Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-22
TRAINING OF CHILDREN.
Some Valuable Hints to Parents on IN
Best Methods OF Teaching.

Best Methods OF Teaching.
Tho education OF children remains as
muddled a problem as ever. It seems. al
though In Germany there Is promise Of
great strides In few years. 1t Is not tho
reformation OF the old that II to giye US
the ideal pollcyi It Is tho education Of the
young. Tho young Of to-day are the seed
ilngs OF the perfect man and the perfect
woman OF tomorrow.
Let us take, for instance. the present
system, boy and 4 girl are fod. pettcd
and clothed for the first Ave or six years OF
their existence. tho years that scientists
declare the most impresAlonable and most
important Of their existence, Then they
are sent to school to learn to read to write,
TO nemorize and practice mathematics
mildly. Logic, instilled Into the child's
mind by simple methods, not rs a task but
as n pleasant excursion into new worlds, Is
not taught, II Is not In the school curriru-
lum. The childrcn's minds are full OF won-
der for all about them. but they merely
wonder. They have been taught TO mcmo-
rizo but not to think--that Is TO tay TO roa-
sou according to their years and capacity.
They are given q hmattoring OF tribes Into
which physiology, botany and similar sci
enccs are entered like giants, Then the
children graduate. Is this a solid basis on
which the house OF a mans or woman's
knowledge is to be erected To be sure
they arc given more or less vague Ideas OF
morality at Sunday school aud more or less
certain ones at home But their most Inn
poriant faculties arc left unframed and
unawakoned, The household cat knows
better than this when she teaches her
young TO exercise the instincts they are
given.
Perhaps. after this. the boy Is sent to col
lcgc or taught TRADE. or tho Eirl Is sent
TO boarding school or married Or perhaps
as often as not, they are both thrown on
the world with no more preparation than
this TO swim or sink, They have not been
prepared for life, they have been taught
nothing Of IL, Tholr feelings and emotions
are unframed. The way to II has not been
smoothed for them. They blundcr along at
first hllndly, hut experience has now be-
come their teacher, and soon Il laehcs them
IN tho right way. AS nearly a. such thing
IL now possible We'll surely there In a
better way lesS laundering way Of train
ing these poor little walfa--a happier way
Of uaherlng them into the great world. At
least. parents, much OF tho responsibility
rests with you, II Is properly by you that
tho affections and emotions OF your children
should be trained. Il "a by you that thoy
must be taught 90 think aud reason (ainco
tho schools neglect ~ from the hrst little
thought that springs up In their tiny brains.
II Is from you that they must learn VI the
Ito and strife OF the great world beyond.
and BY you that they must DO prepared for
the battle In It.
This matter Of training the affections and
emotions % children has not yet been dis
covered by tho schools, although II has
employed the attention Of scientists. who
declare that the emotional side " ohildA
nature Is It's most important-lta genius.
In fact Shall II grow IN an a weed or be
Eionablo side OF the ohlld's nature. Lot
your children, then. be educated to tho
Highest from their hnbS hood Take them
to the woods aud 1eldBi lot them learn
TO love flowers aud creatures and lot them
imbihe the love OF Nature. Lot them H0e
tho hun rise occasionally na privilege
and Ra 4 scene more beautiful than any
ever caught by a masters brush, Instruct
them 10 the order OF Nature and the good
OF Ito as no more Necessities than beau
tiep, Take thom 10 SEQ good paintings.
sing to them. let thom hear good music.
rocite 10 them occasionally beautiful
thoughts; lead tnem to tho highest. To tho
best VI your ability, and that without
lesson or 30 much an tho appearances Of u
lesson, 10 the youthful mind everything
must be spontaneous, an II becomes tire.
some MIKE appreciation Of beauty part
Of thelr nature aud when thoy Rrow M.
housewife or artist, mother or man VI bust
ness. they viii thank YOU for II, and In
turn teach It to their chiidrOn.
There ~ nothing more refining or moro
fefroahlng than tho love OF beauty Above
all thlnEA teach kindness and humanity. I
Ing an apron and laugh 20 see him tortur-
ing ny. It Is small crueltics encouraged
that make great criminals. For tho affeo-
lions guide them gently TO sock quality
rather than appearance, truth rather than
glitter. Train them to ho constant and
firm. So far as II lloa In your power try To
implant contempt IN the youthful mind
for a fnltie aud shifting character hut all
this must hc done without tho slightest Rp-
poaranee OF teaching Let that teaching
occupy tho first ton yeara OF lifo, II viii
then have gained a lasting foundation.
Above all things. make tho basis OF tho
chlld's education solid. See that his
studies are Of tho kind that Will bn useful
to him In after life. Let the smattorinE 30
and have him given at loast sound knowl-
edge Of his own language and OF matho-
mntlcs. history and Geography, He can get
through tho world very well on iheAe.
Study ~ useless unless well dlgeHtud. Study
with him for while and teach him how 10
study with tho best results. Give tho girl
the same HtudieB-let them study together.
Let them romp as much az they VIII out OF
school hours. play baseball together or
anything else thoy wish 10 play and. re-
momboring that childhood is the age Of
enjoyment, let them enjoy II TO their full.
As tho hoy and the girl grow older pro-
pare thom for the duties OF the life OF the
great wcrld beyond, Lot them have knowl-
edge, with which c0moR confidence. Edu-
cate them 70 common sense and praotlca-
blllty, and you need have slight fear about
them, Make them thorough In everything
inculoaie In the boy sense Of honor and
IN tho girl a sense Of duty. Teach each to
understand that each has sphere In life
TO occupy.-.a mission TO fill--and no more
that TO mistake It OF 10 go beyond Il causes
half the misery OF llfo. and then lot them
choose for themselves their profonslon or
trade. Then help them 10 II TO the bost OF
your ability. No one can blanc you "
they turn out badly. And children 30
trained seldom do.