Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-09
SPANKING NOT NECESSARY
TO MAKE CHILDREN OBEY
BY MARGUERITE DEAN
-, y NOUVyIISIII, WI
NEW YORK-Are Vour child,

....., .- (SOpyIISnl, 1JZl)
| NEW YORK-Are your children
| becoming utterly lawless?
! Are their parents to blame?
The questions raised by the serious
accusations just brought from the
bench by Judge Talley. Of the court
| of general sessions, when confronte I'd
! by many youngsters charged with
| crime who apparently were below le'
| gal age
| Il don't know what has come over
| the children declared the Judge.
1t is amazing the number of boys
| who appear as offenders. In my
opinion the fault lies with the par
ents. The commandment of Honor
| thy mother and father appears to
have been disregarded, and in it's
place has been substituted, Parents,
obey thy children Children now es-
cape adequate punishment for their
| misdolngs both at home and in school
and the inevitable result is when
they start out in life they have not
the slightest respect for law and or
der. The appearance of these youths,
the number Of which is a record
in this court during the past year,
is disheartening to the judges who
preside and is one of the greatest
problems facing the country today"
That's the opinion of a man and a
judge.
o." aAe1I 4O4lOnS ID IIl0 view POllIl VI u
woman and a mother-Mrs. Sidonie
Matzner Gutenberg, who has four
charming children, who has written
two books on childhood, and who is
the vice president and active organ
izer of the Federation for Child
Study, 2 West SiXty-fourth street.
There is no more important and
formidable task confrontin" US to-
day than the intelligent care of our
children and the checking of lawless-
ness among them" declared Mrs.
Gutenberg, who herself has investi-
children brought into court. "And
wish you would emphasize the fact
that the problems we face are not
merely city-wide, but countrywide.
Parents ARE responsible for their
children. They should be taught to
should make themselves worthy of
honor. The trouble is that many OF
us lack standards for regulating the
new democracy, which has invaded
the home. We have broken away
from the old ideal of the repressed,
US do not yet understand how to
keep our children free without al
lowing them to degenerate into little
anarchists.
+ "One mistake which the parents Of
today often make is, that they do not
Try TO IlIlQ new LOT the new
problems of child training. Take, for
example. that common factor of mod
ern life, the automobile. 1t is gen.
orally admitted that, in one way or
another, the automobile is RESPONSE
Bile for much child delinquency. But
the way to counteract it is to work
out plans, for. using the automobile
to benefit the child, instead of shut
ting parental eyes to the fact that it
is here, will stay here and cannot be
made harmless by a flat command
that the child shall ignore it's exist
ence. So. instead of placing taboo
on moving pictures and other modern
Developments, parents should use
them for. the welfare Of the child, in
stead Of allowing them to be used
for his hurt.
1--WE do not really want in our
homes the child of other days" smil-
ingly continued the author of Your
"Sons and Daughters" We do not
want the subdued, Yes-mamma-no-
mamma type. Or. al least, If we
want it, the desire comes only on
those occasions when we desire 70
impress our guests with the super
human goodness of our offspring.
Nevertheless, absolutism in the
home ought not to be replaced by an
archy. The first step for every mother
who wants to train her child prop
ture-to learn if it responds most
quickly to suggestion, to reason or
to direct command. Obedience is the
first great law. But the best way
to insure obedience is by giving no
unnecessary or arbitrary orders.
=, when possible, explain your COM
mand. Give as few commands as pos
sible. But insist en- the ability to
obey promptly and intelligently. Just
as in a political democracy there are
laws which the individual must heed,
even though they seem to limit ms
freedom, SO in the democracy Of the
home there must be rules for the
safety and health Of the child and for
a just consideration Of the welfare
of others"
Judge Talley asserted that he was
in favor of corporal punishment,
even in the public schools, as the
only method of bringing the younger
means of teaching children to respect
their parents, school teachers and
other elders"
+ ut would SEEM" mildly suggests
Mrs. Gutenberg, that intelligent
parents do not need to resort to such
children. Children that are treated
like animals will behave like ami
mails; violence and brutality do not
bring out the best in child's nature.
/ am sure tndC the most enCHuSidS-
tic advocates of corporal punish
ment will admit that it is not always
practiced with discretion and that it
is in most cases not only unnecessary
but positively harmful.
Solomon said: Spare the rod and
spoil the child Our late beloved
dean of American noVelists, William
Dean Howells, suggested that we
might with profit spoil the rod and
spare the child. Punishment may be
necessary, now and then, but 1t
should be sort of emergency treat
ment. At best, it has a negative
value BY showing child what to
do, by constructive suggestion, the
mother will accomplish more than by
enforcing, with dire penalties, long
list of 'don'ts.'
eff parents will cooperate" con-
Guided Mrs. Gutenberg, who herself
has formed branch unions" of moth
ers in many parts of New York, they
will solve problems OF childhood
which as individuals they fail to
solve All the mothers and fathers
must work together if all the chill
dren are to be saved. p
Railroads to Be Taxed