Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-04

that their own welfare as we'll as lnelT
own comfort depended upon obeying me
and behaving properly.
Once child is brought to realize
this, it will fall into proper ways. |
made it rule never to punish my
children severely, but for wrong-dolng,
I deprived them of some pleasure. This
subjected them to no indignity,a as thrash
ings sometimes do with sensitive chill
dren, and the lesson is better learned, |
find
required the truth at all times and in
all circumstances, and | did not punish
a child that admitted its transgres-
sions. Children, have found, are very
sensible, and even at an early age are
open to conviction, if one will only take
the time and pains to explain. But alas,
so many mothers are too busy
Irrational Punishments
Grave, very grave, mistakes are made
by parents in modes OF punishment tor
trivial misdoings. A harsh word
roughly spoken; a hand laid none too
gently on a little shoulder, push or
slap; all are calculated to impress a
child with its own insignihcance, to
create in the little brain the thought that
there is an inequality between child and
parent that may never be overcome.
When a child thinks thus-and who
can say what deep thoughts enter little
ones mind at times Pit commences to
draw within itself, to live its own life
apart from its parents.
With this comes self-pity, and, after
ward, each reprimand, no matter how
thoroughly deserved, is regarded as but
another engagement in the perpetual,
impossible fight between forces hope
lessly and unevenly matched. Thus,
little by little, the boy or the girl
grows away from those who should
be his or her chief companions and con-
fdants.
Tho child's Brain
Little beginnings! Imaginary as it
may seem, It is not impossible that some
great crimes have had their true origin
In unjust chastisement meted out to a
well-meaning child. Small things affect
| us older folk; how much more must
they affect growing, sensitive brain,
open, to new thoughts and new ideas
every instant of its existence, and put
ting on each act observed construction
naturally narrow, and based, in many
| SdSCS, puiSly VII SSllliiilSlll oid NoSidoAii
on reason? For children, all, are senti-
mental, and their reasoning, if reason
they do, has for its objective point an
| ideal.
These little brains of our children,
| which treasure kind word so long and
retain as carefully the memory of a
wrong some day they will have tc
think out questions large with import
and on which the welfare of not one
person alone, but of many hundreds
may depend.
How great then is the responsibility
( that rests with mothers and father:
who are charged with the training O
these brains! How necessary that W.
should try to see two points of view a
the same time and always, so that ne
vagrant train of thought may be started
in the little head.
seldom had to resort to corpora
punishment, | am very glad to say
though I admit that there are occasion
when it is necessary. My children wer
close to me, and l think they un
derstood me from the time they coul
understand anything at all.
If they misbehaved and they saw tina
was hurt or sorry, they were sorr
i too, and that was quite sufficient pur
ishment, for none of them would trans
gress again in the same way, as long a
| the memory of my sorrow at their az
: lasted They all learned to know whs
= was passing through my mind when