Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-08-24
Trainiug of the Little Ones.

Mothers, if you realize in the slightest
degree how important it is for the well he
ing OF your children that you should pos
sess their entire confidence, seek early,
while there is yet time, to draw it forth.
No difficult task will you then find it; for
little children are by nature conhding, and
that they ever become otherwise is our
own fault-the results of undue harshness,
or Indifference to their simple cOnfidences.
Let them find you always ready to sympa
thise with them in every little joy or griet.
Can y0u not remember time when "dOllic's
broken nose seemed a heavier sorrow than
you could bear until you had wept it away
on mothers breast? And do you forget
how eagerly you ran to show mother"
the bright pebble that seemed such treas.
ure in your eyes? Be careful, then, never
to listen to the little ones with an indiffer
ent or abstracted air, nor bid them be
quiet because you are busy" Far better
your business should wait five minutes
than that your children should feel that
the only one in whom they had trusted SO
entirely for sympathy had failed them.
Don't g. orget" you we're asked mot to
tell" and don't tell" even if you are not
asked. A little girl l know told her
mother confidentially, the. other day, how
her teacher had had "such headache"
and had asked the children not to worry
her and how she had tried so hard to be
"rea igood!" I he Ird the thoughf'ess
mother repeat this (imitating the emrhasis)
to the teacher and several other ladies, be-
fore the child. The sensitive little one
could scarcely restrain her tears and when
heard her cxclaim, 60, mamma, I'll
never tell YOU anything again." l pitied
hot h mother or1 child
Never let meal time degenerate, as it in
variably will where fear rules, into the
mere feeding hour of SO many silent, hun
cry animals. Let it he cnlivened by cheer
full conversation in which each child, as
well as the parents, is encouraged to bear
his part. Strive to be no restraint upon
them. Where you can do 50 withoutc ,m-
promising your dignity, even join in their
amusemcnts. Let them talk to you freely,
upon all subjects, and answer their ques-
tions truthfully, even where some motuers
consider it their duty to Deceive. For if
they once discover you have deceived
them, their confidence in you is shaken,
perhaps lost.
Encourage all the little stories they may
have to tell of the every day occurrences at
school. In this, as in no other way, you
can get an insight into the characters of
their companions, and learn whether their
influence is eXerted tor good or ill. You
can thus observe what dispositions your
children manlfcst-what virtues need cult
vating-what vices uprooting once
knew child who had learned to confide
so entirely in her mother, that when about
to be told secret by her schoolmates, she
would invariably ask, Cant even tell
my mother?" If this was refused, as it
generally was, she would decline hearing
it. She had always been taught that what
was not proper to tell mother" could
not be proper for her to hear. AS a conse-
qucnce, she was for years spared much un-
necessary knowledge of evil. Encourage
your children, especially, to confide to you
whatever they may have done wrong each
day, instructing them, as you undoubtedly
will it Christian mother, where to go for
pardon. This habit of introspection and
daily confession, alone, will go farther
than you have any idea, towards making
them conscientious and religious children,
and in after years they will bless you for
it-RurUL Neao Yorker