The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-01-26
THE SPOILED CHILD

in any group anywhere than th'
child who has been spoiledf Tim'
after time have ! heard a mother
remark, "Well You know how
spoiled he is" She acts as though
this would forgive his misdemean.
ors. The failure to do her duty i.
explained by adding that his grand
mother or aunt will let him do such
things.
Mothers, you may try to believe
that is so, but deep down in youI
hearts, you acknowledge that the
failure in training points only one
way, and that is to you. If you
persist in trainin g Systematically
your child will show good results.
Ny boy would have been hopelessly
spoiled had l allowed either grand
mother to do as she wished. In
fact, both objected if I permitted
my baby to cry. Later on they com
plimented me on my well trained
baby. Why7 Because he was un-
spoiled, healthy and lovable.
That brings us to an important
point in the training of children.
The most beautiful child in the
world can be so reared, through
neglect of his parents to direct the
small acts of childhood that he be-
comes unlikable. Now we know the
child is not to blame. The mould
ing of every baby boy to manhood,
and every baby girl to womanhood
is absolutely in the hands of the
parents at the start. If we come
to this realization it is not difficult
to understand how important fac
tor training in the right direction
can become. I might add that this
is one of the biggest aims of kin
dergartens, the directing and start
ing of the child's habits in life in
the best way.
Often one hears some mother re-
lating to friend a cute remark
made by her child or telling of some
act, while the child listens intently,
even smiling with satisfaction
at the repetition of his smartness.
The child You may well know is
impressed. The exact result of
having him hear of his bright acts
is this: just as soon as child be-
gins to think those things are cute
he gets an exalted feeling that they
are the means by which he gets mo-
tice. Then he loses the sweet. in
nocent ways of child and becomes
self conscious.
One little boy know is giving the
teachers in school a troublesome
lime and the mother declares that
she is unable to change him. When
ne was a haby he was bright and
attractive, naturally initiating little
,hings that his parents did.
If he heard his father swear oc- !
'aslonally or heard a slang express
non he repeated it. much to the
amusement of his audience. They |
ed him on and entertained friends |
moving him off, but now the pa
'ents are suffering. The child is
lot wanted anywhere and proves a
nuisance. To laugh at or ridicule
child when he asks some question
nnocently, even though it may be
musing, is a crime. Your laugh, If
e has asked some queer thing,
urns his grave thoughts aside as
'orthless. Such things may seem
rival to You, mothers, but to him
hey are all small lessons leading
n to bigger ones in his steps of
rogress.
Try to think as your child thinks
nd try to see what has prompted
is action This win help greatly
solving many perplexing prob
ms. Very, very often he has a
lotive which can be discovered If
ou watch carefully. Does IL seem
big task, mothersf It is, but
here is no greater happiness for
S than the knowledge that we have
one our best. If we have, the best
ssults VIII in all probability fol-
w, and our children win be as we
ant them TO be, ovable and hap
y; and the spoiled child win never
e among us.-Mrs Charles Rob
ms. VI