The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-06-29
WHEN IS A CHILD
REALLY NAUGHTY?
Settle This Delicate Point Before
Administering a unlshment F or
Juvenile Ofenses.
ONT assume that child is

ness If be is in good health
be will be good tempered
nine times out of ten Generally bad
temper means mistaken feeding. bad
management or disease Occasionally
child who mopes or has unexplained
its Of crying has an unequal balance
and should be watched very closely
and taken to doctor if the trouble
continues
In training a child it is most impor-
tant to try to regard him and his do
ings as matters quite apart from your
self. Do not, for instance. think she
has given me great deal of trouble.
and I'll punish him for it, but try to
consider whether the trouble was caus-
ed by a bad intention on the childs
part or whether it arose merely from
carelessness or i'll health.
Take case in point 1t is not wrong
for little boy to dislike having his
face washed. Nearly all children hate
being washed. They have an Unborn
love of dirt. which. though very dis
agreeable. is by no means wrong. So
do not slap and shake child when he
makes fuss about being washed. pro-
oyided that the fuss ceases as soon as
! he understands that he is really vexing
you by making it.
But If he says he has washed his face
when he has done nothing of the kind.
or if he refuses to wash 1t after being
clearly told to do so. or if he goes on
complaining about it after you have
| made him understand that you wish
him to stop, then the case becomes very
different He is a really naughty boy
| and must be scolded or punished. not
because he is giving you trouble, but
because be is doing what he knows to
i be wrong
Many children have little ways"
which though exceedingly tiresome are
quite innocent. A little girl may be
so clumsy figured that she upsets ev-
erything she touches. But it is not fair
! to laugh at her when she upsets an
empty cup and then scold her for over
turning a full one on the clean table
cloth. You must either blame her for
both accidents or not blame her at all.
|
and wakes up screaming at night If
you pet and comfort him on Tuesday.
when you have plenty Of time 10 s.are.
you must not blame him for scT2a ming
again on Wednesday, when yoa save
visitors and do not want to be bothered
with him.
A tot may say something pert to her
father and win laugh by 1t: then you
must not blame her for repeating the
selfsame thing to prim friend or rel.
alive. who is scandalized. The fault.
II there was a fault. Is no worse in one
case than in the other, though circum-
stances have made 1t seem much more
apparent.
Children are very just little souls.
and they always know when they have
been unfairly treated. II q child once
gets into his head the notion that
mother either scolds or kisses him &C
cording to her own state Of mind at
the moment he will never afterward
respect her authority. All that he will
do is to keep out Of the way when she
/ seems Gross or brag and fib alter
nateiy about his doings In way that
is almost bound to ruin his character.
/ But II he knows that mother Is always
fair to him he will respect and love her
and try to please her. SO that naughti-
! ness and punishment become the ex-
| ception rather than the rule in the
house over which she rules SO wisely
and firmly.
| There would be fewer spoiled chill
dren in the world If those who had the
care of little ones understood better
where naughtiness begins and ends, so
i many children are habitually punished
or scolded for tricks which though very
annoying are in themselves quite
harmless. while other children are al
! lowed to commit really serious faults
i without reproof just because those
: faults do not bring any disagreeabe
consequences upon their elders
/ Don't try to break a child's will
! If you insist too much upon blind
/ obedience and continue to exact it
i long after it should have been relaxed
/ the child has no opportunity of acquir-
! ing self control or initiative This is
why children accustomed to too great
severity and restraint often turn out
badly when they have to act for them
! selves Either they are broken spirit
! ed or. having felt too heavy a hand
on the reins. they rush into excuses.
Don't prevent child from learning
! by experience. If he will touch q hot
| bar or a jug Of boiling water when he
| has been told not to. let him do it
! once He will not try second time
OF course You must not carry this prin
ciple too far. so as to hurt him serious
| ~. but let him gain experience for him.
self whenever it is possible with
/ safety
/ Cana Saafs