Milford chronicle., 1924-06-27
COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS"
By Edith Lochridge Reid

CLIFFORD dislikes his cousin
Franklin fact the dislike almost
amounts to hate-and the only rea-
son is that ever since the two boys
were old enough to distinguish right
from wrong Frank has been held up
as a shining example" Of behavior.
Crank wouldn't sit down in the
dirt with his best clothes on" is the
way Clifford is reprimanded for his
carelessness. Frank doesn't take
such big bites of food" is offered as
an incentive toward good table man
ners.
The truth is that Frank is natur-
ally disposed to be neat. His temper
ament is entirely unlike Clifford's
and it isn't an effort for him to be
clean and polite. Clifford has many
good wholesome qualities, but he is
husky and decidedly boylike, an alto
gether different makeup. But these
things are not taken into considera-
tion by his mother.
There is just one reason why a
child should be asked or expected to
act in a certain way or follow a CIV
en- line of conduct, and that is be-
cause such a course of action is
right and proper, not because some |
other child does thus and so. If you
are going to set up an ideal for a
child to attain, be sure the ideal is
infallible. He will not reach this per-
lection of course, as no human being
ever does, but it will be worth striv-
ing for. He should be inspired from
an inward consciousness of right
and not directed to act like some
1ther child.
Julia's mother was very much
crushed one day to find that her
small daughter had stolen bag of
popcorn from the peddler's wagon.
'How- could you do such thing
md make mother feel so bad?" was
he first reprimand Julia received
or this misdeed-a remark which in
tself was very bad psychology. A
,hild should be taught to be honest
because stealing is wrong and not
because it makes mother feel bad.
'Betty took a bag first" said Julia
defending herself.
"That's no excuse for you, my dear
YOU can't take things that belong
o someone else even if your friend
oes."
"But mother, you always tell me
Betty is so nice and quiet and good
o her baby sister, so now why don't
-ou put the blame on Betty?"
Can you wonder that Julia showed
his resentment? =
This case illustrates the fallacy Of
.olding another child up as an ideal
f behavior. Perhaps Jack does keep
lis hands clean but he may be de-
,lorably deceitful. Suppose Mildred !
oes go to bed without pouting and
ticks up her playthings without be- !
ng told, she may be very disagree
BILE, selfish little girl when she /
lays with other children. So beware
f holding Mildred up to your little
larry as an ideal, for Mary knows all
bout Mildred's faults. 1t all comes |
ack to what Julia insinuated TO her :
lother about Betty, that if an ideal =
set up it should be followed in all
oints-and yet there never was 4
hild so perfect that you could say 7
ou wanted your child to be like -
i'm in every respect. f
The only safe way, then is to COM I
tent favorably on the good traits c
our own child possesses, and by -
lus stressing his best natural char c
cteristics, inspire him to develop b
her good ones, not because some +
.aymate has these qualities, but be-
luse they appeal to him as desir- F
Die. And, whenever you are tempted z z
set up Shining examples" before =
,ur children, remember the old say
g, Comparisons are Odious." II