Crittenden record=press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1907-1909, 1907-07-11
Child Culture.


parents to children. If they neglect
the moral education of the child, the
result is often a malformed brain that
may rule to ruin in after years. By
earnest, intelligent effort, they may
shape the plastic soul into a noble,
beautiful character; and Mental Sug-
gestion, wisely employed, will insure
their success in this all-important
work. RICH thought desires and
resolves often and thoroughly impress
ed on the child's mind and heart,
will become integral parts of its soul
and the ruling motives of life.
OF the practical results in character
building achieved BY the method.
Prof. Newton n. Riddell says Our
ing the past fifteen years | have had
occasion to employ these principals
in the education and government of
thousand, of children, representing
all classes and conditions. | have
found it possible, not only to develop
the normal child into a strong, Deaut-
iful character, but that in most inst
ances even bad hereditary tendencies
can be largely overcome and evil ac-
quired traits completely corrected.
Prof. Riddell's method Is, briefly
as follows. First win the child :
love and confidence. Explain to 1t
that you wish to help it develop a
noble character, and that if it will
work with you, you will surely sue
coed. Every morning have it repeat
after you these or similar words:
This day, God helping me, | will
be good, | will be honest, kind,
pure and true. | will do all | can
to make others happy. | will not do
wrong. | can and l will do right.
These atfirmations should then be
sealed in the mind and heart by "a
brief, fervent prayer for divine help
and guidance. If the child has any
fault to overcome, earnestly and i'm
pressively repeat to it atfirmations
adapted to its need, and have it also
repeat them several times each day
aud at bedtime every night, but al
ways when it is in passive, receipt
i've mood. For instance if it is self
ish say to it: "iou will not, you
must not be selfish. Deep down in
your little heart you are kind and
loving. From this time on you will
do unto others as you would have
them do unto you" If you put your
whole soul into these affirmations, be-
ieve them yourself, and repeat them
a sufficient number of times to make
deep, abiding impression on the
child soul, experience proves that
they will almost invariably become
controlling factors in Its character.
Every child should be governed as
largely as possible from within.
Teach it to do right for rights sake,
not for fear of punishment or hope
of reward. Otherwise it goes into
the world prey to Its own appetites
and as an easy subject to the will of
others Develop its intellect, con-
science and love. by constantly ap-
peallng to these qualities and max
ing them the ruling motives of con-
duct. Teach it what is right and
what is wrong and why. Seek to
have it obey its conscience as the
voice of God IN its soul. Impress
upon it that every good thought and
act helps to develop beautiful soul
the one absolutely essential con-
dition of highest happiness In this
life and that to come; that every evil
thought and act deforms Its soul and
must inevitably result in misery and
uuhappiness. Constantly encourage
it to do acts Of kindness and help
fulness. Teach It the laws of person
al purity. Above all, exemplify in
your own life what you would have
the child become. Your every word
and act in its presence helps to make
or mar its character Family jars,
nagging, etc., destroy its fl ner feel
ings and aggravate the worst elements