The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-05-25
w. w. BRUCe, ~.
A., communications 90; this column must be sent
10 the Editor, Sautuc, ). &.
scolding-Its Evil Effects on Children.

Scolding-Its Evil Effects on Children.
Many teachers who will not strike their
pupils feel free to scold them, and scold-
ing teacher is not always deemed the sever
est aud most unjust. Yet, while it is some-
times right to strike a child, it is at no time
right to scold one. Scolding is in fact,
never in order, in dealing with child or,
in any other duty in life. "a
To "scold" is to assail, or revile with
tois,erous speech. The word itself seems
to have primary meaning akin TO that Of
bark Hg or howlmg. From its earliest use
the term "scVldiug" has borne n bad eputa-
tou. In common law, "a common scold' is
a pHLl!c HHS1Rce, against which the civil
authorities may be invoked by the disturbed
neighborhood. This is fact at the present
lime, as it WAS fact il days of old, and it
is true today as it was when John Skc,ton,
four hundred years ago said,
"A slaUudcrOuS tunge, Il tunSe of Sk0ide,
Worketh more mischife thau can be tolde."
Scolding is always an expression of n bad
spirit and of loss of temper. This is as
truly the case when Il lovely mother sco!ds
her chill FIR breaking his plnythings will
fully, OF for sOiling his dress by playing in
the gutter, which he was forbidden to do,
as when one apptcwomau yclls out her abuse
of another appiewOnan In street quarrel.
In either case the essence of the SC jldlng is
in the mu ,iplica,ion OF hot words in cx
preston of strong feelings that while emf
| ncutly natural, ought to be held in better
control The words in themselves may be
very different il the two cases, but the
spirit aui the method arc much alike in
both. 1t is as much scolding in the one
case as in the other, and scolding is never
i'll order.
II the child has done wrong, it needs
! talking to. bur no teacher or parcut ought
| t. talk to u chi Il while he or she (as the
case may be- is unable to talk il u natural
| tone OF voice. aud with carefully measured
| words. II the teacher is tempted to speak
| rapidly, OF to multiply words rapidly with
out stopping to weigh them. or t1 show an
| excited state Of feeling, his or her first duty
is u gain sclf-cputrol. Until that control is
scared there is no use OF the teachers try
ing TO attempt any measure Of chilI-train
lug. The loss Of self-conrol is, for the
time being, an utter loss of power for the
control of others. This is as true 10 one
sphere as in the other.
\ child soon learns that seeding means
| less than quct. positive talking, and it
| even comes to find Il ccrtain amount of sat
| iSiaction in waiting silently uut'l the scolder
| has blown oil the surplus feeling which
| vents itself in this way.
There arc times when words may be mui
| tiphd to advantage in exp aiming TO child
| the nature and consequence OF his oflcnse,
| anl the reas III why he should do different
| in the future but such words should always
| be spoken in gen'leness and Ill self-coutrol
| Cd carncstucSs. Rarely can a child ST
trurhfuljy "My parents or teachers never
| Sc1ll me
Many Il Child is we'll trained III spite of
| his being sclllcd. Many parent or teach
CT il good parent OF teacher notwithstand-
ing the fact that they scold their children.
But uo child is ever helped or benefited by
the SC ,lling lie receives; and the parent or
teacher is no wiser or better in consequence
of having administered Il sco!ding TO the
| child under his care OF tuition. j. l.. 5.