THE FUTURE OF THE CHILD, THE FUTURE OF THE RACE
The future of the child is the future of the race. What the future of the child shall be depends altogether upon the men and women of the present. What thus becomes our vast responsibility is plain to see. It rests, not upon parents alone, but upon the whole community.
There is no greater problem before thinking and aspiring humanity and, certainly, no finer one than that of making the growing generation what it should be and there is, as assuredly, none which appeals to us with such overwhelming force, both with regard to our own welfare and the welfare of those who fill our hearts and in whom our hopes are centered. It is one involved alike in the parental instinct and that of patriotism. Our children must be so reared as to develop into good sons and daughters and good citizens as well. The keynote of all progress and advancement in the good of the world is centered here. Each generation should excel the one preceding it, and can be made to do so if the parents of today and the communities of today are not neglectful. Always today must be determined the nature of tomorrow. Parents and governments have a glorious responsibility bestowed upon them. They determine what all coming history shall be, what shall be the future of any nation and the degree of the world’s happiness.
HOME LIFE A JOYFUL OCCUPATION
In developing the intelligence of the children the home may be made a place of delightful occupation while they are becoming wiser. Every home should be equipped with a little working library of reference books, always accessible, including a Bible, a dictionary, an atlas and a good encyclopedia, if possible. Then there is something to do with. Nothing delights a child or a group of children more and nothing is more profitable to them, than a search for information on some doubtful or disputed point. Rightly used, these times of search, with the father or mother as a guide and assistant, are of infinite value in developing a spirit of investigation and, not only that, but one of comradeship between parent and child. They are chums together in a common study, looking for “the why and wherefore of things.”
The parent, however, as the head of the class, should endeavor to be competent to lead. In fact, it is only by keeping abreast of what is finest in the world’s advance can one become a companion really good enough for one’s children. What a maker of all that is worth having the home is in a thousand ways!
NEED OF CARE AND WATCHFULNESS
No, the work of rearing children as they should be reared is not so difficult, if there be care and watchfulness enough. Therein lies the need. Wishing lovingly and earnestly to do a thing is one matter; knowing how to do it is quite another. Constant, unfailing study and “thinking out” of things by a parent is a necessity. There are no two children in the world whose needs are just alike.