Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-06-01
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love much prayed over and Wisely
manifested, will. in most cases, bring
children into a ripe and noble MATURE
ty.
But. it is argued. obedience is sure
ly of the greatest Importance, and mus
be secured al any price. if children are
to be comforts to their parents, and
blessings to mankind.
Most assusedly. Prompt, respectful
obedience is as necessary for the peace
happiness, and best good of the child
as for the comfort Of the parents. But
how is this to be secureds Never by
severity, perpetual scolding and fault
finding. This course may compel
obedience for the time, through the
fear of discomfort or suffering; but
children are never governed IN the best
Interpretation of that word by it.
Threatening, reproaches. ceaseless
fault-hnding, or watching for every fail.
ing or mistake continual "don't do
this" don't speak SO" show careless
you are" will you never remember u
is the most fatal mode of training chill.
that can be adopted. 1t leads to de.
ceit, to i'll humor, and eventually to
downright ugliness. There is no way
by which parents SO surely lose their in
fuence and ALLEVIATE the love of their
children. as by perpetual Gliding and
fault-fnding. If parents would be
little blind 20 their children's short.
comings. when they are merely the re-
suits of thoughtlessness and childish
waywardness, they would save them
selves from much anxiety and pain.
and while making their children's early
days brighter, would better prepare the
way for giving to the world happier and
more useful men and women.
Parents should also bear IN mind
that most of their children's faults are
but the reproduction of their own. If
the parents are irritable in their inter.
course with each othe or loud-voiced,
or rough in speech, is it strange that
their children follow the example so
constantly before til EN- 2 or often re-
produce their parents faults in an ex-
aggerated form? Let parents lives
and actions teach their children how
they desire them to live. If their ex-
ample IS gentle, but firm, loving, but
not foolishly indulgent; the child must
be stragely lacking in good moral or in
tellectual qualities, and sadly deficient
in filial reverence and affection, who
does not strive to be like its parents.
When children behave well, and act
kindly and respectfully, parents need
not fear to show their full appreciation
of their good behavior. Jus: praise,
with loving words, will no harm the
children but rather help them to
to aspire TO something still better.
There may be, perhaps, occasions
when children, still too young to re-
frain from repeating wrong-doing
through explanations or reasoning,
will need a punishment that brings
physical pain. But We believe that it
is seldom needed, and seeing this SUBJ
ject through eyes shardenec by earlier
experience, think that it will be wiser
for parents to exercise all their skill to
avoid resor:ing to severity, by gentle
ness and love. This, we think, can be
done without weakly and lnjudiciously
yielding to the child's caprices. or irrit-
ability. Very few are capable ORE
sorting to corporal punishment. until
their own tempers have become a little
by childish perversity,
and in their anger their resort to the
cd to relieve themselves. The rod, in
;uch cases, were better used on the
parents then selves. Topunish child
n anger or ill-humor, Is fatally ruinous
o the child, and certainly does not
end to make the parent angelic.