this: 81 really do not know
what we are going to do with James; he
is 30 dull, it seems as if he never would
learn anything. Now, here is our little