Evening star., 1939-06-29
Suggestions for the Fourth July Occupy Spotlight Today
EarlyTrainine
OF Children
Important
Let Father Become
Acquainted With
Baby's Wants
BY ANGELO PATRI.

~ AAASo1Ao 4 "A L 1tAs
How soon should one begin teach
ing child good manners? Imme-
diately after his birth, please. Les
sons that influence the behavior, the
thinking and the character need not
be-often are not-formal lessons.
They are the first-hand experiences
that children have with life as it
comes to them every day.
Babies feel the thought of those
about them, feel the emotion in the
voices they hear. They get the
feel of the mind of the person who
handles them. Impatience, intem-
perate talk, anger, patience, affec-
ton, fun, any shade Of emotion in
those close to children, is felt and
recorded by the mind of the infant.
1t is mistake to think that he is
too young to understand what goes
on about him. He does not under
stand it as an adult does, but he
certainly is influenced by his expert
ences and reflects them in his habits
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The person who tends a baby
should try to be all that is desir-
able in manners and behavior and
mood because any expression reaches
the baby. Even thought reaches
him. Nobody wants to rear an i'm
patient, petulant child, SO nobody
should be impatient and petulant
when tending one. Nobody wants
to have an ill-mannered, selfish, in
considerate child, so nobody should
express any such notions in the
presence of a child.
There are no angels on this earth,
so it is impossible to tend all babies
In this perfect attitude. The most
understanding mother or nurse
grows weary of the hour-by-h hour
service that babies demand, and the
tired body must rebel at times. When
this happens it is best to rest a
little from the routine and ask
somebody else to take over for a
while. There should always be an
alternate in this business Of child
rearing, and failing in any other,
father is elected. 1t is good idea
for father to become acquainted
with his child's needs and oddities
OF disposition and character. The
experience will make him more sym.
pathetic with the difficulties mother
faces daily and at the same time
make him acquainted with his child.
Some fathers are strangers in the
family, and that fact isn't going to
be helpful in the day when the child
needs fatherly help and guidance.
All this has to do with the early
training of children. Good manners
are based on good health, common
sense, consideration for other peo-
pie and the training that produces
these happy conditions. From the
beginning deal gently and firmly
with the baby. Know what you are
going to do with him and why you
do it. When you bathe him hold
him securely, with gentleness and
sureness do what is necessary for
his health and comfort, and ignore
his protests. Soon he learns that
you will attend to him steadily and
surely whatever his protest and
that when you are through with
him he feels much better. He will
learn discipline and control that
way and that will be the best pos
sible start for his growth.
Speak softly, clearly, in the best
English at your command. He
hears and his ears are being trained
to the language you use. In time
it will be his. Move gently, treat
him considerably, with courtesy, for
his mind is soaking up these ex-
periences and in time he will return
them in kind, rejecting his char
acter, his manners and his under
standing of life and the people
about him. Manners are an express
sion of fundamental character and
that is something that begins its
growth In the beginning of life.