Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-02-07
Pay Attention to the Children.

Listen 10 everything they have to say
Be assured they never talk, as we grown
up persons do, without meaning anything
A wise philosopher has said that man il
earnest is man to heed. If this be true
children should never pass UNDECIDED by
for they are always in earnest. They art
IN sober earnest in their play. All, il
grown people could be in earnest in theil
amusements, how much more rationa
public amusements might we have!.
The children's stories are always wortf
listening to. Their experiences in life are
always fresh; and by entering into then
we shall get nearer to the primitive fresh
ness of soul that every one of US is il
need Of cultivating.
The children's griefs are epitomes of the
troubles of later life; and by trying to lif,
the clouds, that hang heavily upon theil
young spirits, We shall prepare ourselves
for the great task of tightening our owl
and others swelling and swaying clouds
Of sorrow and trouble.
Help the children with their lessons
Explain to them the numberless little
things that are hard for them, but easy
for you, to understand. The textbooks
are grimmer giants to children than Bun.
vans Pilgrim ever met in his progress
Many Of US grown-folks" get bothered
and puzzled over them, for all our learn.
ing and experience. Possibly we can't ex.
plain the difficult matters to them; if so,
let US frankly tell them 50, and then they
will know that we can appreciate their
perplexities, and their discouragemens
will disappear before the sunshine of ou1
sympathy.
Answer all the questions of the chill
dren. They never ask questions for pure
gossip, as do adults. They are sure to
want information when they ask it, Give
it to them. Give it to them, if you have
to hunt it up at some trouble.
Laugh with the children; weep with
them; aye, enter into their indignations,
if you can. They will never forget your
partaking of their life with them. They
will repay you hundred fold by reposing
renewed confidence in you, and by cleav-
ing to you with stronger love. And
then think of the power it gives you to
control their lives for good!
Remember that there is nothing in
all the life of childhood, from cradle
to maturity, that is not worthy of mans
constant study, in his highest and proud
est estate. Horace Mann said that no
person should ever be permitted to be a
teacher of children who had not philo-
largely developed. If
we were in a school-board, and should
know that a candidate for certificate
had ever treated child with petulencc or
we would vote against him
even though he might be walking CYCLIC
pedia.
BY acting toward the children rs if they
were of Importance in the world-really
of as much Importance as we of an older
growth are-we shall lay the foundation
for more self-reliant and self-respecting
type of manhood and womanhood in the
future; and we shall also SOW the seed of
an inestimable harvest of happiness in
the days when the evening shadows are
falling thickly across the pathways of our
lives.
II. n. Wheeler-a brother-in law cdi
tor-is the author of the above We
most heartily indorse his views and COM
mend them to the favorable consideration
of every father and mother-reader of the