The prudent teacher of the first year needs often to solicit the aid of parents in righting a spoiled child, and often she must convince them that they are wrong in their methods of rearing their children. If the teacher cannot enlist the aid of parents, then she must fight her battle single-handed. But there is no need for discouragement. The child will love one who loves him. A lovable and wise teacher often succeeds where a parent fails. Parents are often alarmingly short-sighted when it comes to training their children. It is not an imaginary condition but one all too real, that in many homes the children are, in actuality, the controlling forces. It is distressing to see how helpless parents can be, and what American parents are enduring from their children. From such poorly regulated homes come the “spoiled” children to the first grade teacher, and in many instances all the meanness such children can perpetrate is considered “cute” by the over-indulgent parents. In dealing with the badly trained child, the teacher must avoid any use of force. That would only antagonize him. The teacher should be firm, but kind, treating him just as he treats the others; if he does good work, commending him for it. She need not even notice many of his outbreaks—he will soon discontinue them. Often he is spoiled because the parents have paid too much attention to his every whim and fancy. When he learns that he can not worry the teacher, and that she will not contend with him in his trivial desires, he will cease to annoy her. Last of all, the teacher can fill in the gaps of idleness in the child’s time by keeping him interested and busy. If the child is saucy, the teacher must avoid telling the pupil that he “must not be saucy”; such a method will make the pupil aware of the fact that being saucy is distasteful to the teacher, and he will resort to that method whenever his spirits are ruffled. The better thing to do is to ignore him altogether, and proceed with the work at hand, as though nothing had occurred. The teacher should not display the least emotion by look or expression, for the child usually watches the teacher to note the effect of his sarcasm or imprudent statement. When he finds out that he is ignored, he will resort less to his annoying habit. If the child tries to tease her, she can casually and without any use of force, draw him away into some interesting game or activity. Or the teacher may call the pupil by name and say, “Come here a moment, I have something for you to do.” She may have a new game ready and have this pupil be the leader. This will draw his attention from teasing. In other words, substitute some other and more interesting activity. A few weeks of such control will remedy the annoyance.