Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-04-08
Disciplining Children.

ElTUlueHS anu CONSIDERATION arc Caful-
nal principles in disciplining children.
Firmness is necessary at the earliest age.
In all the care and management Of a
child much thought should be exercised
AT a very early age a child viii take adj
vantage of weak mother. AT the same
time it is not strength to make a set of
rules and compel children to obey them
as if all children were made alike; but
watch a child closely, find out what are
its natural tendencies, and adapt to
them the few rules necessary to its
needs. If it is natural for a child TO
want its food at certain intervals, then
feed it regularly according to its natur-
al demands; and so on through the vari-
Gus things in which a child must be
trained. BY careful observation Il
mother can soon learn a child's neces-
sites and make its life regular without
friction.
The secret of good discipline lies in
adaptation of forces to the nature Of the
child. Consideration Of pecuiarities
must be made even in very young chill
dren. Seldom two children can be
governed in the same way; and it is a
duty of parents to study their individu-
alities, otherwise there is no discipline,
but the care given agitates evil tenden-
cies in them. There can be no doubt
that much of the naughtiness in children
is unintentionally taught, or developed
in them. When grown people are so
far from perfect, it seems unfair that
every apparent fault of the child should
be made so much Of; and many times
what seems wrong in a Child is only q
natural act under the existing condi-
tions, and if we take time to examine
the matter we shall be more just In
justice and weakness in parents make
sad havoc with children's characters.
There is a strong latent force in children
which we must strive TO control: we
cannot change its nature, but by
strength and patience, and thoughtful
ness we may guide it.
OyeT-discipline is rs harmful as the
lack Of discipline 1t may be worse. for
if a child is let alone, there is n chance
for a natural development of good; but
if child is continually proddod with
rules and directions, it may grow re-
bellious, its obstinacy is aroused, and its
finer feelings are blunted. Many time
by forbdding we create a desire; as we
invite falsehood by prohibiting some
thing that the child will do thoughtless-
ly, and can only refrain from doing by
constant self-conrol; and often the
thing forbidden is Of little consequence
compared with the train Of evils its pro-
hibition introduces. When the child
has disobeyed it is punished; the next
time it disobeys it naturally tells false
hood to avoid punishment. Children
are morally and physically towards,
and the greatest care IS necessary to
prevent this weakness from becoming n
large element in their character. A
thoughtless, wrong act is not so bad as
wilful disobedience. We may give a
child many opportunities TO do wrong
in this thoughtless way. 1t does not
follow that because a mother slips over
many of the small misdemeanors in a
child's life that she is without law or
order The strength of his influence is
needed for the more important occa-
sions. Let a child reyolye in its own
orbit; when it is out of order, replace it
with as little disturbance as possible. 1t
will live its own life in spite of every
thing, and it is the duty of parents to
see that the conditions surrounding it
are conducive to a healthy and pure
growth, and that the faulty traits it has
undoubtedly inherited be eradicated by
every means possible. Rose Dalton, IN
Good Housekeeping.