The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-14
Stupid Training" of Children
Don't Hammer the Spirit of FIunkey Il
Boy or Girl

Dear American parents there should be marked differ
ence between the wetraned child and the welltrained
French poodle
The man WHO owns French poodle, black or white or
chocolate colored teaching that poodle new tricks
and forms of servlity
The poodle when anyone whistles He rolls over
plays dead barks oyfuy when pleased grows when dis
pleased and generally proves he thinks not on his own
account, but in accordance with outside training
Dear American parents do not in bringing up your chill
dren play the part of French poodle owner
Remember child made fear you and others above
him will fear everybody lesswhich means that he
will poor chance of getting in the world
Don't force child think YOU think, and do not
feel that you serve the interests Of his immortal soul and
future when you knock all the originality out OF him
Teach him what HE needs to get on in the world.
NOT him that which is fatterng to your pride
capable parent Leave the poodle dog the proud
boast that his animal rolls whenever he whistles
the training child be based personal pride and
good opinion Of othersnot fear OF in
curing your dspleasure.
Pity the poor child whose father mother says:
my child, when absent, writes letter EVERY
SINGLE DAY should forgive single omission.
That child slave to monotonous and unnatural daily
grind transformed by training into unconscious
hypocrte forced express daily love for his parents
What could unnatural degrading than forced
preston of affection which should always be absolutely
spontaneous and natural?
Of course there many American parentS-perhaps
considerable maOrywho train their children at all
The children of parents grow with the idea that the
earth theirs and the uness thereof and that there no
laws which they bound to respect.
Such children nuisance to the general public
But their chance Of succeeding in this life much better
than the chance of the poor little overturned child filled with
fear everything older himself and busy with public
opinion to develop his own character.
Take man who has succeeded-says Tom Reed Of Maine
When he was boy he did everything wrong. he went
swimming and home with his undershirt wrong side
he often bed without saying his prayers
brushing his teeth.
he fished perhaps the edge Of the brick hole twenty
feet deep and counted that day lost which he did not
play hockey play tricks Of some kind
While Tom Reed boy gathering frecles and CHAR
ACTER up in Maine there boys with times his
chances living according to rule in the hands Of paid
servants under the eyes of proud parents We could name
two Of these quite conspicuous with the Newport
brand burned into their namebu that is not worth while
It IS worth while to notice that while Tom Reed and his
frecles got in the wordony 60 wrong later it
truehe many welrained little brats with French maids
master this and that have amounted nothing ALL
American parents remember that every child real stock in
trade his character his personality his distinctive Of
looking at the world
Knock those things Of your child with foolish training
and you might well Dave white for offspring
Cultivate pride and ambition in your child Gain his love
by kindness and good example
You help child by making want to be like you
and by being what it ought to be-
Example will make you proud parents in after ne
Training and hammering will simply make you parents
Of nonentites