San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-06
WOMAN AND HOME.
THE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTION OF
CONTROLLING CHILDREN.
Information and Suggestions for the Guar
dian Of Home-Mary Stuart's Toilets.
The Progress Made by women-Talks to
and About the Young.

dian of Home-Mary Stuarts TOILETS
The Progress Made by women-Talks to
and About the Young.
The infant of a few months old who will
resign himself after hard fight to going to
sleep in his cradle, instead Of being rocked off
to dream land in his mothers or nurses arms,
has already learned the necessity of yielding
to a stronger power than his own. AS he
becomes older the habit of obedience should
grow upon him, and if he is properly man
aged there need be very little antagonlsm
between him and his parents.
One must not expect impossibilitles. All
the world cried out against the English
clergyman who whipped his sixteen months
old boy black and blue because he would not
stop crying; yet there are some parents who
seem TO make almost as unreasonable de
mands upon their little ones The writer mas
been told, in all good faith, of baby who
was much improved by being whipped for
crying when he was only two months old
An ordinary child may be taught to obey
by the time he is year old. That is, he may
by then learn to go through various little
tricks at the word of command, to relinqulsh
ANYTHING he holds, and sometimes to stop
crying. A child apparent disobedience often
arises from inattention or lack of cOmprehen-
sion. His thoughts are wandering, and his
mental processes are not yet sufficiently rapid
for him to bring himself instantly en- rapport
with the person who issues an order. If his
slowneSS, instead of being met with patience,
is sharply rebuked the little one becomes
frightened and loses all idea of what Is eX-
pected of him. This was probably the case
in the instance cited above, when the sixteen
months old boy was so inhumanly punished.
The firm, gentle repetition of a command
will often insure obedience where harshness
would utterly fail.
But where kindness does not succeed, and
where it is thoroughly evident the child
graSps the meaning of the order, more severe
measures must be resorted to. What these
are to be must be determined for each parent
by herself On the subject of the corporal
punishment of children there is great deal
of rose water sentimentalism in vogue just at
present. The apostles of this new dispense
ton urge the ruling of children by love alone,
and declaim against harsh measures of any
kind. One is forced to the conclusion that
their ranks are chiefly recruited from the
body of spinsters and childless wives.
While all true hearted, loving mothers
must deplore the necessity of bodily punish
ment for children, yet the most judicious of
them can hardly fail to recognize that it is
necessity. Alleged tender heartedness in this
respect is often only euphonious term for
self indulgence and laziness. 1t is far easier
for the mother to condone insubordination
and pass over a fault than to exact obedience
and administer correction.
With some children a whipping has mar
velously good effect. With others it is highly
deeterious The mother must learn the tenn
peraments of her flock while they are yet
babies, and regulate her control of them in
accordance with the conclusions she deduces
from their dispositions. The mother is spoken
Of here as the governing power rather than
the father because the children are more
constantly thrown with her. Moreover, only
in very rare instances should the task of in
licting corporal punishment be intrusted to
the father. With no thought of injuring the
child, he seldom has the least idea of the
weight of his hand, and may do the child
serious harm.