can life than the child who has been robbed of
its childhood.
Children are little animals, sometimes selfish, often cruel, due to the
fact that some parts of their brain develop faster than others, so that
their minds are temporarily thrown out of balance, sometimes even to
cruel or criminal tendencies, but later the mind becomes more
symmetrical and the vicious tendencies usually disappear. Their moral
faculties and sense of responsibility unfold more slowly than other
traits, and of course, they will do mischievous things; but it is a
fatal mistake to be always suppressing them. They must give out their
surplus energy in some way. Encourage them to romp. Play with them.
It will keep you young, and will link them to you with hooks of steel.
Do not be afraid of losing your dignity. If you make home the
happiest, most cheerful place on earth for your children, if you love
them enough, there is little danger of their becoming bad.
Thousands of parents by being so severe with their children, scolding
and criticizing them and crushing their childhood, make them secretive
and deceitful instead of open and transparent, and estrange them and
drive them away from home.
A man ought to look back upon the home of his childhood as the Eden of
his life, where love reigned, instead of as a place where a long-faced
severity and harshness ruled, where he was suppressed and his
fun-loving spirits snuffed out.
Every mother, whether she realizes it or not, is constantly using the
power of suggestion in rearing her children, healing all their little
hurts. She kisses the bumps and bruises and tells the child all is
well again, and he is not only comforted, but really believes that the
kiss and caress have magic to cure the injury. The mother is
constantly antidoting and neutralizing the child's little troubles and
discords by giving the opposite thought and applying the love-elixir.
It is possible, through the power of suggestion, to develop in children
faculties upon which health, success, and happiness depend. Most of us
know how dependent our efficiency is upon our moods, our courage, hope.
If the cheerful, optimistic faculties were brought out and largely
developed in childhood, it would change our whole outlook upon life,
and we would not drag through years of half-heartedness,
discouragement, and mental anguish, our steps dogged by fear,
apprehension, anxiety, and disappointment.
One reason why we have such poor
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