The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-14
WOMAN AND HOME.
HINTS ON THE TRAINING OF
CHILDREN IN GOOD MANNERS.

What SI2O Did in . thousand Island
Honored TitIe-Don't Blind the Babies.
Paragraph, Etc.
Some one has wisely said: @The teachings
of childhood are the corner stones on which
TO build the foundations Of character. II
these are laid i'm wisdom and faithfulneSs, wa
may look to see the superstructure rounded
and beautified by the lesson Of life's expert
eacen
The training of children in good manners
must be founded on respect and obedience.
But authority should be enforced by parents
without destroying the self-respect of thu
child Every boy and girl has an innate
sense of what is just, and cannot listen to I'M
kind words without first being wounded and
then hardened. Nothing has much power
with children love. Be kind and gentle
with them; let them know how dear they are,
and 1T will be an easy task to control them.
They should always he governed mildly, yet
firmly thus retaining their respect and love.
and even very young children will learn tn
dread their parents displeasure through tho
fear OF losing their affection
To speak the truth, to respect age, to pro
tect the weak, To be unselfish and forbearing
with others, to be ashamed of nothing except
wrong doing are the first lessons children
should he taught, and it will then be easy to
train them in good manners. 1t is not enough
to teach simply; there must be the example Of
the daily life to enforce the lessons, and surely
no motive can make SO forcible an appeal ia
the parents heart III favor of self-disciplina
as the desire for the welfare of their children
There is no soul so full of the graces of youth
as the mother spirit that has gone through
a long and useful life wrapped in the love Of
her children
1t is best, in rearing large family of chill
dTen, to give them much liberty is con-
sistcnt with good management, and to maks
MS few rules OF obedience as possible, and
then to enforce those given to the very letter.
Reproofs should never be administered in The
presence of others, particularly to proud,
sensitive children, as they do more harm than
good by causing unnecessary humiliation
Tho child who is thus respected by its mother
or father Is very apt to preserve its self-re-
spcct through life, and avoid doing aught
that would incur ccnsurc.
In training children in good manners,
mothers often mistake an overflow of spirits,
a natural playfulness of healthy childhood,
for rudcnf=s, and in subduIng and correcting
these seeming faults, rob the little ones of
wholesome exercise and large share of the
sunshine of their lives. There is q time for
playing, and even noisy outdoor sports, that
develop the young muscles and strengthen
the fast growing bodies, and children should
not be deprived of this privilege of their
childhood. The essential things to be taught
them il, play is to respect each others rights,
tn protect the weak, and to be fair even in
their sports. Moral courage should he cult.
waited in children by teaching them always to
say boldly and do bravely what they believe
is true and right, regardless of consequences.
"There is something knightly in the heart of
every boy, something helpful and womanly
in the heart of every girl" and these quail
ties should be developed. The sympathies Of
children are quickly aroused, and can be
rightly directed to their great benefit.
Pets are a great source Of pleasure to
children. and the possession of them awakens
and Increases the chivalrous spirit which en-
lnrges the heart and ennobles the character |
The care of dog, a lamb or goat trains a
boy in all that is manly; while the pet kitten |
or bind gives the little girl sense Of respon- |
sihility and teaches her kindness to the help |
less.
Nothing is more demoralizing than quar- |
reling, and children should never be per- |
united to dispute among themselves; but il |
they are early taught forbearance and un- |
ssnlfishnesSS in their companionship with each |
other, this breach of good manners will never |
be the occasion of pain to the parents. Man. |
ners acquired in childhood are usually re-
tanned, becoming, they do, n part of the |
character, not to he put aside at will. Some /
parents fancy that it is the duty of teachers |
to improve and form the manners of their |
children, and leave the task to them rather /
than burden themselves with it, but all wise |
mothers should know that home is the best |
school fo. correcting faults and acquiring the |
self-control which is essential to elegance and |
ease of manner.
Few parents, however, ever anxious for tho /
welfare of their young families, comprehend |
the influence OF companions for good or evil. |
The choice of chiflrcn's associates should never |
he left to accident, but should be carefully |
selected from among those whose behavior is |
in every respect becoming. Nothing will so
readily iniure the manners of even the most
carefully reared children the constant COM
of the rude and iil-bred. Next to
evil aSso, i;ltess comes the influence of books,
r:lany Of which are dangerous in their ten
denotes, irving children false views of life,
AMI cont 'ihuting very greatly to forming
manners W Ich are neither becoming nor at
tractivc i'll real life, though they may seem so
To the yC,ithful readers. Bat, while evil may
result iIoIa indscriminate reading, when care
fully selected books may greatly aid mother
in her Ctforts to cultivate pleasing manners in
her chi.srSn--Mrs- Eliza r. Parker in Good
Housekeeping.