The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-28
GOVERNMENT OF CHILDREN

Mothers often govern their children
with short-sighted regard for their we'll
fare. Little ones are reared with no ra-
tonal idea of conduct, and they are left
in the dark as to the reasons for the
multiplicity of prohibitions that sur
round them. If little Charley is very
DESTROYS of doing some particular thing
that he is merely told not to do. he per-
sists with his intent, because Re can see
qualification ahead. aud because the
only obstacle III. he finds opposed to
him whon he asks ''Why?" is the ..Be-
cause you mustn't" of his mother After
such an irrational answer, no one should
blame the child if he follows his intent
He can take no such wide view of the
matter i'll the conflict of motives as an
adult usually takes, for his view is rs
narrow as the horizon of his experience.
and with those limits he finds nothing
to restrain his contemplated conduct.
Love for his mother would exercise a
great influence over him if he found it
displayed in a way that he could COM
prehend; but he cannot comprehend
Because or because | don't want
you to do it," That is. he cannot COM
prehend its intent but he soon draws
his conclusions. and they are just con-
trary TO those that his mother would
have him draw. While he regards her
as friendly to him. he looks upon her rs
manifesting her regard for him in a
very unfriendly way. for she would de-
prive him of expected pleasure with no
assignable reason, unless to limit his
pleasures; and the opinion is forced
upon him that his mother is a whimsical
person, whose injunctions have no IA
tional basis and are to be evaded as
best they can. If mother has an un-
governable child, it is her own fault. or
the fathers. not the child's.
1t is because a parent often stands
between child and what he supposes
TO be the object of his pleasure. that the
resort to bribery is made as the price of
self-denial. In restraining, such at
tempted explanations as ut is ali for
your good, Il know what is proper
for you better than you do yourself, y
are meaningless, because they explain
nothing He is incompetent to under
stand the future that his mother has in
view, or how this treatment conduces
to the happiness of that future. but he
judges by his own feelings, and, as
these feelings are outraged by one pro-
Tossing to be friendly to him, he is scep-
teal either regarding the friendship or
regarding the competence of his own
parent to regulate his conduct The
| government of the child in time comes
to be looked upon as hopeless task,
and he is considered wilful and un-
| grateful, as well as disobedient. The
fact that all vigorous minded children
act this way under maladmiaistration
of government seems not to impress pa-
rents with the idea that their system is
wrong, but that there is an unnatural
| perversiiy in their children In develop
ing from infancy to adult life, the child
passes through phases of nature pecu-
liar to a race in its development from
barbarism to civilization. He is unjust.
ignorant, wanting in foresight, tvran-
nical, destructive. mendacious, pilfer-
ing, combative and cowardly. Besides
trespassing on the rights of others. he
will do many things detrimental to his
future welfare if he is not restrained.
and it should be the parents study ia
find out how the restraint may be main
tanned as mental influence, instead Of
. physical one, and in such way that
the child can comprehend it.
Nature Is the great teacher: her PEN
alties are memorable. her rewards are
precious Pain is the consequence oil
traEsgression; pleasure. of adaptation.
The child win understand that it il
wrong TO do what his mother tells him
not TO do. if he is made 10 associate q
painful experiences with the forbidden
conduct and directly resulting from il
1t Is not every mothers love that will