New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-20
ETHICAL TRAINING OF CHILDREN
Lady Isabel Margesson Warns Parents M,
to Begin It Too Soon

- .'I '-e - eNolution as applied to education
brings Hiuch certainty aud repose Of mind Vic.
Lady Isabel Margesson in All artioIa % 49,
cal Training OF Children" n -, ne LII
Library tE. P button & Co -,bIT-, = -
take our ground in confidence tn. -,
ere uho"allsesoe- We are content To wait ard
"lhe Tecos1i~ihs chlld's limitations in atbiea1
things. have much faith in his inbero+ .o 80
for their development '' capacity
childs ethical sense is var ,t..,
'eopeN N-.lA " 'eacI1es the age OF three years
continues Lazy ISABEL Every energy Is devoted
10 bodily and mental growth Tba-e - - - :
any ethical consciousness Yer ,eo,,,, - IN 4O
scold baby of a year and a half - -. - =,
Tor being naughty and then ask ir i =, j. -.
The baby IS supposed to understand Terfs-t,,, -
Is meant because II hrst cries when IL is scoIdad
and called naughty. and then baca,re, =. -
KISS its mother when ii is asked in 2 kind ,-,io &c
it is sorry. One moments conside-a+t~ = =,
limitations Of a bsby's mind and understandfvs~
viii show thar the crying and the kissing are rot
IN the least due to the ethical sense or to env
conception OF what naughty and .so-rz-. r,ea-
They are the reaction OF the -ro+ba-,s .++s+,za =
him He is frightened and unhappy at her dis
pleasure and cries he is comforted BY her s,,hse-
Quent Kindness. and comes to kiss her
The limita tons Of child IN m tb-es ~ fo,,-
years old are officially and mentally 80 r-esr "a
to be almost beyond our understanding W. -
not get down low enough believe in them and
the result Is that the child is treated in wrong
and unVise way Words are useless unless there
II OeLlulte meaning or concept behind ham
is the bedrock upon which TO rest ethical training
OF infants The only way to rns,ra q definite
grasp and understanding OF certain words ex-
pressive Of ethics, such truth good naughty
kind loving and obedient' is To follow nature's
law Of growth and appeal hour by hour, dav by
day. the occasion arises TO the childs own ex-
perience and TO build I'D very zradualrv ont of
that a larger ana more definite concept of the
inner 70 the outer the law Of growth as seen in
the animal and vegetable world, followed rigorous
without inward-a clumsy. wastefuI way which
t.I ot5 aisIe Snlla 20 Iearr the meaning OF
fuslhs oeWloerlng process quite contrary his
for such arbitrary outside treatrnent leaves his
spiritual perception and growth untouched.
10 not let US cal our infants naughty-it is a
general. unfair term that conveys no meaning ex-
Sept .laC q soFt OF cloud mas risen The tempta-
something annoying Il ourselves Though often
great But the checking Of ones self in using the
Wen worn expression Is OF practical use in max
two. the childs stage Of development and his
standpoint OF ignorance and limitation. Let US not
call an infant naughty except the most
temper have laid their cruel chains on him and
rousing word will help TO control"
One OF the greatest mistakes in the ethical train
tempt TO teach truthfulness too early an age
Iylng sne says. many old biographies will show
In order 70 teach truth hammer is taken, and,
try to produce fruit on an apple tree BY tying on
apples A parent often says with pride: The only
and one cannot begin too early This Is flying in
the face Of the fact that the sense Of truth as a
earlier and more naturally TO some than 10 others
but, speaking generally. ii is sense that needs
stories Of other children. by the persistent up
holding Of the ideal Of truth. viii sense OF its
beauty and meaning b. reused in & child very
should be punishment for lying. unless very
rarely; such a virtue truth cannot be taught
sGfA beT IS 66e e{hea niTfue that IS emf
neutly the virtue OF infancy and in which all the
summed up that is obedience. The very helpless
ness and depepdence Of the young creature IN
has developed the sense Of obedience hrst We must
And here Lady Isabel recommends a method
which will probably not commend Itself 70 many
This has the advantage, she says. Of being prompt
and soon over; and Of following Directly on , the
transgression; it saves the child from worrying,
little naggings and penalties, and cuts snort pas
sionate oUtbursts of crying that may have danger
At four years Lady Isabel looks for definite
lCea o. 1uS 5 .-,,l5 80 s b,TrriAd ~ forced
she says. a healthy natural sehshness is a
trli+b denends On faithful observance Of natures
laws of exercise and nourishment"
In the religious training Of children Lady Isabel
also makes a plea for less haste. The accepted
regime is 10 insist on daily prayers grace and
repetition OF hymns and texts at the earliest pos
sible age. II is not the co1yentonaL Snthg 10
watch child nature and only teach II VIA WI tsar Is
ready fo TO discourage chG1 sG5s 70 iI noigt out
that they must wait till they are older 10 enjoy
what is meant Tor grown Up pcDpAe- 4 y &C.,
essv and comrends itself TO their understanding
10 explain to children that as you want them 70
love going to church they cannot go Wnen they
are too young TO understand.
I'VE are told however. that Il does not matter
even y = child does not understand. he must sun
saw his prayers and go 10 church, because these
habits are valuable and will help him when ne Is
older. ,..-- ..-.t.- ...,-..
THE formation of such religious habits causes
-eligion 70 become a dead thing TO chlldren-empty
words with which they familiar that nelther
thew nor their parents realize that both are feed
trg- an ernDrv husks The life and meaning have
bssr ken out Of words by constant parrotIlke
use To form religious habits az TINS tender age
IN children toward religion.