The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-02
cHILDRENS' EMOTIONS.
o,scussed by Miss Baci~us Before the
Child study Class.

ChtIN SfuUy 0thsSs
.Cbldren's Emotions formed the sub
,.o+ for discussion at the eleventh meet
80 of the class in child study yesterday.
Miss Backus began by quoting DR.. Stan
-, Hall TO the effect that there were six
,soa,s of learning that have stirred the
world:
Platos ideal of self-education, which
vas largely speculation.
The scholasticism of the logicians of
the Middle Ages.
orIv we're thought worth considering.
The education of the senses advocated
~, Locke. Commenius and their follow
ers.
+innallv says DO something as we'll as
,,ar, something's" this exercises a larger
araa of the brain than all the former
processes put together
That based on the theory of evolution
Or mat man inherits every organ from
sona lower manifestation of life. The
81 is also evolved-the intellect being
+be last development. This theory gives
commence to the emotions and to their
nroper training.
"Tbere is no doubt" said Miss Backus,
THAT the deepest primary emotions strike
their roots deep into evolution. Anger is
a remnant of the animal past as is
shown by some of it's manifestations,
teath and hands clinched, scratching and
the great amount of strength put forth.
or. Hall says that education should
+aLe hold of anger and transform it into
righteous indignation, and that the first
defnition of education should be to teach
people to be angry Alright.
.Fear is a relic of animals of prey and
n our savage forefathers. This is shown
in the curious things that persons elect
to be afraid of; bugs, mice, crazy per
sons thunder and lightning, etc. If we
were only spiritual beings without any
animal inheritance, we should fear moth
ing but evil, and that in the sense of
moral degeneration. Children should be
made as fearless as possible, and this can
only be done by the example of courage.
Roar is one Of the most contagious of
diseases Every fear that we encourage
is a hindrance to some part of our life's
usefulness. Grown persons are culpably
careless as to the images of fear that
they create in the minds of children. Fear
produces as great a physical change as
anger, in the circulation, and the heart
action; and the mental machinery is ac--
ually inhibited from working. A little
CNllQ IldI FEARS ever 10 a lluiy pr
liable object. and parents should take care
to remove the fears of their children, in
stead of adding to them.
Children are such highly suggestible
beings" said Miss Backus ';that we can
make healthy, hearty little mortals, or
weak little nervous wrecks of them al
most without a word, simply by our at
titude of mind. Love is the best, deepest
and highest emotion, and it is from this
standpoint that we should educate chill
d.cn"
The last regular meeting of the class
will be held Thursday at the Philbrick
Kindergarten from II to y o'clock, but
Miss Backus has been asked to arrange
one evening meeting after Easter, which
will be open 20 the gentlemen of the
families represented in the class, to sll
teachers and to the public generally. The
details of this meeting will probably be
arranged at the last meeting of the class,
and the time and place will then ne an
nounced.