MANAGING CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15930, 29 May 1915, Page 6 (Supplement)

MANAGING CHILDREN.

There is ono sound, old-fashioned educational principle especially that the modern) parent is apt to overlook— fact that the first seven years of a child's life are the years that count the most as far as the formation of his character is concerned, and that the impressions that he receives in these years, for evil or for good, are the impressions which are the most lasting. Hence it is in these early impressionable years that.the habits of.obedience and selfcontrol must be inculcated. A child -very soou gets, to know if his mother's word is law; even young babies realise tho quality of .firmness m - their mother when they come'into contact with it. If an infant discovers.that he has only to cry to bo fed, for instance, or to bo petted and dangled, he/will.go..on crying, and so in tioie the mother becomo a veritable slave to her baby.;.'■'!" Remember that you : cannot make the tiny tots learn the leis(Jns ; of. obedience and self-control too early. ' Don't Jet any coaxing make you go away from your word. II you have said that a thing must be done, see that your wishes ajfie .'carried out. - "Remember, however, that children ore reasoning beings, and, whenever you can, try to make them see the reason why you don't want them to do one thing, or why, you do want them to do another. Make your children respect you, too. Most of lis admire the father who is a pal ,to his boys, and the mother "who is her girls' best,chum; but from the point of view or the. maintenance of discipline this companionship between 'parents' and child is often allowed to begin too soon. It gives one quite a shock, for instance, to hear a mite of four address his father as "Old Chap" and call his moth* by her Christian name. • , .

If you encourage your children to do this how can you expect them to bo respectful towards you ? And if you pander to their every whim—well, you cannot complain if, on occasions when your wishes don't coincide with theirs, they are. met by an emphatic "I won't!"