The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-07
PYOUR CHILDREN
iN TEAcaINe DIs0IFLiNE
100 Much Obedience May Sap
 Chfld's Courage
Ar QlNe Neberss DsEsea 2

100 Much Obedience May Sap
 chil.'s cO.rase
 Mrs, Anna Roosevelt Dall says some pertinent things in her page on the modern mohter tn the cur rent Liberty.
 One is this--I quote her direct ly, "Any phase of living requires iiscipllne, and discipline In It's turn requires training, I, personal ly, think that we are facing q werld which will demand more tn- stead of less disciplined invtdtdu- als. I believe that . child who ts healthy and whose home Co happy needs discipline mainly as far as the routine of life Is concerned, This routine, of course. includes all of his habits of living"
 And I, personally, think it ts the whole thing in . nutshell. In few words she has expressed the entire situation,
 Yet | believe that most modern mothers arc confused, and right. ly, by tho contradictory advice of child-guidanoe teachers, who one
 day propound the need for self
 dovopment In the chiid--indi. vidualism, aelf-reliance, and cour- age--and the next go on to say that children must be controlled and must learn to bow to law. Guided by Habits
 These two seemingly opposed forces arc the hardest things m the world to reconcile. They seem
 to camel each other. But not necessarily 90. Both can be done and done we'll without interference.
 The magic of this lies largely
 within the mother herself. Aor greatest aid will DO the routine habits of the daily life of
 her child. He begins to recognise very, very early the things ex- bath, ho must 70 to bed on time and ho must no to his meals on time, A dogon other things are added Go this regular routine from y0nr to year, Tho influence or daily habit is unbeatable in teach- ing discipline. Tho mother who roallses this has just about won tho battle.
 Next comes the question ot those innumerable daily occur. renees that demand specific or. dors on her part and that the
 This is whore the trouble cornos in, We call these direct ordedsr, or denials, bu q long name--"su.. porirnposed law" Too much Of this suporimposed law, or boss ing, ruins f.confidenee and sapa courage, yet tho child must re. spoot it or ho will grow up m utter Ntrangor to control, On tho
 other hand, too little of 1t is a baG
 thing, too.
 Look Behind Behavior The mother who sees both sides and who can figure out her child is fortunate. She will know, at least much of the time, when he must be made to respect this dis eipline, and whom he may be al- lowed to exercise hts own inde.. pendenee. She will look behind besnvior for motive. She will not require of . litle child perfection of deportment beyond his years. sho will recognize the innate
 sense of justice In all her ehil. dron. She wlll not use snap judg- mont but will be ready to hear a case and the reasons against oboying. she will not always look for unqualified obedience. I believe the swing away, from discipline has been too extreme. Children are going to need espe' oially the self. discipline that lies within themselves. Every leader is any walk of life needs self control. Strong but pliant, iron that bends but does not break, a plant that adjusts itself to new soil and grows.
 Parents need to be just but firm. Too much qualified obedi- enee is no ebedienee. But diSe!. pline, or routine obedience, is sel. dom questioned once 1t is estab- lished.