Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-01-26
Mark TWain's Advice to Parents.

Having reflected deeply for half an hour
upon the subject OF domestic dlsclphne, l
feel like sparing few suggestions relative
to the best method of bringing up chill
dren. Being bachelor without children,
my suggestions are as likely to be
disinterested as if l had never seen child.
According to my observation, the most
difficult time to bring up children is In the
morning. You do, sometimes, though sell
dom, bring them up in the morning by
yelling at them but the effectiveness OF
this process diminishes with its repetition,
even when not entirely neutlalized by the
childrens trick of stopping their ears with
the bed clothes. The only prompt, effect
i've and absolutely reliable method is to
bring them up by the hair If your child
has a good, healthy scalp, without any ten
dency to premature badness, this method
will work with most gratifying efficiency.
Try it about once week, and you will be
surprised to observe how its influence will
extend through the six days interval, in
spring your child with the liveliest possi-
BILE interest in the resplendent pageantry of
sunrise. To bring up darling child by
the hair requires the exercise of some
energy and firmness; but no affectionate
parent will hesitate at any little sacrifice of
this kind fer the welfare of his offspring.
Nothing can be more fatal to your dis
cipline than to allow your children to con-
tradict you. If you happen to be betrayed
into any misstatemefit or exaggeration in
their presence, don't permit them to cor
rect you. Right or wrong, you must OBJ
stinately insist on your infallibility, and
promptly suppress every symptom OF
pperile skepticism, with force if need be.
The moment you permit them to doubt
your unerring wisdom, you will begin to
forfeit their respect and pander to their
conceit. Their can be no sadder spectacle
than parent surrounded by olive branches
who think they know more than he does.
l vividly remember how my father-who
was one of the most rigid and successful
of disciplinarians- s-quelled the aspiring
egotism that prompted me to correct his
careless remark when he was reckoning
a problem in shillings), that five times
twelve was sixty-two and half so"
said he, climbing over his spectacles, and
surveying me grimly, eye think ye know
moresn your father, hey Come ere to me"
His invitation was too pressing to be de-
clined, and for few excruciating moments
I reposed in bitter humiliation across his
left knee, with my neck in the embrace of
his left arm.
I didn't see him demonstrate his mathe-
matical accuracy, with the palm of his
right hand on the largest patch of my
trowsers, but felt that the old man was
right; and when, after completely eradi-
eating my faith in the multiplication table,
he asked me how much five times IL was
insisted with tears in my eyes, that it
was 62 and half "That's right" said
he; "I'1l larn We to respect yer father, if
have to thrash ye 12 times day. Now
'go'n water them hosses, n be lively, too"
The old gentleman didn't permit my re-
spect for him to wane much until the in
fammatory rheumatism disabled him; and
even then he continued to inspire me
with awe until 1 was thoroughly con-
vinced that his disability was perma
nent.
Unquestioning obedience is the crown
ing grace of childhood. When you tell
your child to do anything and he stops to
inquire why, it is advisable to kindly but
firmly fetch him a rap across the ear, and
inform him that's why!" He will soon
get in the way of starting, with charming
alacrity, at the word of command.
One of the most inverate and annoying
traits of children is inquisitiveness, if you
are inco nsiderate enough to attempt to
crafty their omnivorous curiosity, you may
as well prepare to abdicate, for you will
be nonplussed by their questions dozen
times day, and in a week your sagacity
will be hopelessly compromised. An
average child is magazine of unanswer-
able disconcerting conundrums. You can't
expect children to have much reverence
for parent whose ignorance they can ex-
pose twice out of three times trying. 1t
is well enough,to answer an easy question
now and then, just to convince them that
you can when you choose; but when they
come to you with poser, tell them, " Oh,
you never mind!" or "shut upl" and then
they will grow up independent and self
reliant and restrained, only by veneration,
from splitting your head open-to find out
how it holds so much information without
letting some out.
1t would be diff1cult-very diff1cult-to
estimate the beneficial effect that would be
entailed upon their childrenif parents gen
orally would adopt the method here
vaguely indicated. Buffalo Express.