The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-11-28
TRAINING OF CHILDREN.

| Editor OF statesman.
Obedience to parental authority is
| A term which requires a little pruning
| in these later days when the old mot
| 20 of spare the rod, spoil the child
is relegated to the forgotten past
While not wishing to argue the point
IS to the ACCESSIBILITY of keeping be-
fore the growing mind the fact that
papas law is not to be gainsayed, the
! knoWedge that alongside of papa'S
mind. growing up side by side, expand
ing with the natural progress of all
things around it, is the chd's mind;
a papa that is to be, which, when it
will have attained growth sufficient
to handle and weigh affairs. which
will be in vogue at the time that that
child's mind comes to point, which
we might call maturity. Papa's orig
inal ideas and mannerisms are away
behind the times. so that one comes
to look at the stick, strap, or slipper,
which are kept in a convenient corner,
with look of mingled dread and con-
tempt. All things are on the earth
1t
and expand and to arrive at point
which we will call success. SO exact
ly is it with child's mind.
The original ideas and mannerisms
as portrayed in papa's life, were never
intended to live and grow over again
| in the child mind. The child by judi
cious handling is on the earth to do
| it's share in the advancement of all
| things It's mind is to handle subjects
undreamed Of by papa's mind, SO why
should one have to witness this con-
tinual trying to subdue a naturally
high spirited. quick-tempered child,
| by a too frequent resort to the rod
AS we can learn wisdom from
| fool, so indeed is the proverb true that
| out of the mouths Of babes and
Stockings hast thou ordained strength
and where parent only too thorough
| ly understands the duty that he is
| placed upon this earth to perform,
how much fewer would be the cases
one would see of the sins of the chill
dren bringing the gray hairs of the
fathers with sorrow to the grave.
| There is not sufficient sympathy in
family life. Father is too much en-
crossed with business cares; mother
is in many cases too intent on bring
| ing to perfection those graceful curves
and lines in neck and hips; so that the
! child is left to grow up itself a thing
tapart from the family life altogether.
Who can wonder if at times comes a
| desire to kick over the traces and
make ones presence felt
We are beginning more and more
to recognize the mastery of mind or
will. Then why in the name of com
mon sense cannot we see that it is
the mind or will in the child, coming
to a higher state of perfection in the
child than was so in the fathers time
To such is to be attributed many
times the presence of those ungovern-
able children who by too careless
!, manner of handling in the early days
have turned out unmanageable with
later years, rendering the lives of al
around at times unbearable.
There is only one way to conquer
| this. Last year tnefe was a great nut
y and cry raised in the coast cities a!
O to whether it would not be advisable
to have a curfew bell ring nightly
!, Then might have been recognized tn
o fact that the rising generation wer
rising up seemingly a generation o
unmanageable ones. Would it not b
much better if, instead of calling in tn
q aid of the police. which only means in
creased taxation, little more atten
ton were given to our family life
A closer bond Of family affection en-
- grated, so that with later years In
stead of papa's seeking refuge fror
all family cares and worries benin
, his newspaper, a family council coul
:, be held; instead of being as 1t seem
ingly is at the present day series {
family skirmishes.
Spare the rod and instead Of spoil
ing the child teach him that he or sh
has to step into papas or mamma