Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-12-13
TRAINING LITTLE CHILDREN:
Seventeen Rules For Mothers
They Will Help Over Many
A Hard Place.

Ihey VIII Help Over Many II
A Hard Place. K
(By Mrs. Gertrude Fl. Campbell) Il
Many mothers have asked me,
DO you find that. your kinder
garten training really helps you
when you are dealing with prob
lens in Your home 2" My an
swer is invariably, YES"
Two years of thorough and
stimulating training in Froebel's
wonderful methods for teaching |
little children and several years
OF trying to put those methods |
into practice could not fail to
give mother a more intelligent
and spiritual grasp of the mean
ing of her children's activities.
Thinking back over the past
years | have been irving to form
ulate some of the practices that
have helped me over the hard
places, and offer the following
to the mother who wishes to
make of her children's early
years period that they and she
will remember with great joy.
1. When it is necessary to re-
strain child from doing some
thing wrong or harmful, always
suggest something else lie may
i, do. Never issue a don't without
proposing a do.
? In giving a child permission
to play take care that his actiyi-
ties do not develop into license.
For he will be happier if some
! limitations are imposed to test
his powers and help him concen-
E trate. For instance, if he is
playing with blocks or cutting
0 from a paper, giving his permits
sion to do anything he pleases
often results in aimless or de.
structive activity. Some sug.
e gestion from the mother to make
e something-to furnish a house,
: for Observation-Disclosures and di.
:. reefs his mind, while leaving hin,
free to express himself.
81 3. Before a command is giver
y always consider whether it is go
ing to raise an issue. If child
q refuses to obey, do not Away.
insist upon implicit obedience
your command may not have
been an entirely wise one. Pun
ish for disobedience, if necessary
but do not raise avoidable issues
Breaking a child will" is crue
and most harmful.
4. When a child is naughty al
y ways be sure that the cause i.
d not a physical one, for fatigue
:, and hunger come easily to little
S people. Many problems that are
unsolyable before a meal are nc
longer problems afterward.
5. Try to follow Your children
! activities and to understand the
$ instincts and inner laws from
which they proceed. View what
= they do i'll the light of your in.
telligence and of your spirit,
Such habit of watchfulness
and care prevents nervous irrita.
ton and enables you to enter in.
to and to encourage sympathetic
ally activities which are pleas.
ing.
6. Be consistent in what YOU
approve and disapproye. Do not
one day, because you are tired,
reprove child for something he
had done and the next day ig-
more the same thing because you
!are rested.
| 7. Answer questions truthful
". A child's mind does not al
ways crave details. Give him
only broad statements. Build a
jstrong foundation of truth, to
which details may be added later.
AS regards the vital question of
the origin of life be careful not
to give the child more than he
asks for. Do not force your buds
to open too early. The life oil
flowers and birds is analogous to
human life and will tell you how
to answer this question.
s. Avoid useless negations. I'll
there is no real reason why a |
child should have his requests |
denied, do not deny them.
9. In regard to children's in
terruptions, consider whether
What they want you to do is not
more important than the special
activity you had planned for that
moment. In the last analysis,
why do we mothers exist at all
If not to give of our best to our