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Show Child Training, Old and New Modern Methods Conceded to Have Many Points of Advantage; "Lectures" Altogether Beyond the Understanding of Little Ones. the talks were lectures. Rut I hop you realize that everything I gald was Intended for your benefit" "I realize that, Aunty. This real talk Is going to be a revelation to both of us, I believe." "Now to continue our lesson let me see If I can state your Idea clearly," clear-ly," continued her aunt. "The friendly friend-ly talk, in the majority of cases, is the best way to correct children and to give them advice, and, In tlmt talk you should have some humor, although al-though not enough to subordinate explanation ex-planation and fact. It must also be concise, frank, sincere, straightforward, straightfor-ward, honest and clear. It must not be about the child, but to him a very Important point to remember when talking to your children, If I understand you correctly." "That Is exactly what I mean, Sara and Mrs. Daugherty were talking. Sara was engaged to be married, and Mrs. Daugherty, her aunt, was performing a "last duty" by Installments from time to time giving her carefully thought out advice. ad-vice. Today It had to do with one phase of "The Right Way to Raise Children," namely, "The Right Way to Talk to Your Children." "It seems strange to me," said Sara, "that so many parents of today to-day try to teach their children by old-fashioned methods." "Perhaps, because they realize that the old people had the best ideas on child training," said her aunt with finality. "Ever since your dear mother died, and ymr father gave you to me to take care of, I have tried to teach you In accordance accord-ance with the way my mother taught me. But It was too late. You were spoiled. I could not make (and the one word emphasized was 'make') you see right and wrong In their light. I feel that I have failed In the task your father gave me, but, nevertheless, nev-ertheless, I have not altered my Ideas In the least." aumy, uui may we iu;uit' tumuiR to your children' to 'talking with your children'? It should be, I think, a conversation a friendly chat. The confidential talk with a child Is good ; to lecture him Is harmful." "The more I think about It, Sara, the more I realize that your Ideas are correct It Is too late to practice prac-tice them on my niece, but I hope you will stick to them and give advice ad-vice to any children who are ever la your care." 'I will," was Sara's hurried reply, for the doorbell had just rung and she was expecting her fiance. "Yes, perhaps I was wrong many times, Aunty," agreed Sara. But you see, my mother was strictly modern in her ways, and it was only natural nat-ural that I became modern also. However, I see no fault In being modern. If I ever have children I shall bring them up according to modern Ideas. We have progressed along other lines, why can't we progress pro-gress In the manner of educating children at home? I believe In giving giv-ing a child a general conception of right nnd wrong, and then encouraging encour-aging him to work out each Individ ual problem. I most certainly do not believe in purposely letting him make a mistake and then lecturing him or giving him a whipping." "Just what do you mean by lecturing,' lec-turing,' Sara?" inquired her aunt. This demanded a reply, so S;i:a answered frankly. "You know, perhaps, per-haps, that to very young people a lecture seems to consist of lengthy expositions, discussions nnd eloquent elo-quent phrases at least, those are the grown-up terms for what the child thinks of it It seems to Mm to have no real conciseness, humor, frankness, honesty, pointedness or clarity. Lectures really are for the older, the more advanced people, are they not? They are usually so far beyond the child's understanding that lie cannot grasp their meaning, however how-ever clear it may seem to the adult. So, of course, he shows little Interest Inter-est and receives little benefit If we really want to help children, I think we should talk with them, not at them." "I begin to understand your point of view," said Mrs. Daugherty. "You think I often lectured you Instead oi talking with you. I know, now, win you didn't want to be bothered will your old 'Aunty' and her silly talkf |