Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - III. Education
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
Education 155
is not the thing that deserves punishment, but
its publicity. When a mother is ashamed of
the bad behaviour of her son she is apt to strike
him—^instead of striking her own breast!
When an adventurous feat fails he is beaten,
but he is praised when successful. These prac-
tices produce demoralisation. Once in a
wood I saw two parents laughing while the
ice held on which their son was sliding; when
it broke suddenly they threatened to whip him.
It required strong self-control in order not to
say to this pair that it was not the son who
deserved punishment but themselves.
On occasions like these, parents avenge
their own fright on their children. I saw a
child become a coward because an anxious
mother struck him everj^ time he fell down,
while the natural result inflicted on the child
would have been more than sufficient to in-
crease his carefulness. When misfortune is
caused by disobedience, natural alarm is, as a
rule, enough to prevent a repetition of it. If
it is not sufficient blows have no restraining
effect ; they only embitter. The boy finds that
adults have forgotten their own period of
childhood; he withdraws himself secretly from
this abuse of power, provided strict treat-
ment does not succeed in totally depressing
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
