Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1911-12-26

Ing paper Was read by Mrs. :. III.
Smith. and SO favorable was the i'm.
preston made Upon all present OF the
worth OF the article and so keen the
appreciation OF its sound logic. that
by unanimous request Mrs Smith
was persuaded to permit the club the
privilege Of publishing the paper TO-
the benefit OF those net present.
PRACTICAL EDUCATION FOR
OUR DAUGHTERS.
To treat OF the subject under con-
sideration with any degree OF thor
oughness would require a volume In.
stead of a ten-minute paper. And
since there are many excellenl works
on education which We can read a,
our leisure with greater profit than
we should be likely to derive from a
scrambling effort TO cover 50 large
a field in so limited a space of time,
| shall coniine my remarks 20 what
| consider the most neglected details
In our present day educational meth.
DDS. Also | shall treat the matter
wholly from the standpoint of the
mothers duty In the premises
Since our children's education as
human beings must take precedence
In importance over their education
as boys or girls, Il is we'll To firsI
consider the things every child should
be taught, irrespective of sex am
not now referring to the subjects
commonly found in the course OF
study Of the public schools. TO dis
pose of this part of our subject at
once. | wish only to say that such
course Of study seems TO be almost az
good rs an he adopted just now, that
conscientious and expert educators
are at work trying to improve il as
much and as fast as possible. and
that teachers as rule can be safely
trusted to do their best. considering
the hampering conditions under
which they work. Personally. I
have never known one who failed b
listen with courtesy and an open
mind To any reasonable suggestions
offered by a mother concerning her
own child, ana who would not carry
out such suggestions as well as lay
in her power.
And right here | wish TO call your
attention TO the first point that seems
TO me to be too mucl overlooked
We mothers put off teaching our
little children too long and then try
TO shift too much of our own respon-
sihility on to he already overburd-
oned shoulders OF teachers and sun.
day school teachers do not he-
lieve this is usually done in any
spirit VI Sinking Rather 1t l. cads-
ed mostly ty lack OF self-coriidence,
and feor lest We shall, 10y dong tho
wrong thing hinder. instead of help,
our childrens progress. At one time
Il was fad to cram children with a
mass OF undigested learning, until
both the mental and physical health
paired az present the pendulum
seems to be swinging as far as pos
slble the other way. and really intelli-
gent people will claim that there
should be no serious attempt to teach
child before its eighth year Wom-
en- are much too prone TO listen 20
any nonsensical opinions on deuca-
ton. without reasoning the thing out
for themselves.
Every mother can see her child
learning something new every day
before II is out of long clothes. And
because directed effort always means
better results than undirected, there
are many fundamental things that
can be taught almost from the cradle
up: and they can be better taught
by sincere mother than by anyone
else in the world,
BY fundamental things mean
partly the virtues Of truth, justice
and kindness; partly the qualities OF
thoroughness and concentration
partly the proper use of such facul
ties as are most active during early
childhood.
During the first year or two of its
existence the child is almost wholly
occupied in learning the things nee
essary for self-preservation "a
ttsan MT n IA.
intrusted to even a mother, so Ma
ture attends TO that herselD. Little
by little. however, the mother car
direct his efforts to useful purpose
without seeming to try TO teach him
This is a really delightful secret Of
successful teaching-so long as yoI
are apparently only helping chile
play. YOU can teach him things h,
would bv no means learn under The
name OF lessons" or work"
II Is easier for a child TO tell IN,
truth than n falsehood, II he is no
afraid Of being punished for the faul
he Is trying TO conceal. Nearly al
children start to telling falsehood
from this cause and the habit w
should value truth-telling so highl!
as 10 never dream OF furnishing !
child for any fault. however grave
II 1t Is confessed promptly No
must mother who wishes her child
ren to grow up truthful ever ALLOW
herself to deviate in the least parti