16 The Time to Build 



he suddenly flies into a rage, yelling, screaming, 

 kicking, and growing red in the face. This outburst 

 of rage is a most interesting and enjoyable aspect 

 to the parent who rightly understands children, 

 although some ignorantly make it a matter of deep 

 concern, regarding it as significant of a vicious char- 

 acter in the coming boy and man. 



The purpose of this present discussion is to illus- 

 trate how the human instincts come into their func- 

 tions at various times during the life of the growing 

 child. And the further purpose is to urge that such 

 thing be watched for and met with just the sort of train- 

 ing necessary for permanent and helpful results. 



Now, let the little child fly into a rage two or three 

 times and have his anger appeased through indul- 

 gence in the thing he cries for, and he has acquired 

 his first lesson in the management of the parent or 

 nurse. He has learned that if he wants a thing, all 

 he needs to do is to squall or yell and the desired 

 results will be forthcoming. But this childish rage 

 really furnishes the occasion for the beginning of some 

 disciplinary lessons. " Should I give the child every- 

 thing he cries for, or withhold the desired object 

 until he quits?" asks an anxious parent. Neither 

 rule is necessarily the right one, and yet both, on 

 occasions, may be correct. Suppose, instead of the 

 infant you have a five-year-old boy who cries for a 

 loaded revolver he happens to see in your hand. 

 Would you give it to him to stop his crying, or with- 



