Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-08
New Year Conclusions on Raising
Children


No mention is necessary in the
country home column, on what has
been invariably preached from, since
I have lived here (more than eighty
| five years., which New Year resolu-
tions generally meant a swearing off
from drinking intoxicants, as a good
promise to make to ones Individual
was bad for mind, health and morals.
The Swearing off" here noticed
has done no good since the national
| prohibition amendment became a
| law The land is full of booze and
people are killing themselves drink
Der than during proceeding quar-
ter of a century.
My text, therefore. has nothing to
do with the swearing off as to liquor
drinking.
AS a rule. so far as I am &C.
been what might safely be called a
temperance class, almost universally
| averse to intemperance, and it has
largely been owing to woman's in
sistence that the legislation against
intoxicants is now fastened on the
and town legislation.
In addressing our country home
readers on New Year conclusions
for the new year, 1921, think I can
venture to call a halt on the extrav-
agant habits that everybody under
mysteria of war, and the inflated
and Debated conditions through
which America has been passing
since the close of 1915.
We owe it to ourselves to furnish
examples as to economy and to set
hi 9TN1n
have still some regard left for the
counsel and endeavors Of their eld-
ers. One Of the serious things Of
life at this time is the disrespect
shown to elderly people, and it robs
the younger ones of the chance to
do well for themselves, by dtsci-
plinging their minds to obedience.
The kids, three, four and five years
old, actually harry and nag, and de-
mand and scream themselves hoarse
for dimes to go downtown, just to
buy something.
The foolish mothers, when. com
pany is around. actually furnish the
dimes to quiet the racket. This is
very bad habit for the child. 1t
grows with it's growth, and domi-
mates it before the kids get to their
teens.
and their minds that they must have
what they demand, and I am nearly
| ready to say their elders should be
| punished for giving way to the in
solent youngsters. Both are to
blame.
Every member of the family, lit
| tie or big, should have some stated
duty to perform, and If the little
ones can bring in stove wood or pick
up a basket Of chips, they should be
| for their own supreme good kept to
the performance. 1t is the idleness
| in the majority Of cases that gets
| uppermost in their thoughts and
| makes them extravagant and disc.
| bedient, and starts a wild career.
| When they are too indolent to be
amused and nothing can be done tc
satisfy them but go down town to
| buy something or go to the movies
or collect in groups with other Idle
| children, similarly in child and SINH
| larly occupied, the brats are nearly
past saving.
The good child is always favor
| lite, because such can be reasoned
with and are amenable to discipline
| but the children that are always
are better off when without, are the
beginnings of tens of thousands OF
wild, reckless young men and WON
en-, that this old world would be a
long-sight better off if they had new
~ been born.
i I have no small children in my
! care, but I see what youngsters are
doing to ruin the peace of the fam
/ lily and make themselves miserable
in later years very often. Now fol
a New Years conclusion: That these
parents should stick to, and make
business of sticking to, and that is
to keep your children in your sigh
and off the street, and make them sit
down and be quiet.
When hey get in their own ant
in everybody's way. If they were
mine. L should feel it my duty t.
them and for their good, to tie then
down in chair, and keep them thu:
confined until they might do better
next time.
Some mothers undress them ant
make them lie in bed until they
can promise to obey and behave
themselves like they were something
! human. When that will work, anC
nothing else will answer, keep then
in undress from "early dawn tt
dewy eve" and the people in the
community will praise your firm