Milford chronicle., 1940-04-19
TRUTHFULNRss

Little children do not always IN.
derstand the difference between truth
and imagination. Nearly every mo.
ther has faced the situation OF hay-
ling her child romance quite surpris-
ingiy. Usually the parent is at q
loss TO know whether the child is
doing this IN the spirit OF mischief
or whether he really thinks he is
Truthful.
My grandmother used 10 punish
her children very severely eYery'time
they resorted to exaggeFatiOn IN the
least, fearful lest they should grow
up 20 be untruthful My mother, be-
ing an imaginative child. came IN for
her full share Of punishment. This,
later, caused her 70 resolve that,
when her children reached a similar
stage in their development. she
would help them to understand the
difference between truth and fiction,
instead Of furnishing them She kept
her resolution. OF her four children,
three are professional writer's. Had
we been punished, when we told Of
astonishing happenings that never
really occurred, the imagination and
descriptive ability necessary for hon
est journalism would probably never
have been developed.
My three daughters told their
share OF Imaginative stories. and /
listened patiently. would say. That
was a delightful story, Madge. en-
ioyed'it Now tell Mother what really
happened ., When they we're still
very little. my girls realized that /
knew when they we're making up a
tale, and they would quickly proceed
to tell me the actual happenings.
II is not long before children learn
the difference between a tale TO
amuse and one told to deceive. We
may tell them the latter is wrong,
but actions speak louder than words.
Mrs. Smith calls Mrs. Brown up to
invite her to dinner. Not caring to
go, Mrs. Brown pleads a previous
engagement or a headache. Seven
yeaF-Old Mary or Johnny, knowing
she intends to stay al home or is in
perfectly good health, is taught the
undesirable art Of misrepresentation
and soon learns to apply the rules
even more diligently and successful |
Is than Mother. The difference will !
be that Mother will punish Mary or
Johnny when she catches them In |
such a fault, while she, herself, will |
usually escape even a reprimand. II |
children are not afraid of the con-
sequences. they will usually own up
to any wrongdolng or accident. My |
rule is, never TO punish IL the child I
has told me frankly what happened |
You'd be surprised how quickly the
boys and girls will run TO tell about |
a broken window or an ink spot on
the floor.
have sometimes had the child
earn the money to replace a broken
or destroyed article when ! was sure
The accident scQuld- easilE have been
prevented. This is not q punishment I
that frightens j child. Madge washed I
an extra meals dishes for a month,
once. TO replace lamp she had care
lessly knocked over. To her this
seemed quite fair. This method usu-
ally impresses the child with the
value of things. and fu-
-uNc ItchttSSdSsS ls luefeby cut u
lhe minimum. know, for I've used
his plan ON occasion for over ten
years now, and II works astOnish-
ngly we'll. I've never known II to
sause Misrepresentation
In conclusion, let me say that chill
iren are naturally truthful The more
work with mine. and the more
come In contact with,
while teaching, the more ! am Inn
lressed with the actuality Of this
If a child is not truthful,
I is generally the fault of some
either from this per-
on's unfortunate example or from
n incorrect method of handling the
hild's early exaggerations and !
Itherwise untrue statements.
NOTE: Watch Tor the article, ''sidestepplng
Responsibility In one Of our later {