Always Be Calm When You Punish.
When
it becomes necessary to use the rod upon your child be sure you possess a
calmness in your soul. It requires much grace for true parents to whip their
children. Before you punish them you should show them what great wrong they
have done and how God is displeased, and that you do not punish them for your
own pleasure — but because you love them.
To
the dear parents who read this we wish to exhort you to give great diligence in
cultivating the affectionate side of your nature. Do not be careless and unmindful
of the dear little ones happiness. Do not be cold and indifferent toward them.
Enter into their joys and sorrows with a warm heart. Parents oftentimes remark
when their child gets hurt in some way, "Well it is good enough for you;
maybe it will teach you something." Oh, may that heart be softened to
tender sympathy, so you will make the dear child feel how sorry you are because
he has been hurt, then teach him how he must not engage in such things, and
then he will avoid being injured. Your kind words of sympathy will relieve the
pain by their influence upon the heart. Your cold indifferent words make deeper
wounds in the heart than were made in the flesh.
Seek
God in much earnest prayer to tender your affections, to refine your nature, to
make you very sensitive to the feelings of your child, and to help you to love
the tender "olive plants" round about your fireside. Some day there
may be a vacant chair, and there can be no sweeter joy on earth to your
sorrowing heart than to know you did what you could to make the little one
happy and train its feet for the glory world.
Kind words are flowers
of beauty rare;
Keep them blooming throughout the year.
Keep them blooming throughout the year.
-Charles Orr
(Successful Child Training)