The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-31
THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.
Some Suggestions Relative to This
Important Matter.

Some Suggestions Relative to This
Important Matter.
BY THE SEA, Aug 30.-It is an awful
thing 10 give an impression of RESPONSE
bility in matters which one feels entirely
unequal to assuming. This, fear, have
most unwittingly done in my published re-
marks upon the training OF children, and
as the letters from tired, perplexed, aud in
many instances despairing mothers, come
pouring III. L feel like bowling my head aud
crying peccdUi with ali my heart and soul
l think have always realized and appre-
clated the meaning of the word motherhood
Indeed, so keen has been my feeling
on this subject that the indifference
and pc feet placidity manifested in the
rearing of children by many-I could al
most say the majority of mothers-havs
been quite impossible to understand. The
proper training of human being must be
to every thoughtful and conscientious per-
son the greatest responsibility in life. There
is nothing that can approach it, and whea
am asked what Is the proper course TO pursua
in individual cases, all of them utterly
different, can only answer that too much
Is expected of me, and though anxious to be
OF help, 1t will be impossible to do anything
but generalize. This has been done very
often-almost too often, it seems to me-and
by wiser heads than mine.
these letters. How l wish had space for
every one of the forty or more that have
been received since this discussion COM
menced. They would make interesting and
instructive reading. One little fellow,
Z years old, is constantly getting into mali
cious mischief his mother calls it, and no
amount of punishment will induce him to
tell the truth in regard to these various
transgressions. IL makes no differ
ence that the eyes of some member
of the family are upon him. "He will lie
without blush and look the witness of his
performances squarely in the face. haven't
moments peace OF my life, because there
is literally no limit to his ability to cause
trouble and his ingenuity in concocting new
and totally unheard of schemes for the de-
struction of the peace Of the family. Please
tell me what you would do with such child.
Whipping is utterly useless, aud to be shut
up in a room alone is no punishment what
ever.n
do not wonder that this parent cries out
for help in her dire perplexity. She appar-
entity wishes me to understand that she has
used every means in her power to combat
these vic Gus tendencies. She has chastised
and shut up, and Sc 1T her boy supperless to
bed, but wonder IL she has kept him with
her day after day. and watched HIM, and
talked to him, and amused him, or If after
a tantrum she has severely punished him,
| Such a child should have no playmates
unless right under the mothers eye, should
| have no outside liberty until the parent is
| sure she can trust him. Such u life is neces-
| sarily hard one for the mother. There
can be nothing more wearing to the nerves
than constant companionship Of this sort,
but it is my firm belief that it is the
only help for such rebels. Even
this would be of small SER
| vice without occupation The little
fellow should be kept busy and amused,
| and his moral nature should be steadily ap-
pealed to, not by preaching, but by the
right sort Of stories and tactful appeals to
his honor This boy may have been born
ION purpose to serve life sentence in
prison" as the neghbors all prophesy, but
If were his mother | would not be perma-
nently discouraged, and l would certainly
abandon ell the methods OF punishment
which she has tried and found unavailing. |
do not believe that child's moral nature can
be appealed to by means of a cowhide, hair
brush or a slipper. These instruments of
torture will turn naturally truthful child
into liar, because of its agoniZing fear Of
bodily pain.
The next case which / have selected as
one which will be likely to be typical of
macy others, seems to me case of turn
off" as the mother confesses the impossi-
bility of devoting herself to any one MEM
-
size. "Nine children in thirteen years"
re. rain from special comment here, for il
/ were to let my Pen go on this subject,
goodness knows when | would stop. A
very limited income, au invalid husband, a
wife broken down by pain and overwork,
with all the Homework and all of the sew.
ing to do. OF course under such circum.
stances it is clearly impossible for a mother
to attend to the varied and indI-
vidual needs of her children.
They must he 'turned off," and if
because of lack of care and training they
develop into criminals, who is to blamei
Now, seven out of nine OF these children
are doing very well. The other two-to
use the mothers own words-are las bad as
bad can be-" They both lie. and the eldest
cannot be trusted anywhere on account of
his thieving propensities. shall | send
this child to a reform schoolF the frantic
mother asks, "or shall | let him stay at
home to develop into candidate for state
prisonp If there is such thing within
this woman's reach--a true reform school, a
place where children are restrained from
vice by salutary measures-I should say try
the reform school, and If this advice is
wrong, may heaven forgive me. There ia
no development possible for him
in the home circle, and this
seems the only salvation. The liar is little
girl of 5 who seems TO be possessed of very
active imagination, and who could be easily
cured by a steady, judicious motnering. Is
there no kind and wise relative who would
undertake the charge of this dear little ones
There ought to be institutions Ia every city
to meet just such cases as these. There
should be no shadow of shame resting upon
such places and the wisest and best men and
women should be employed as teachers.
Such institutions are more needed than COL
leges and high schools, necs ssary as these
certainly are. What are our millionares
thinking Of, wonders ELEANOR KIRK.
THE BOOK FOR BoOKKEEPERs.