The Washington herald., 1913-07-15
TEACH CHILDREN }.
SELF-DISCIPLNE
What Parents Fail to Teach in Ten.
derness viii Be Dealt Out BY
Strangers Later On.
by FRANCES sHAFFER.

by FRAMES SHAfFEn.
Egomania-sort of a high-sounding
name for inordinate self-love. is 1t not?
According to DIR. II. c. Norris, dele
gate TO the National Congress of Alien
week or SO ago. that strange malady
often has, its beginning right in the
home and its victims may end in sani-
tariums or asylums, according to the
intensity of the attack
The doctor declares that the boy OF
today, instead of being wisely trained to
be simple little member of the family,
is taught to be President Of the United
States. Children, he declares, are petted
and allowed TO follow their own sweet
wills to such a foolish extent that they
get an exalted idea of their own impor-
tance
If they want candy or anything else,
he says. a timely flow Of tears will bring
the fond mother around and she quickly
Yields to their wishes. Then she con-
tinually exploits them as "the brightest
ever" quotes their clever little tricks,
their aIertness and all, until they un-
consciously develop egomania-
Then comes a lack of self-control, fol-
lowed by a nervous and mental break
down. And then-the asylum
Perhaps the majority of folk, if they
paid any heed at all. would call the
doctor an alarmist. and. even If they be-
Iieved there was a bare chance that he
might be right, the most they would
say in Endorsement of his views would
be that such policy in the home would
result in preparing a child for love-
less. an unbeautiful life.
And that is bad enough, without the
doctors dismal fOrebodinG.
Spoiled Child Dete-ted.
Bad enough? 1t is fatal TO take away
the full inheritance of lOvable childhood,
and yet it needs mighty fund of grace
ard the cheerful trick of making allow
ances to love a spoiled child who kicks
and screams his way to his latest wish
of the moment. Parents never will cease
to love him and TO put up with his way
ward OutbUrsts of temper. but parents
sometimes forget the child's Inherent
right to sufficient discipline to make him
attractive to others.
Safe in the protection of parental SYM
pathy and tolerance, the little one may
be quite unconscious of his loss; but
when he is away from those who love
him. no matter what happens, his storms
and tempests will bring an awakening
And sooner or later he will be away from
those who love him with the love that
knows no weakening.
Nobody doubts that it is the easiest
temporarily the pleasantest way to let a
child have what he wants when he wants
it, and nobody thinks that discipline is
pleasant or simple. for those who plant
the seeds or those who accept the lessons.
1t is only the fruits that are pleasant.
And one quite understan nds the remark
that parents and the guardians of chill
dren often make-that folk with never a
chick a child of their own most
readily assume to point the way to child
perfection. They say that these ready
critics would be the last of all to put
into practice the theories they are SO
fond of airing. Quite likely; but what of
that? For it is not with the critics that
parents must deal, not for critics that
parents are most concerned. 1t is with
the small folk themselves, looking for
love while they are lingering in the land
of childhood, waiting for II and needing
it all the way to the very portals of
death. And what matter If the critics
would he failures. when it is the children,
their present. their future, that are near
est the parent heart?
Thing to Remember.
For the thing for parents to remember
is that what they fail TO do in love and
gentle kindness will he dealt out by
strange hands. unsparingly and without
the tempering touch of patience and SYM
pathy. Because, no matter what the
depth and force of parental love, no
matter what they spare their little folk,
in the name of tenderness, discipline
must come sooner or later. And it is
very hard to take ones lesson all in a
heap.
Mothers and fathers of undisciplined
children might reckon more patiently
with the rebukes they hear and might be
less willing to let their little ones drift
along on the wave of the easy way if
they would pause and think of the long
years ahead of the boy and the girl, with
no one at hand TO overlook and forgive.
For discipline that comes later on In life
is pretty apt t. be cold and unloving.
with much of bitterness and heartache
involved.
And sometimes the postponed lessons
come too late to do any good. for the
rebellious, self-wiled, protesting child,
more likely than not, remains rebellious.
self-willed. and protesting through all
the storm and stress that life may bring,
whatever the number of years that have
passed over his head.
And that is how the failures are born,