(1) _Infancy and early childhood._ Many parents and teachers make the sad mistake of beginning the rational training of their children before the period of rational thought has arrived. An amusing example of common sense and the lack of it occurred one day in a family which consisted of a mother, who had imbibed some ill-digested, sentimental ideas of rational training, her eight-year-old son, and her three-year-old daughter. CASE 135 The child was playing with a cat upon the rug, and finding great delight in its piteous meows when she pulled its tail. The mother remonstrated at each outcry in about this fashion: “Margy, _dear_, don’t pull poor kitty’s tail like that! Don’t you know it hurts poor kitty? How would you like to have mamma pull your hair? I wouldn’t do it now. Try to make kitty happy.” “Why don’t you pull her hair, and show her what it’s like?” inquired Donald, who was reading in the window-seat. “I want her to learn to think such things out for herself,” the mother replied with a wise air. “I want her to put herself in kitty’s place.” “Huh—she’ll never do it unless you make her. Let me show her, will you?” “No, indeed, Donald. I’m afraid your method wouldn’t be very gentle.” “Well, I bet the cat doesn’t think she’s very gentle, either,” and Donald went back to his story. “Margy must learn to do her own thinking, of course. I remember when you were a baby, Donald—Margy, child! Mercy, what a howl. Pussy! Margy, can’t you see you hurt poor pussy? Hurt it, dear—just hear it cry! Makes it feel all badly, as Margy does when she’s ill. Just hear poor kitty cry!” Margy was “hearing poor kitty cry” with new delight at each piteous meow, which she took to be dear kitty’s means of entertaining her—having never been taught to associate the sound with pain of any kind. Just then the door bell rang, and the mother had to leave. “Donald, dear, you look after Margy while I’m gone,” she said, as she closed the door. CONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT Before allowing a three-year-old child to handle a cat at all, give explicit lessons on how to handle it properly. Teach the child the meaning of the words “Don’t hurt” by inhibiting the movement of her hands _before_ she has done the mischief. (See lesson on “Don’t Touch” in “Easy Lessons for Teaching Obedience in the Home,” Book I, p. 46—Beery.) Give an imitative lesson. Holding the cat yourself, gently stroke its fur, showing Margy the proper way of handling the cat. Then take Margy’s hand and gently pass it over the fur in the same way. See to it that the child does not have the cat at all except when some older person is there to control her action, until such time as she has learned the meaning of the command, “Don’t hurt,” and will obey it. In other words, do not allow the wrong habit to become established before the right way is comprehended. COMMENTS