Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-06
TOugIIenIng and Coddling.

In certain minds there is prejudice
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 a thing
as ''coddling children" by fussy, I'M
wise tenderness, so that they develop no
nerve, no power of endurance. There is
also such thing IS false ''toughening,"
process that kills off the children of
weaker constitutions. How steer clear
Of this Scyila without being drawn into
that Chary bdis
To keep children close in warm rooms,
never allowing them to feel a rough
breath Of cir to do everything for them,
paying heed 10 every whimpered 81 can't"
and Il don't want to "; to inquire anx-
iously after all their preferences and lis
ten 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 / pity the children who are put
through the weakening process.
The false tOughening, which is equally
to be avoided, is on its face a 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 far chance to do her work She
has wonderful power of adaptation, but
she can not stand everything; 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 land she makes no
exceptions in favor OF humans) must have
regular meals of simple, nourishing mate
rails, and that their growing bones and
muscles 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 a perceptlble de-
gree, at the particular time. A succession
of such chills, or a shivering, half cold
condition for any length of time, makes a
serious drain upon the vitality, and weak
constitutions break down under it, and
the little victims of neglect fall an easy
prey to the diseases of winters cold or
summers heat These "die toughening."
To be tough is to be 'strong and able
to endure hardships." Strength is born
of struggle. Ability to endure hardships
is the result of discipline in the way of
endurance Some children are born with
''iron constitutions" apparently; or aoe7e
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 don't. l think
that many of those foreparents of re-
markable mention came out of the hard
mill in which they were ground, pitifully
stunned and deformed in more ways than
one, and that, too, in spite Of their iron
stitutions-constitutio so used up
by their hard early life that they could
not bequeath one-half their own native
vigor to the sons and daughters born of
them.
Yet l believe in toughening children,
and in discipline. But these are consis-
tent with perfect tenderness and unceas-
ing care. Turn them out of dOors-no,
never turn them out, but let them CO. 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), overs 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 SNOWFALL with
out any discomfort from the north wind
or the ice.
selves, and to take pleasure in helping
oIhSio- AiSoui o3S tACii w bSoi dSSSo-
sary pain with as little fuss as possible.
Give them good tools, and show an inter-
est in their use of them. Show them h0ao
to work as you do, but require very little
at first, letting them make things for
friends, or do their tasks to 'help'' those
they love, until they learn to feel an am
bition about doing their work fast and
thoroughly. Expect them to keep their
engagements, and not allow them to back
out of an undertaking as soon as the
flush of novelty wears off. Therefore let
them not attempt too much-unless to
cure a habit of Dragging. Give them
long, warm nightclothes and bedding
enough (too much will induce perspira-
tion) 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,-American Agricm-
tu71st