The Elbert County tribune., 1908-03-05
SUGGESTIONS TO AND FOR
MOTHERS.

long contended and often proved that
suggestion" used intelligently by the
mother is most potent factor for
good as. thereby, the most willful
child may be made submissive; not by
destroying the will, but by directing
1t into proper channels. Through the
same agency, children may be cured
OF bad habits. undesirable traits, mat
tention to studies, etc. etc.
The time to shape character when
1t is most susceptible to maternal in
fiuences is during the natural-not
hypnotic-sleep of the child
The general opinion is that a per-
son asleep is. for the time being, dead
to the world; but knowledge of the
fact that the subjective mind never
sleeps should make one careful of
what he says in the presence of a
sleeper.
Natural sleep is not a condition of
insensibility to external impressions,
but fsSher a condition of inattention.
The sleeper hears, but he does not
heed at the time the suggestion is
made. 1t is not difficult to introduce
ideas to ones consciousness which
shall make permanent and deep i'm
preston through the subjective mind
upon the objective. or waking, mind.
The Method to Pursue.
Much depends upon the age and the
disposition of the child No one can
understand this better than the
mother.
AS rule the best way to approach
the child is to say (as it is about to
retire.: Mamma is going to talk to
you tonight while you are asleep, and
you will hear and understand it all,
but you will not awaken"
Some children will, of course, be
quite curious to know why you are
going to talk to them, what you are
going to talk about and why you don't
talk to them when they are awake
In some instances the mother may
sit by the side of the bed and talk in
general way to the child ere 1t
sleeps. Thus talking. in quiet man.
nee, the child, as a rule, soon be-
comes drowsy, and as it drops asleep
the mother says: This is mother Cor
mamma) talking to you. You will not
awaken. You will sleep quietly. You
are now very quiet and restful. You
can speak to me without awakening.
Do you hear me talking to you now?
Say Yes You will not awaken Now
1 touch your lips with my fingers and
you can speak. Say Yes, mamma, l
hear you"
You should not expect the child to
awaken, but should it stir uneasily
and open its eyes, the mother should
not relinquish her attempt, but gently
close the eyelids, at the same time
suggesting again: Nothing will dis
turb you; you will sleep quietly now,
and hear what mamma says, because
it is all for your good and you will be
so pleased to do what mamma sug-
gests.''
1t is well If you stroke the child's
forehead gently, as this will have
quieting effect and accustom the
sleeper to your presence. You should
then proceed with your suggestions of
those things that you desire to elimi-
Observation-Disclosures. untidiness. idle
ness, untruthfulness, nail biting, lack
of application to studies. music, etc,
etc.-whatever you feel the child most
needs. Speak plainly, but quietly, yet
with sufficient positiveness to be i'm
pressive
If you wish to exact promise from
the child you should say: 81 want you
to promise me that you will never
- - - - again. Say, I
promise you, mamma. that l never
will" You should repeat this sew
eral times.
l have always found it most effect
i've to use the first person, singular.
thus having the affirmative made by
the child instead of the mother say
ing, you will do this or you will do
that. To illustrate: I'll do as mamma
wants me to; I'll not do anything to
hurt mamma; I'll make everybody
happy by being good to them, ETC.,
etc.
These suggestions need not be con-
fined entirely to bad habits, but to
physical ailments and various bodily
conditions.
One of my pupils cured her little !
girl Ia very small child of enuresis. |
This was easily accomplished. even
after guaranteed remedies and the
family physician had utterly failed.
Another mother cured her 14-year-
old boy of very bad case of STAN
mering; cured him while he slept, and |
the boy does not know to this day |
how the cure was effected.
There are cases covering almost +
every phase of mental and physical
condition. I shall give one more and
the means employed.
My niece, 13 years of age, brought
me her card at the close of the school
year, and l noticed that her mark
ing was very low on one particular
study. She informed me that she took
no interest In the subject; hence made