Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12

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Drawings by Harriet Repplier
initiative cruelty ch1oroformed by this false sense
of obedience Was not Henry good little boy?
No, he not a good little boy. He was a silly
little prize prig fit only to play marbles with Casa
blanca who barbecued himself because he could not
leave the deck without his dead fathers permission
The ultimate object of training child should be
to make it individual self controlled, self reliant,
self directing guided to follow his reason, making
his own high standard his inspiration living life
based on honor, truth, justice. 10 reap proper
harvests we must plant proper seed The child is
not likely to become self directing if he is taught
to be dependent the direction of some one
else-f he is taught only self suppression, surrender
ing submissively to another's will, responding not
to his reason, the dictates of his Judgment
moved from without instead of being inspired
to move from within We make watch keep
fairly good time by moving the hands back and
forward it too fast too slow; but it is un-
satisfactory because the tmekeeping element IS
outside the workS,-they not put into the con-
dition where they move accurately automatically
by their own initiative, the inspiration from within
Don't Make 1t the Issue
DARENTS may feel that in limiting diminishing
the reliance on obedience the keystone of the arch
of home discipline will be removed and the structure
must fall This is not true. The plea here is that
obedience should not be constantly talked of, con-
ODtrude0 II IL
should not be the issue 1t should not be the basis
of the relation of parent to child. This does not
imply that the child should be left to its own re-
sources. permitted to grow wild; to be subject to
no guidance no CONTROL to be INDUCED and PAM
pered in silly weakness and selhshness. The child
should merely be trained on higher, better lines,
substituting for the word of command and the rod
of authority, firm, wise, kindly, guiding influence
and inspiration.
Forcing the selfish child to divide its cake with its
brother may result in obedience. The act may be
lied h11tt he 1S not n he
insstence Obedience does not go deep enough;
it is merely cutting off the tops of the weeds eav-
ing the vitality in their roots to persist and increase
Until the child is taught to see the wrong OF selfish
ness, the pettness, meanness and injustice OF 1t,
until it is brought by change of impulse from
within to share voluntarily, there has been no real
How then" asks the bewildered parent, can
the child be trained aright?" By establishing
relation of friendship and loving companionship
with the child: by seeking to see its acts from the
childs viewpoint; by appealing to its reason by
substituting suggestion for command; by example
and proper environment rather than by nagging
precept; by appeal to its strength its higher mo-
tives by strengthening its inner CONVICTIONS and
teaching it to learn by experience.
Our management of children is often strange
medley, paradoxical underestimate. We expect
from them actions far beyond their years, while at
the time underrate their minds and their
powers and misunderstood their motives Chill
dren often cry out in protest, Il don't think it's
fair!" showing instructive sense of justice that
may be used as lever to help them to higher llv-
ing. They constantly ask, Why?' revealing
struggling toward development reason as
serting itself guiding principle. They are quick
note departures from truth in those around them;
they instinctively puncture the tire of some ones
honesty and honor They respect hrmness, but
rebel against force In this justice reason truth,
and respect for law is the foundation upon which
parents may build characters
Crying for Things
THE child be taught from its early life that
for,t