TRAINING THE CHILD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 29, 26 September 1931, Page 4

TRAINING THE CHILD

INtERESTING ADDRESS IMPORTANCE OF PARENTS ADOPTING PROPER METHODS TALK TO ROTORUA LADIES The importance of a sympathetic and intelligejit attitude in training a child through its earlier years was stressed by Mr. D. R. Campbell, 'Country Party candidate for the Rotorua seat, in an address to Rotorua ladies yesterday. After paying a tribute to the wonderful work for ehild welfare done by the introduetion of the Plunket system, Mr. Campbell "made a plea for the encouragement of similarly rational methods in training the ehild beyond the years of infancy. His Worship the Mayor, Mr. T. Jackson, was in the- chair, and at the conelusion of the meeting a vqry hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Campbell by acelamation. In opening his address, Mr. Campbell said that his views on child training had not been born in a moment but were the result of long study as a parent and a teacher. The importance of child training could not be overestimated and whatever success a man might have, if his children did not turn oUt well, he might say with Solomon of old, at the end of his life, "it is all vanity and vexation of spirit." Proceeding, Mr. Campbell referred to the splendid work whieh had been done in reducing child mortality by the Plunket system introduced by Sir Truby King. Well Deserved "Titles have been grantied for a great many things," ' said Mr. Campbell, "but I think you will agree with me that a title was never better deserved than that which was given to Sir Truby King for the great work he did for child welfare through the establishment of the Plunket system." "Here in New Zealand, we have gone a long way in adapting ourselves to new ideas, especially in regard to the welfare of children, but I often wonder what percentage of us, in our homes, follow the Plunket system in developing our children through later years." Importance of Food Elaborating this point, Mr. Campbell stressed the importance of proper food and referred to the value of a proper diet. Wholemeal bread, greens, milk, fruit, and such foods as raisins and prunes were all recognised as possessing definite nutritive values, yet although they realised this value, many people did not use these foods as they might. One of the ehief factors in the development of a child was its proper food, other things entered into it, but he was inclined to think that of them all, this was the most important in building a strong body and a healthy mind. He had found duriner his teachiner

experience, continued Mr. Campbell, that very many children suffered from headaches. The cause of this in many cases, was either improper food or too much food and he thought a great deal of this class of sickness could be eliminated by a proper attention to the importance of diet. School Training Dealing with the school training of the child, Mr. Campbell recommended the fullest possible eo-operation between parents and teachers. The great majority of teachers were only too willing to assist the parents in any way, and he suggested that in many cases parents could do a great deal of good by quietly talking over the problems of their children with the teachers. Often a child, without realising that it was not representing the facts entirely truthfully, would take home a story about its punishment at school. As the child told the story, it might perhaps appear that it had been unfairly treated, but if the parent talked the matter over with the teacher, it might be found that there were other circumstances which placed the case in a different light. It should be remembered that the teacher only had the child for five or six hours a day whereas the parents had it for a much greater proportion of its time. Home influences would always be paramount and were allimportant in the training of the child. It should be borne in mind also, that every time a parent belittled a teacher in front of a child, the teacher's task in dealing with that child was being made so much the more difficult. Home Training Proceeding to the home training of the child, Mr. Campbell stressed the importance of obedience — not slavish obedience born of fear — but a prompt discipline which did not in any way crush individuality. The value of a home training in obedience would be of the greatest value when the child grew up and went out into the world. There it Would be found that employers had not time to argue and that if they did not get obedience, they would get someone else. Parents should never give orders to their children unless they were prepared to see them carried out. As a rule, also, Mr. Campbell suggested that it was unwise for parents to argue; they should see that their instructions were carried out first, but always be prepared to give explanations afterwards. It could not be too strongly emphasised that discipline could be too crushing and too rigid. If this was the case, when the child was removed from. the parental restraint, it often went to opposite extremes. Discrimination In Warnings Parents should never give warnings or theaten punishment which they could not carry out, proceeded Mr. Campbell. This only caused the child to lose its respect both for the parents and the warnings. On the Other harid, parents should be careful not to make foolish threats which could only have harmful results. Ile knew of cases where parents had threatened to call the doctor to a refractory . chold so that the doctor "could cut it in pieces." The resulu was that when a doctor had actually to be called to this child in a case of illness, , it hecame almost hysterical. Children's requests should always be granted if the parent considered it

wise to do so, but in granting these requests it should always be taken into consideration whether they could be defended in 10 or 15 years time, when the child had grown up. Praise and Blame Another matter in which discretion should be used, said the spealcer was in the allocation of praise and blame. It was unwise to praise a child Indiscriminately, just as it was unwise to , withhold praise when it was due. Many children lacked confidence and could only be encouraged by judicious recognition, while on the other hand many other children who were inclined to be conceited were the better for a little "pruning." The most careful treatment should be given to a child who was not of quite the same mental calibre as its fellows. Too often, a child of this nature was either punished or treated with contemptuous indifference with the result that an inferiority complex was engendered in it. Often children of this type, although below the average in many things possessed some outstanding ahility which had only to he cultivated. "What we must strive to get is a halanced child," concluded Mr. Campbell, "and we cannot get a balanced child unless we give due consideration to development of body, mind, and soul. I am old fashioned enough to helieve that religion must play a great part ih the development of character."