Home Makers' Conference. 367" 



There is a necessity for better training. If a child is to be trained for 

 freedom he must be trained to mal^e wise choices. Freedom is often 

 mistaken for license to do as one pleases. AVe are free to do as we 

 please only when we wall to do right. 



The authority of the church, of government, of parents, is not what 

 it once was; is not what it is in other countries. In religion man rec- 

 ognizes no authority' but his own conscience ; in government, no author- 

 ity except by consent of the governed. Authority is passing away. 

 President Eliot says: "The generations of the future must be led, not 

 driven. ' ' 



Should there be no authority in the home except by consent of the 

 governed? I have talked with a number of people upon the training of 

 children. The central thought in the minds of those with whom I have 

 talked is obedience. A child's will must be subjugated to the parent's, 

 will. He must obey without asking why, or knowing why One person 

 says, the child has no reasoning powers, a parent must make choices for- 

 him imtil he is old enough to reason. Cannot a very young child asso- 

 ciate cause and eifect, can he not make choices? How can we train him- 

 to make wise choices? We do not say to a child who cannot walk, 

 "You cannot walk, you will fall if you try. I will walk for you until 

 you know how." Neither should we say to a child, "You cannot make 

 right choices. I will make them for you imtil you know how." He 

 learns to walk by trying. He learns to make right choices by trying. 

 We are there to guide him and to pick him up if he falls. He can 

 learn only by experience. He wants to touch something that is hot; if 

 it will not injure him let him touch it. Warn him, "It is hot, it will 

 burn you." He touches it; he gets a knowledge of what hot is, and of 

 what burn is. He associates cause and effect. The next time you warn 

 him, "That is hot, it will burn," you can trust him to make a wnse 

 choice. You have obedience by consent of the governed. 



iBy repeated experience the child learns that you are a safe guide, 

 that you do not interfere with his activities except when it is for his 

 good. He renders the parent reasonable, willing obedience. This 

 method of training the will to obedience will succeed. It will take 

 more time than to subjugate his will to that of the parent; but what is 

 lost in time is gained in the ability of the child to choose wisely when 

 the parent's back is turned. 



But, you ask, if he does not consent to be governed, how would 

 you deal with him? We must govern him as in state government, by 

 disciplining him. A spanking sometimes aids a child in making wise 

 choices. It seems to me that the main point in dealing with the will 

 of the child, is to get him to make right choices to lead him to see truth.. 



