A Thoughtful 1901 Mother Says...

That if you want your children to be courteous, you must treat them with respect.
That you should be as careful of their feelings as you want them to be of the feelings of others.
That when it is necessary to administer reproof, it should be given in private.
That most children are sensitive on this point; it injures their self-respect and they feel it acutely, though they are not able to express it in words.
That to tell a child in public that it has been rude or lacking in good breeding is as unwarrantable as it would be to tell a guest so.
That it is no excuse to argue that you are doing it for the purpose of making the child better and more thoughtful.
That this can be accomplished much better if you take the child aside at the first convenient opportunity and gently but firmly point out what the error was and what should be done on the next occasion.
That it is possible to callous a child's conscience by too rigid discipline, and this is a mistake made by too many mothers.