Why Children Do Not Mind
By Mrs. M. C. Warner
WHY do children not mind? is a question I have heard asked quite a number of times. Let us give a little thought to the subject. Poor children, how I pity them! Brought into this sinful world without any choice of their own, and now having to bear all the abuse we are minded to heap upon them! My brother, my sister, you ask why your child does not mind. The blame rests upon you; yes, you! When your child was a babe, he began to manifest very headstrong ways. Did you restrain him?—No; the dear child was not well. You could not bear to cross him then; besides, he didn’t know any better. At other times he was so cunning. About six persons were seated in a room, talking, when in trotted baby. He surveyed the company, picked up a sofa pillow, marched up to one of the ladies, and began striking her in the face, whereupon they began to laugh, and the mother began telling how smart he was. The little fellow, finding himself applauded, redoubled his efforts. Dropping the pillow, he grabbed some blocks, and began throwing them. At this point he was coaxed out of the room. A few months later baby was running out of doors, when one of the children began to scream, “O auntie, auntie! baby hit brother with a great big stone.” And sure enough, the great big stone proved to be a broken brick. The mother says he throws stones all the time, and she can not break him of it. He grows a little older, can not speak a word yet, but he very much wants something his mother does not wish him to have. She says, “No, no.” And what does baby do?—Why, he sets about to get it. He cries and cries until—well, let me tell you a true story; you can draw your own conclusions. A two-year-old baby toddled into the parlor with a small pail. The mother exclaimed: “There, he has that pail; he needs it; he knows I do not want him to play with it.” Grandma tried to coax him to give the pail to her, but the baby took the pail and marched outdoors. In a few minutes the mother followed, took the pail away from baby, and hung it up. Then baby began to cry. With much interest I watched the battle between mother and child. Baby cried harder, screamed, danced, pulled the flowers up, stamped on them! His mother said, “His heart is broken.” Taking the pail, she gave it to him. The cries ceased. Peace was restored. The mother lost. Baby won. Here comes a little adopted boy, four years old. He has a hammer and nails, which are his very own. But he very much wants papa’s chisel to play with. Mama tells him he can not take it. Then what?—Why, he began to tease and flatter. “Honey, dearie, please let me take it.” The mother quietly kept on with her work. Finding that did no good, he began to cry and sob, then to howl. The mother still kept on with her work, paying no attention to the boy. After a while the crying ceased. The little fellow marched up to his mother and said, “Mama, why did you not give me the chisel?”—“Because mama told you that you could not take it.” “But I teased and cried; didn’t you hear me?”—“Yes.” He stood in deep thought for a minute; then said, “Mama, at other places when I wanted anything, I teased; if they didn’t give it to me then, I’d cry and scream till they did; and I tried it with you, but it didn’t work. Why?” This time the mother won. The child realized he had been defeated, but it taught him a lesson he never forgot. It takes time and patience to deal with children. We can not do it unless we first control ourselves. When our children act, as a father said to me not long ago, “like devils,” it is time for us to stop and see how we act. For if they are rough, disobedient children, we are to blame. “Few parents realize that their children are what their example and discipline have made them, and that they are responsible for the characters their children develop.” Yet it is true. Shall we not turn to the Lord and begin anew? Confess your neglect to your children, and ask forgiveness. The willingness manifested by children in forgiving will melt your heart, and all heaven will rejoice. Try it, my brethren and sisters! It pays.