emper and disrespect.

The following illustrations are taken from Mrs. Harrison's inspiring little
book, entitled, "A Study of Child Nature." "A mother came to me in utter
discouragement, saying: 'What shall I do with my five-year-old boy? He is
simply the personification of the word _won't_.' After the conversation I
walked home with her. A beautiful child, with golden curls and great,
dancing, black eyes, came running out to meet us, and with all the
impulsive joy of childhood threw his arms about her. 'Don't do that, James,
you will muss mama's dress.' I knew at once where the trouble lay. In a
moment she said: 'Don't twist so, my son;' and 'Don't make such a noise.'
Within a few minutes the mother had used 'don't' five times. No wonder when
she said, 'Run in the house now, mama will come in a minute,' he replied:
'No, I don't want to.'"

"Two older children were playing in a room and soon became boisterous. The
busy mother did not notice them, but the little two-year-old child turned
round and called out impatiently: 'Boys, 'top.' Babies, like parrots, learn
the words they hear most frequently. 'Boys, stop,' a negative command, had
no doubt been used frequently in that household. How easy it would have
been to substitute the positive statement: 'Boys, run out in the back yard
and play ball,' or 'Run out into the garden and bring me some flowers for
the table.'

"A four-year-old boy when he first entered the kindergarten was the most
complete embodiment of negative training I have ever met. It was 'No, I
don't want to,' 'No, I won't sit by that boy,' 'No, I don't like blocks.'
Nothing pleased him; nothing satisfied him. He was already an isolated
character, unhappy himself and a source of discomfort to others. Soon after
beginning our work, I heard a whizzing sound, and Paul's voice crying out:
'Joseph has knocked my soldier off the table and he did it on purpose too.'
My first impulse was to say: 'Why did you do that? It was naughty. Go and
pick up Paul's soldier.' But that would have been negative treatment, too
much of which had been heaped upon him already; so, instead, I said: 'Oh,
well, Paul, never mind, Joseph doesn't know that we try to make each other
happy in kindergarten.'

"Some time afterwards I said: 'Come here, Joseph, I wish you to be my
messenger boy.' This was a privilege highly desired by the children. Joseph
came reluctantly as if expecting some hidden censure, but soon he was busy
running back