The Washington herald., 1921-11-23
CAUTIONS PARENTS
ABOUT DANGER OF
NACCINC CHILDREN
Dorothy Dix Says Diplo-
macy Is Needed in
Training Youngsters.
By DOROTHY DIX.


The Mexicans have a proverb
that says: Strangers bread makes
polite children"
Every father and mother have
had occasion to observe this inter-
estlng social phenomena, and to
marvel at how much better their
offspring behave away from home
than they do at home. Children
who are little hoodlums under their
own roof are angels and cherubs
under neighbor's. Mother has re-
proved little Mary a million times
about the way she holds her fork
and spots the table cloth, without,
apparently. producing any results.
but when little Mary goes visit
ing her table manners are those of
finishing school for fashionable
young ladies.
At home little Johnnys hat is
glued to his head so firmly that ten
thousand reproofs have not suficed
10 remove IL when he enters
room, and his general demeanor in
the family circle is that of a wild
indian on the war path, but when
little Johnny goes of on a visit
10 Aunt Sallie she writes back
ABOUT what a perfect little gentle
man he is, and how he is being
mated by all the other little boys
In the community because their
mothers are holding him up as a
model for them to copy.
Ihereat parents marvel They
cannot understand why their chill
uren seem to shed their irrita bility,
Ineir surliness, their unaccommo-
dating spirit, and their bad man
nome Yet the explanation is per-
tec.ly simple. The children have
escaped from the eternal, and irri-
tatlng paternal nagging. They are
IN different atmosphere where
Lney are soothed instead OF riled.
ihey are among people who are
looking for their virtues instead
OF being on the watch tower to
pounce on every fault. They are on
'helr own, with a sense OF respon-
slDlllty for themselves so that they
ieel they must make good by be-
having properly.
OF course children's faults have
TO be corrected. They must be
taught the elementary principles OF
good manners and good morals.
hey must be restrained. and guild
Gu aIonS the right road.
But surely parents could do this
more effectively if they would do
u more subtly and less continuous
~ All human experience goes to
show that the saIve spreader 10
mightter than the hammer ans
mat you can beguiIe people into
dolns things that You couldn't
drive them into doing to save your
me The one place where diplo-
macy Is needed more than any-
Where else in the world is in deal
ING with children, and yet there IA
NOT one rather or mother in a
million who ever thinks Of iolIving
their children into the straight and
narrow road instead of hounding
them into il. Which is the reason
mat so many little feet stumble
INTO the pits along the primrose
path
Nearly every father and mother
iall into the DON'T habit. Tbex
say DON'T automatically every
Hme = child starts to do a thing
OF wants to do anything. withou,
'r taxing the trouble to first in
s'ls'.Ie and see whether there 4,
any rear reason why the young
SHo Iiuh DO that particular
thlhE- This breeds in the child
a
iectIy natural sense OF Injustice,
Also II puts his little back mn
ana makes him determine to do I,
ANYWAY. In the beginning he NAV
NOT nave cared very much abon,
'hc thinE' and If no opposition had
ueeh onered he would have let =,
"T"P' out the minute lie is told h.
"hhOt 90 1t he is bound and de-
termined to do it. For we are navs-
50 young but what stolen wats-
tastes sweet, and forbidden fru,,
tempts our appetites.
AS a matter OF fact the effective
ness OF DON'T is in direct ratio to
u scarcity. The child who has
DON said to him from morning
10 night gets so hardened that tbe
prohibition rolls OF Of him without
making any more impression ma
rain drop on granite. Ru, ~
.hlld whose parents enter symna-
thetcally into its little pIsns o..
ropes ropes, and whose innocent pastimes
nave no restrictions put upon then