The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-05-02
Raising Children.

In certain minus tnere Is prcJuuico
against protecting children much from
the cold or from any hardships for fear
it will make them effeminate or unduly
weak and dependent One may be over
careful, it is true. There is such thing
as coddling children" by fussy, un-
wise tenderness, so that they develop no
nerve, no power of endurance. There
is also such thing as false "toughen-
ing, process that kills off the children
OF weaker constitutions. How steer
clear of this Scylla without being drawn
into that Charybdis?
To keep children close in warm rooms,
never allowing them to feel rough
breath OF air to do everything for
them, paying heed to every: whimpered
81 can't" and 81 don't want to - to in
quire anxiously after all their preferences
and listen pityingly to all their whining;
to teach them no tasks, and never to let
them get wholesomely tired-all that
comes under the name of "coddling,"
and L pity the children who are put
through the weakening process.
The false tOughening, which is equally
to be avoided, is on its face compound
of neglect and cruelty but sometimes
it is deliberately undertaken by parents
of really kind hearts, from mistaken
ideas OF what nature really needs.
What she needs is a tair chance to do
her work. She has wonderful power of
adaptation, but she cannot stand every
thing and if her children be pinched
with cold and starved for nourishment,
she will surely tell the tale in her own
time and way. She says that her little
animals (and she makes no exceptions
in favor of humans) must have regular
meals of simple, nourishing materials,
and that their growing bones and mus
cles should have plenty. And then she
insists upon plenty of warmth. If the
surface of the body gets chilled, some
harm to internal organs is sure to result,
though not always in perceptible de-
gree, at the particular time. A success
sion OF such chills, or shivering, half
cold condition for any length of time,
makes serious drain upon the vitality,
and weak constitutions break down un-
der it, and the little victims of neglect
fall an easy prey to the diseases of win
ter's cold or summers heat. These
"die a toughening."
To be tough is to be strong and able
to endure hardships." Strength is born
of struggle. Ability to endure hard
ships is the result of discipline in the
way Of endurance. Some children are
born with Iron constitutions" appar-
emily; or aOere in our grandfathers'
day-and they bore a wonderful amount
OF knocking about and deprivation of
one kind or another. You may think
they turned out well enough in spite of
it; but L don't. L think that many of
those foreparents of remarkable men
ton came out of the hard mill in which
they were ground, pitifully stunned and
deformed in more ways than one, and
that, too, i'll spite of their iron constitu-
tions-constitutions SO used up by their
hard early life that they could not be-
queath ne-half their own native vigor
to the sons and daughters born of them.
Yet believe in toughening children,
and in discipline. But these are con-
sistent with perfect tenderness and I'M
ceasing care. Turn them out of doors
no, never ht,7 them out, but let them
go, or coax them out if they have morbid
fears. But have them so well protected
with warm Overcoats (give sleeved sacks
to girls, instead of bOthersome pretenses,
called shawls), over-socks, or over-shoes,
with leggings, mittens and hoods, or
caps with ear-tabs, that they can run
and coast and skate and slide and snow
ball without any discomfort from the
north wind or the ice.
Teach children to wait upon them
selves, and to take pleasure in helping
others. Encourage them to bear neces-
sary pain with as little fuss as possible.
Give them good tools, and show an in
terest in their use of them. Show them
hov to work as you do, but require
very little at first, letting them make
things for friends, or do their task to
"help" those they love, until they learn
to feel an ambition about doing their
work fast and thoroughly. Expect
them to keep their engagements, and
not allow them to back out of an under
taking as soon as the flush of novelty
wears off. Therefore let them not at
tempt too much-unless to cure habit
of Dragging. Give them long, warm
night-clothes and bedding enough too
much will induce perspiration) to keep
them warm in any position, and let them
sleep in cool, ventilated rooms, and give
them all the natural sleep they can
take. -AmericSn AgriculturiSt.