Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-10-23
TO Spank a Child
Is to Confess Your
Failure as a Parent

New York, Oct. 20.-''To spank :
Ichild i TO confess your failure as
parent" says Mrs. Sidonie Matsnel
Gutenberg, director Of the Cnlig
Study Association Of America, Inc.
which this month is holding the frs
parents conference on child study
ever assembled in this country. Sht
admits that children are often progok-
ing, but she thinks also that It is time
| We recognized child-spanking as an
I archaic way of correcting their fail
ures.
There may have been some JUST
fication for Solomon" she explains
who was the author of the household
maxim, Spare the rod and spoil the
chail.' He, poor fellow, with his
numerous wives and overwhelming
number of progeny, probably didn't
| know the names of half Ms children
nor which were his and which be
longed to the neighbors. 1t would be
too much to expect such father TO
use persuasion and explanation IN
stead of the rod or the slipper But
the home of the polygamous despot Of
the orient in those days was very dif-
ferent from the small family of today,
and we hardly have TO cling to the
methods which he may have found
useful.
Develop intelligence and eomrade-
ship in your children, and a sense OF
| possibility will grow in them that
will make punishment unnecessary,
says Mrs. Gutenberg.
This is one of the topics that will be
discussed at the conference which this
Association is holding at the Hotel
Waldorf "A storia, New York, Oct.
1928. 1t is called a conference on
modern parenthood. Many of the per
picking difficulties about bringing up
children will be talked over, and spe-
cialists on child study from England
and as far west as California will at
tend. 1t is expected to be great oc-
casion for parents, who often are
bafFled by the ways of their children,
and parents from every part of the
country will come.
ITO spank a child for every little
offense is like giving one medicine
for all ailments" says Mrs. Gruen-
berg, "and does just about as much
good. The spanked child will not stop
his wrongdoing. He will merely look
sharp that he is not caught again.
"Child-spanking is simply allowing
yourself to be mastered by the animal
instinct to strike back Do we ever
stop to consider the child's motive or
intent when we spank him for some
thing that has caused annoyance =?
No, We are merely responding to the
result of his action. We are display
ing the same instinct that society
shows when it seeks to avenge itself
on the criminal. An eye for an eye,
it says. At best, we are trying to
brighten the child from doing wrong
another time.
What we should do is to develop
the child's impulse to do right by
appealing to his own initiative and
reasoning faculties, and making a
responsible human being out of him.
To bring him up in blind obedience to
his parents will not do this. Instead
of spanking him for breaking the
dish, give him something to play with
that he can break or bend to his pur-
pose in another way, like clay. Supply
him materials out of which he can
create things. If parents take this
constructive, understanding attitude
toward children, they will find that
the need for punishment grows less