Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-21
Mother and Teacher.

Some readers approve and others
question what said on the Why and
How" OF discipline. Everybody is in
terested In discipline. either as giving
Ii or receiving II. and yet 1t isn't quite
clear whether 1t Is or is not more
blessed 10 give than TO receive. 1t
seems to be an uncertain kind OF bless
ing at best. Here is an interesting
statement:
II was a school teacher. and I re-
signed when I married. In bringing up
my little girl I didn't find my school ex-
perience of much help. for have never
dealt with infants and small children.
used the usual methods. and as my
little girl was rather troublesome and
I am somewhat quick tempered, I
spanked her early and often. was
never sure of the result. / couldn't
see that 1t did much harm. and
wasn't sure that, except for the mo-
ment, 1t did any good. / was anxious
to see what school would do for Mamie
So when she vas years old went
back to teaching and took Mamie with
me. She Is downstairs in the first
grade. and am upstairs teaching the
sixth. Going to school helped Mamie.
She In less troublesome at home. She
would do what the teacher wanted. be-
cause she SAT- all the other children
doing 1t. At home 1t was only I who
wanted her TO do II. So ! began TO
think: II can teach without spank
ing. why can't mother without spank
inge OF course teaching and mother
ing are very different Perhaps IL more
teachers were mothers. the very young
children at school would be better
understood Was wrong In spanking?
I don't know. NJ T"
To spank or not TO spank: that Is
the question; and IL isn't easy 70 give
yes" or no" answer. because there
Is no easy way to judge the effect. Lots
OF children who we're brought up on
frequent spanking became well-behaved.
desirable citizens: and the urSpanked
do the same II used to De teachers
problem. In older days the rod or
birch vas rarely out OF the teacher 5
rule We stiu say: Spare the rod and
spoil the child" but We don't Alto
gether believe it. Many parents would
be indignant II they found that their
children teven IL they spanked them
at home) were spanked at school. Is
this quite consistent?
Now. there is no question that there
Is altogether too much spanking going
on; and most OF 10 Is done without
rhyme or reason It's wholly bad Go
To the park or the Zoo or wherever
mothers and children come In large
numbers. and youll hear a constant
battery OF slaps and squeals and harsh
words and noisy quarreling that makes
the animals seem better behaved than
the human beings. It's done hastily
and in bad temper, and. Of course isn't
discipline at all. It's just an expression
of annoyance and giving way n anger
and seiying the easiest Way 20 impose
by pain and fear. II that's the kind Of
spanking you have In mind. the answer
Is emphatically No"
Then there Is the other kind. lust
as bad: The licking that awaits the
bad boy when he gets home and makes
him afraid 20 so home. When you read
Tom Sawyer" TO Young boys they
seem so much interested in the adyen-
ture of the story that they don't bother
about all the lickings that Tom gets.
whether they do o. don't get any them
selves But Tom was hardened and
didn't seem 20 mind IT, he took IL ard
went his own Way. A licking Was lliSt
the price Of going swimming Or playing
hockey.
Since the temptation for parents 70
spank Is strong, as It's ~ easy, and
children are 80 annoying III interfering
with the convenience o! their elders
all our efforts should 50 20 reducing
the occasions for q spanking and And
ing oil the ways NE can to substitute
punishments that don't carry The threat
Of anger and fear and seem only the
natural consequences az disob. aience
and neglect, Spanking Is al upSet;ing
experience as bad for the psren; as Cor