Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-05-18
Mother and the Child
as Exemplided by Mrs. Grover Cleveland.


Mrs. Grover Cleveland l regard as one
| Of the happiest mothers | ever met
| | saw her first in the bridal days when
she became the young mistress of the
/ white house. | met her again after
| the honor of maternity had been be
| slowed upon her
And last February. when she came
west with her husband TO celebration
| of WaShington's birthday | met her in
the prime of physical and mental life
gracious in her motherhood. rounded by
years of growth. a charming, sweet eN
ample of the American woman Of the
| home.
Mrs. Cleveland does not grant public
interviews. She never has sought public
notoriety and never will. Her life has
been centered in her husband. her home
and her children. She believes that all
that is best for the highest development
OF WomanhOod is TO be found i'll the
home. the love and rearing of children,
the strengthening Of the ties thar bind
offspring and parents into one holy
union.
But she has strong views on the rela-
ton Of the mother and the child which
am privileged to give. They must prove
helpful to other mothers. Mrs. Cleveland
Is typical American woman. Her per
Sonal views on the mother child and
home have come out of broad expert
her life has been close to the national
heart of the American mother.
Mrs Cleveland feels that -t+rr~~-fif@t
control of the child by the mother be
guns in winning its confidence through
tlrmnesS and the inspiration OF love.
There IL such Il thing as loving a child
to its own harm, The love which helps
the enid in lis moral and physical
growth, also firmly controls its way
ward moods and guides il into the paths
of right thinking and living.
"Loye-coniidence' said Mrs. CIeve-
land, To friend, lis the first grip TO Sc
cure on the child. The child must have
confidence in the parent. and the initial
inspiration tor that confidence must arse
from love.
Love is not a blind impulse. 1t seems
to me that it is more mental than phys
zeal. and that it has much of its origin i'll
respect. Children are acute in observa-
given credit for. All the mother does
about them is duly registered in the
growing MUD, and, unQueStiOnahly, Is
inwardly commented upon.
The mothers varying physical and
mental changes, her attitude toward all
the duties of the home. do not escape
the notice of the child, and, as the moth
er is powerful in self-control. in striving
to be an IDEAL to the child, so the child
notes and grows into its own character.
Il imply through this that the moth
er's influence upon the undeveloped pow
er of the child is extraordinary. and that
much of its future veal or woe must be
traceable To her own conduct while its
life is developing.
THE greater the evenneSs of the
mothers life the stronger viii he the
impulses for good upon the child The
more the mother strives to be all that She
asks the child to be. the greater the
love-coniidcnce that will he provoked.
After the confidence of child is Sc
cured, obedience must follow. Tie true
kind Of obedience is not easily secured
If confidence is not first inspired. but
once confidence is secured obedience be
comes Il natural sequence.
Child obedience is not such a difficult
thing to secure as il might seem, when
the mother eXempliiies obedience herself
There is everything i'll setting the child
an example, and then 10y instruction and
! reasonable determination leading ii into
the path Of its duty.
"Firmness with a child has its trucst
| value when il goes and-in-haud with Ia
| struction. To tell child that il must 10
| SO and SO just because another wills il
! is not enough. Tie chid-mind asks for
! reasons. 1t wishes to know why it must
| do this and that, and it is entitled 10
! know why it must DO this and chat. and
| it is entitled to know. If il does NOT
! gain this information from the mother
in the home. it certainly will gain il In
| distorted way from the companions il
meets outside of the home ! think il
! preferable fos. the Cr71d' : OWL education.
moral and physical, that the why aud
| wherefore of parental orders should hc
! given TO ii within the home circle.
AS a child grows aud hroadeu> i'm
/ thought it VIII seek some place in which
to mpart its perpleXitic>. If it has had
| from the mother the inspiration 81 con-