The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-01-02
Training a Child Not TO Tease.

A child who never "lcases" is rarity;
yet no child ought to tease. IF child
does tease, the blame of his teasing prop.
erly rests on his parents, rather than on
himself. The parent who realizes this
fact will have an added stimulus 10 the
work of training his child not to tease !;
and no phase of the work of child.
training is simpler, or surer of its result,
than this one.
"To tease" is ito pull" "to tug" to
drag, to vex for carry with importu-
nifty" a child leases when he wants
something from his parents, and fails to
get it at the first asking. He pulls and
tugs at his parents, in the hope of drag
ging them to his way of thinking, or to
consent to his having what he wants in
spite of their different thinking. He
hopes to yex or carry them into the line
OF his desires by means of his importuni-
ties, whatever their view of the case may
have been, to begin with. II a child
could have what be wanted at his first
asking, he would not tease; for there
would be no room for his teasing. If g.
child never secured anything through
teasing, he would not come into the habit
of teasing; for there would be no induce
ment to him to tease. When, therefore
child is accustomed to tease, it is evil
dent that he has been trained by his
parents to tease, instead of being trained
by them not to tease; and they are to
car the responsibility and blame of his
leasing.
Many child does not expect 10 get
what he wants, if it is out of the ordinary
line of his daily needs, unless he leases
for it; therefore, he counts teasing part
of his regular duty in life, as truly as
beating down" the city shop-keeper on
his prices is supposed to be the duty of 8
shopper from the country. If a child
asks for slice of bread and butter, or
bit of meat, at the family table, or for q
glass of water between meals, he expects
to get it at the first asking. Teasing for
that is not in his mind as necessity.
But if he wants to stay at home from
school without any reason for it, or to
start off with some Of his schoolmates on
a long and hazardous tramp on Satur-
day, or to sit up an hour later than usual
at night, or to have new sled or veloci-
pede or bicycle, or to 60 to the circus or
to hear the minstrels, like all the other
fellows"-he is not so sure of gaining his
request at the first asking. So, when
the answer, "No," comes back to him, in
such q case, he meets it with the appeal,
"Do let me. Oh, dol" and then he
enters upon nerve struggle for the
mastery over his parents at this point,
with the idea in his mind that it is sin
gle question of who shall be most per-
sistent in adhering to bis side of the
conflict.
There are few children who always
succeed in carrying their point by leas-
ing but there are fewer who never sue
ceed by this means. Most parents give
way, sooner or later, in some of these
conAiats with their children. 1t may be
that they are less determined than their
children, and that they are simply tired
out by the teasing. 1t may be that they
are moved by their children's earnest
ness in the matter, and that they yield
because of their tenderness toward the
little pleade-s. 1t may be that their first
answer to the appeal is thoughless one,
and that their fuller considering of the
matter leads them to see it to be right 10
reverse their impulsive decision. What
ever be the parents reason for their
course in such case, if they give neg
alive answer TO their children's first
request and an affirmative one in re-
spouse to more or less teasing on the
chiIdren's part, they train their children
so far to believe that teasing is an i'm
=portant facto in child's progress in life;
and, of course, they are responsible for
their children's continuance in the habit
OF teasing.
1t is misfortune to child to suppose
that teasing is essential to his gaining
point that he ought 10 gain. A result of
such view in his mind, is that he looks
not to Ills parents wisdom and judgment,
but to his. own positiveness and persist
ency, as the guide of his action in any
mootcd case of personal conduct; not to
principles which are disclosed to him by
one who is in authority, but to impulses
which are wholly in his own bosom.
Such view is inimical 10 all wise
methods Of thinking aud doing on a
child's part. And it is even more of q
misfortune to the parent than to the
child to have the idea that the parents
decision is result of the child's teasing,
rather than of the parents understanding
of what is right and best in given case.
No parent can have the truest respect of
2 child, while the child knows that he