The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-07-28

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have been fiiut.uL -.u.. I FIRST
crossed ol,- 'l, threshold OF man
hood that ] should give my congro-
cation fbo benefit of my superior
knowledge of the art o.! training
children. but fear tho task has ale
ready been 700 long neglected.
Ordinarily age and experience.
but whore the direction Of the dcycl-
opment Of the minds and heart of
childhood is concerned We find a
notable exception. there not being a
man or woman of the age of twenty
five years in the land who Is not
more competent to direct the totter-
ing, Crring feet of childhood than
the parents of large families. Thirty
years ago before | had the RESPONSE
bilities of a father ] could have Civ
en- full directions for the rearing Of
children. | had not bad all the CON
ceit taken out of me when our first
born began to show some of the
frailties incident to humanity. Now
that there are five youngsters look
ing to me and their mother FOR
guidance ! am sometimes at sea and
know not which way to steer.
However there are some general
principles bearing upon the subject
that are applicable to all and if
can be of any benefit to any parent
who, like me, is wandering in the
wilderness of doubt and uncertainty
shall feel that 7 have been amply
repaid for the effort.
We sometimes underestimate the
intelligence of children and try to
force precepts upon them that they
would understand and appreciate if
we would take a little time and eX-
ercisc a little patience in explaining
TO them why. We sometimes are too
much disposed to train our children
as we do our horSe-by the use of
the whip and sweet meats. We. I
fear, make too free use of the fear
of punishment and the hope of re-
ward. | sometimes fear that in our
dealings with our little ones we put
too much stress on the doctrine of
total depravity and get the idea that
all the good in us is placed there by
some miraculous power after We
have attained manhood and woman
hood when the fact is all the gem
unine innocence and purity in the
land is to be found in the minds and
hearts of helpless childhood. The
great Nazarene said, Except you be-
come as one of these little ones ye
shall in no wise enter the kingdom
of heaven or words to that effect.
Enough to explode all the total de-
pravity, theologians can invent in a
million years
We should strive to become thor
oughly and personally acquainted
with our children and strive to
know the peculiar temperament of
each one of them. I know people who
merits and dement's of every neigh
Dor they have and know nothing of
their own children further than that
they are on the place and that it
costs to raise them.
We should teach them to be
truthful and honest by being truth
f,,1
We should never break a promise
made them
We should rule them but in kind
ness and if all other means fail not
hesitate to use the rod, but oven in
its use not lose our temper. A moth
er has right to get fretted and
spank a child but full grown man
with all of his faculties who will fly
into little child stumbling and
guessing its way to manhood or
womanhood is unfit to herd swine
to say nothing OF playing daddy.
If a child is affectionate let it kiss
and fondle you but if it does not
care to slobber on every thing it sees
let it alone but meet it pleasantly.
fear most of children are selfish.
Endeavor to curb their selfish ten
denotes not so much by force as by
an appeal to their sense of justice.
Now in conclusion there are those
in every community whose children
would be paragons of perfection but
for the communicating influence OF
their neighbours children, Poor
things, their parents know exactly
how to train them and always do
their whole duty in the premises, but
the poor little innocents as soon as
they are released from the holy in
fluence of their perfect parents they
begin to initiate the worst examples
and are soon adopts at badness Do
not think because a child is yours it
is perfect but study it as you would
friend or acquaintance.