Milford chronicle., 1924-02-22
OBEDIENCE IN CHILDREN
By Julia w. Wolfe

All educators are firm believers in
obedience, but just as soon as the
child is old enough to reason-and
this age is reached much earlier than
we usually assume-obedience to law
should be given equal stress with Obe-
dience to individuals. This necessity is
sometimes lost sight of.
Law isuniversal; the child meets it
at every turn. He will find that it is
impartial, if relentless, and that its re-
wards for obedience are as certain as
are its punishments for disobedience.
Parents cannot always be with their
children to guide and control them,
and, the sooner they teach them the
inevitable operation of law, the better
fitted the children will be to meet the
obligations of the future.
Two mothers Of my acquaintance
followed two distinct methods with
their children. The first became their
mentor, calling them each morning to
get ready for school long before it was
necessary. She followed this call with
a continuous supervision Of their pre-
paratiOns and with frequent remOn-
strances, such as, You'll be late; do
hurry; it is almost nine O'Clock" J."
(when it was not half-past eight I'LL
til the children were off. This same
mother had a habit of setting the
clock forward, and, this being discOv-
cred by the children, their demorali-
zation was complete.
These children are now grown up,
and they attribute their habits of pro-
crastination and tardiness to the faul-
ty training they received in childhood.
The second mother, as soon as her
children reached the school age, said
to each one earnestly, 'NoW, my dear,
you have learned to tell time, and
Mother, as well as your teacher, will
expect you to be prompt at school. I
will remind you the first two or three
mornings, but, after that, you must
depend entirely upon yourself"
1t happened in the first or second
week that one child, becoming inter-
ested in something else, forgot to
make his preparations in time to
reach. school before the bell sounded.
But in this one tardiness he learned
the lesson. Though the mother knew
he would be late, she did not depart
from the rule not to remind him, and,
while no one could have been more
sympathetic than she over the tardi-
ness, at the same time, she very gent
ly and lovingly encouraged the child
to realize that, if he were careful, it
would not occur again. The result was
that her children early learned the
value of time, while punctuality be-
came second nature to them.
The same method wisely applied
would solve many of the every day
problems of life without the friction
that frequently occurs and which is
so injurious to the nervous organism
of the child, to say nothing Of its men
tai strain on the parents.
Appeal to the highest sentiments in
your child, and the result will be graf
flying.
There are simple systems of reward
for very young children, which are of
assistance in helping to establish GER
tain beneficial habits at an age when
habits are easily formed, but these re-
wards should be discontinued as the
child grows older, and appeal should
be made to the sense of justice and
the sense of altruism which children
often possess to an uncommon de-
gree.
y X X X Y Y X * Y y X Y X n ***
= The American Humane Associa-
q tion at its Second American World
q Humane Conference held in New
= York, passed the following:
= "RESOLVED, That the Second
!: American World Humane Confer
8 /ence expresses its approval of the
q plan to teach humane education in
q the kindergartens of all countries,
9 and that it records its desire for
q the extension not only of kinder
q garten education through the en-
= actment Of kindergarten laws, but
y that it urges in the establishment
y of these kindergartons that hui
= name education be made an i'm
Z portant part of the instruction"
Z The kindergarten inculcates love
Z for animals, and children are
4 taught kindness in all their rela-
< tionships. All children should
y have the privilege of kindergarten
4 training. The National Kinder
= garten Association, 8 West 10th
< Street, New York, is endeavoring
< to have kindergartens established
in all public schools. If you are in
terested in helping with this work,
< write to the Association for leaf
lets and information.
Tho ou11, DeorIo 4vbo I,ofFav ko am