The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-18

Most people punish to relieve them
selves. They call it doing good to the.
child. but it is not. II parent or
teacher can punish only. when the
offsnse Is fresh his punishment Is
useless. For 1t is merely gratif1ca-
ton OF his own need to let wrath es-
cape more Or less violently. One Of
the finest disciplfnar1ans had this rule
for his governments: Never punish
until the offense is a day old. Then
sonal irritation to weaken the force
Of the reproof. h.
The difAoulty with home govern
ment lies In the undisctpNned nature
Of the mothers. They cannot control
themselves how then can they aot
The woman who snatches q little
child from something it is Interested
in, saying fretfully. why In the
world don't you let things alone 2" is
hardly prepared TO teach that child
patience and self-restraint
Nothing that hurts the se1f-respect
OF another ever helps him to SELF
" uses as her assistant the desire in
every human being to be we'll thought
Of and works with It, not against it,
Many of the naughHnesses Of children
are based on a desire for attention.
A teacher who was unusually sue
ceSSIuA III SelIAuS AOAO OIL neT pupils
was once greatly troubled by a boy
who made htppant. impudent
speeches, She waited awhile to find
the reason for these, and then she
had q talk with him in private. She
said: ERNEST, you have way Of say
ing impertinent things which is very
disagreeable. think, however. you
do it because you regard them as
witty and feel that the smile that
ca, {e ~ io+ -
He admitted that this was true. "Well,
you are mistaken. Your classmates
have spoken Of this habit Of yours as
Ignorance on your part, and asked me
to excuse It for the present" This
presentation Of the matter CURED him.
The same method will prove success
ful In many perplexing cases.
and called cunning for doing the
things that later he is punished for
doing, which IS a puzzle to him, and
also shakes his faith In his parents.
A good gardener will not plant any
thing which he witt want later to de-
stroy. Neither will good disciplin-
arian. Prevention Is much easier
Of children. Perhaps the greatest
mistake conscientious parents make
In dealing with children is in attach
ting too much weight to trifles. and in
emphasizing the wrong things The
power Of suggestion Is reason for pass
ing with small notice the faults one
wishes to have outgrown. Cure them
by pratsing their opposites. Speak
often Of the good that should grow.
Find that and encourage It. Govern
thru admiration Of the worthy, not
by fault-finding. Children will grow
unconsciously to be like the models
before them, and the personal atnos-
phere Of their parents will count for
more than much preaching at them.
When the spirit IS most vexed within
you go into seclusion before you ex-
press your opinions. It will be we'll
for you as for the others concerned.
Teach a child to govern himself and
you are a good disoiplnarian what
ever the method you follow. Teach
him to see for himself why one course
is wise and right and the other course
wrong. Help him to train himself,
remembering that '<he who ruleth his
own spirit is greater than he who
taketh a city,"