Evening star., 1939-01-11
GiveChildren
Chance at
Too Much Imposed.
Discipline Is Apt
To Be Harmful
By ANGELO PATRI.


There is widespread notion that
quiet children are good children;
that children who obey every di-
rection given them in the house are
always good everywhere. That idea
is the cause Of many school prob
lens, many neighborhood trouble
makers.
Richard is q very good boy at
home. His mother has always been
strict with him. Bedtime, rising
hour. mealtime. neatness. order,
obedience. regularity in all things
have been impressed upon him. All
this he accepts quietly at home.
When he gets to school, and to
church school. things are different.
He enters the church classroom
with a clustering noise, kicks over
a row Of little chairs, laughs loud
ly, pushes q small girl OF her
chair and calls her "cry baby"
His manners are those of a rowdy.
a child who never heard Of good
behavior. The teacher has no hesi-
tation in pointing him out as the
bad boy in the school,
In school he is noisy, slams doors,
books, any materials he uses. He
drags his feet on the floor to annoy
the teacher. He makes a parade of
going to the wastebasket. interrupt
ing the class and the teacher. He
calls out loudly, out of turn and
laughs like boor at the annoyance
he causes. His lessons are good and
his behavior red-inked. Why?
There is too much goodness pressed
upon him at home His goodness
is all negative good. He does not
do those things that are forbidden
him; he does those things he is
commanded to do. He has no chance
to do anything, good or bad, under
his own power. He Is damned up.
The energy he stores for personal
growth through personal activity
is never loosed at home. When he
gets out he lets 60, and because
he has never been trained in self
discipline, following its natural
course after self direction and
initiative, he goes wild. He is like a
car on its way without driver.
Children cannot learn to be good
members Of society until they learn
self direction and self control. They
cannot be good in the true sense
Of the term until they choose to be
good instead of the other way. If
they never have the chance to try
themselves out, never have the
chance to make mistakes and to
profit by them, they cannot be good
for anything when left to them
selves. Self direction and self-con-
troll cannot be imposed by discipline
and authority. They are the result
of personal experience, guided and
interpreted. by wise leaders.
Every experienced teacher knows
what happens to the class that is
held in hard discipline by a stern
teacher. That class marches like
wooden soldiers to the school door.
but the moment they feel free of
the teachers power they break
ranks with yell that lifts the sky,
race away in wild disorder, slapping,
snatching caps, knocking books
about, being as wildly free as their
tired muscles and nerves demand.
The taut spring rebounds.
Children need order, discipline.
restraint and guidance. They need
the full measure of authority that
home and school can WELD. At
the SAME time they need. and must
have, enough freedom to exercise
their minds, their bodies, under self
direction and self-control. If they
do not have this they crack up at
release. Good children are active,
and they make mistakes, but they
do better under stress, and in emer-
gency, Than the children who are
negatively good under the imposed
discipline Of authority.
Mr.. Patri will give personal
attention to inquiries from par
ents and school teachers on the
care and development Of children.
Write him In care Of this paper,
inclosing a Scent stamped, self
addressed envelope for reply.
(Copyright. 193e)