The Washington herald., 1912-07-22
THROUGH LITTLE
And Big EYES
Child's Angle Should Be Considered
Before Netting Out Punishment.
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

This is the season when mothers are
bit fearful that boys may come to
grief through their fondness for the
water and their inability to protect
themselves IL anything happens And
that Is why twelve-year-old Harold
Isaac. Of Atlantic City. faithfully prom
ised his mother that he would not 60
near the water-n9. dangerously near. at
But one day last week there was a
picnic in the neighborhood Of a pond.
and the boys all went. or course. they
were not long in finding the water all
but Harold. Faithfully. but a bit sadly.
he sat on the bank watching the lads
plunge about In the cool water. regret
ting the promise and protesting that Z
was not quite fair, anyway.
And then something happened.
One OF the boys went beyond his depth
and sank from sight. His companions
became panic-stricken and hurried to the
shore. away from the struggling lad.
Mindful OF his mothers admonition
and his own promise, Harold did a lot
of quick thinking. He decided that he
better go to the rescue, promise or no
promise. punishment or reward. and he
broke his word. Dripping. he returned
" Tic bdUh. ne anu MS Iittit CotH-
panion. and all was well. That Is. all
but Harold whose broken promise and
its possible consequence so disturbed
him that he decided TO unburden the
story and take the consequences. So he
went home and told his mother. expect
ing the usual fruit OF disobedience-pun-
ishment.
And there is the point.
Unexpected Results.
1t is wise person who is able to
and then turn around. with equal dis.
elimination. and look through the eyes
Of the child.
Anticipating punishment. that little fel-
low found applause and II emphasizes
the way things often run In the child
world. II is not easy for grown folk to
look down to their attitude toward life
and its happenings. and II is harder
still for the little folk to look UP and
follow the reasoning Of older minds. ex
perienced in the side issues that come
and go. and still many times in doubt
as to the proper course OF action.
And the difference is that a child is
too often expected to yield blind obe-
dience. not knowing the reason, for
decision totally unlike his own and not
Ine ms ana oulS VI
mind fortified by years OF experience.
when It happens that a COM
mand and a situation seem at variance.
a child may take his chances and II his
decision comedies with that of his parent,
everything is lovely. And IL II is a wrong
decision. the child is in trouble.
How to Strnighten TanRle..
When things go wrong in the child
world. when there Is disobedience. un-
or orther fiagrant offenses.
II is possible that tangles might be more
easily Strengthened out II grownups
would reach down TO the level of the little |
mind and learn just what was the mem
tai state that inspired the fall from
grace
Ones observations, II not her eNper- |
riences. lead to the conclusion that every |
thing else is asked the little offender
before an effort is made to learn HIS |
state of mind. Yet. until that is straight |
aned out and he is shown a clear way
put OF his faulty notions, the same thing |
may happen over and over again. unless |
the pure fear of punishment steps in to |
.urn the channel OF action.
The Perfect Understandings.
One of the pretty. telling life-pictures
mother linked to the little home folk by |
les of perfect understanding. The child |
Ind the parent do not, cannot think alike. |
md the little fellow cannot possibly be
to follow the road of older
thoughts. But the parent can walk the
way with the child. learn the working Of
his mind. can understand and guide his
habits of reasoning. and help him TO be
air and true.
One does not believe it is done so very
,ften; indeed. there are not many who
Inow just how to get at the mind of
/ child. But II is worth while to try
o establish relationship of confidence
md understanding. for a child's sense of
ustice and of right and wrong is more
strongly developed. perhaps, than is gen.
rally supposed. And It must sometimes
eceive some rude shocks.