The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-25
TIE TRAINING OF CHILDREN.
Some Suggestions That May Be OF
Value TO Parents.

| value TO Parents
7S6 LAFAYATTE AVENUE, BROOKLYN,
n. Y. Oct. 2i.-"An Anxious Father"
writes as follows II am very sure that a
great, great good, both for parents and
children. would follow If every one was
well educated In so important a subject.
| send yoG the following questions: First,
what is the best way to train children;
| second, what is the best age TO send them 20
school; third, what kind Of fault must be
punished the most and what forgiven;
fourth. when other means fail, are parents
Obliged by duty TO use corporal punishment;
fifth, is it good to cause the child TO be
ashamed of such conduct and punish him
alone or in the presence OF others; sixth is
1t better to punish of once or wait till the
child has had time to reflect upon his con-
duct; seventh, what 10 the best thing TO tell
child before and after the correction;
| eighth, Is 1t better TO let the child know that
his parents are very sorry to punish him:
ninth, is refusing to let the child eat or Civ
| ing him merely bread and water a good
way to punish him, etc.
The writer is perfectly correct in his
| statement that great good would result If
men and women were taught how TO train
children; in other words, if men and women
we're educated for parertag as it ia sup
possd that they should be for every other
| responsibility in life. No man or woman
enters upon any business or professional
career without some sort of preparation,
aud some idea of whether they are COM
| petent to undertake it. The man who buys
a farm or a saw-mill assumes to know some
| thing of how alarm and a saw-Inill should
| be carried on In order to prove successful
investment. The woman who sets up
| millinery or dressmaking establishment mas
soma knowledge of how hats aud dresses
he IL cha
that her enterprise would prosper.
| But while all men and women look for
| ward naturally TO marriage and the sub
sequent founding of a family, not one in
| ten thousand ever considers that some
preparation Is necessary before assuming
this most solemn of all responsibilities. H.
is not strange, therefore that 80 many find
themselves, sooner or later, in the position
of this anxious father, and parents as well
as children will continue to suffer until
more enlightened systems of education
make provision for this most important
matter.
The training of children cannot be made
a matter OF rule and line. Pins can be stuck
on paper by machinery and be kept as
orderly and useful articles. But each child
is an individual soul, differing from all
other individuals. The training of all chill
dren must be largely matter OF judgment
based upon knowledge Of the individual
temperament. 1t is necessary, first of all
| to understand the child. Failing In this,
almost all training will be failure, The
| best age at which he can be sent TO school
must depend upon circumstances, and can
be best determined by the child's parents
| OF course n precocious and a back ward
child would be differently dealt
with in this regard. 1t is safe to say how
ever, that no child should be sent to school
at any age or at any degree of development
who is not in a sound physical condition.
To tell lie, 10 steal from a playmate. to
torture an animal is far greater offense
than the breaking of piece of china, how
ever valuable, yet parents sometimes visit
the heaviest penalty on the latter--au acct
dent to which any one is liable-while they
| ignore the former faults. 1t is the greatest
element Of moral character which should
be tie first care of the parent. Individuals
| as well as nations are in difPeren
stages Of evolution. Some nations are con-
trolled to-day only by brute force; in 9th
ers brains aud the ballot preserve law and
peace Corporal punishment for the child
is as much TO be deplored as war for the ma
ton, but it is sometimes Just as nece sary,
and is sometimes efficacious when nothing
else could be. Here again is a matter fol-
good sense and judgment. Where airy
doubt is felt it is well To give the child tn,
benefit Of it. for the rod is but a physIca
means Of discipline, far inferior to mora
conviction and persuasion. Punisbmen
should always be felt as dis
grace, but as the feelings of nc
child should be outraged, no matter how
disobedient or rebeIlious he may be- there
should never be any unnecessary public OK
hibitiou Of 1t. 1t is always easier to make
a mistake than to undo one, aud the parent
who Furnishes child on impulse or in anger
may run the risk OF making most serious
one. 1t is we'll for both child and parent to
have plenty of time for reflection. He
should always know that his fault and its
necessary correction is a distress to his
parents, and that the punishment seems &c
them necessary for his good. Many
children are allowed to believe that il
is sort of revenge taken upon them by
those stronger than themselves. Tt
give a child bread and water by way OF
punishment may DO a good plan to follow
with one who can be made to suffer by de
priving him of articles Of which he is very
fond, but there are many children, strong
aud healthy ones, who, provided they hac
all the bread they wanted, would not mind
the deprivation. A child should never be
made to go without some food. That Is 6
physical consideration. Nor should any
form Of punishment be administered which
will unfavorably affect child's health.
Everything that a parent can read in th'
, | lilo Va htpa 6bAi0 VIII W Z
real help in this matter Of family discipline
And to oil anxious parents are heartily
commended all books written by the gree
Froebel or any Of his enthusiastic followers
A gentleman from Augusta expresses his
very fervant thanks for the help that hal
been given his wife in the matter of sensi-
bic dress.
81 do not see but that her tea gowns ant
her tailor-made gowns fit just as nicely auC
hang just as gracefully as whom she wal
obliged to employ both the cook and thu
maid to pull her corssts together. l notic'
that the hectic flush which formerly wor
ried me half to death has disappeared anC
that her stomach now moves when sh
breatbes. Her breath of life was once onlJ
a little frequent puff in the THROAT
1t is to be hoped that the author Of tn
above was drawing upon his Imagination
in tie matter Of the cook and the maid
though have personally seen just sucI
, thiugs
''Justitia'' asks to know how a woman
can be member Of church and active il
its religious exercises, and the editor Of
periodical that recommends tight lacing.
As we'll ask me how one person is mad
black and another white. Certainly II
woman has sufficient intellige lcs to edit
paper she should know enough Of the law:
of her being to understand the effect o
cramped lungs and compressed ribs. She I
either ignorant or criminal. "Justitia" cal
Ia Q her choice. ELEANOR KIRK.
MEDICAL