Two parents are sitting in a living room talking; the child is playing
in the next room, or even on the floor of this one. Without paying any
attention and with the apparent intention of the child not hearing,
the mother, in an undertone, says to the father: "Have you noticed how
improved Sarah is of late; she is kind and thoughtful of her kitty,
she loves it more and is so kind and gentle with it?" Father replies:
"Isn't that nice; she is a dear, kind, gentle child." The parents go on
talking about other things not noticing the little girl.
If you were where you could observe you would see the child stop her
play at the mention of her name, listening intently, and thinking about
what has been said. Most likely she would find her kitty and come back
loving it and demonstrating the result of mother's suggestion.
This indirect method of sowing seed-thoughts is most effective, and
will correct errors and form right habits and character, much more
rapidly than correction, argument, or punishment. The possibilities
of the use of suggestions in child training are limitless. There are
many cases where miraculous results have been secured by intelligent,
devoted mothers.
In the matter of health and overcoming of detrimental habits there is
no greater power than that of positive Suggestion intelligently used.
Every up-to-date and thoroughly progressive physician realizes the
power of the positive thought over the human body. During the epidemic
of Influenza which swept through the Army Camps where the boys were
being trained for overseas service, all the available ministers were
called into a large hospital to minister to the sick and dying. Before
being allowed to go among the sick soldiers they were gathered together
and given a talk by one of the head surgeons. One of the instructions
was this: In all talking with the sick there must not, under any
circumstances, be any mention or reference to death, the possibility of
death, or of any condition after death. Every thought and word must be
of health, recovery and what they are going to do after recovery. This
must be followed in conversation, letter writing for the sick, and in
prayer with them. This is an example of the modern acceptance of the
value of positive suggestion in cases of sickness.
In matters of Child Training it is of the utmost value. Dr. Stanley
Krebbs, in his book, "The Law of Suggestion," which every parent should
read, tells many interesting examples of its use. "A little girl had
formed the habit of telling lies in order to attract attention. When
this fact was learned it was made the key of her recovery. It was
lodged in her mind that her lies caused people to avoid her, to dislike
her; but that if she were truthful she would make people like her,
would make friends and attract a great deal more attention than in any
other way. Simple! but successful."
Quoting again from Dr. Krebbs, "Take an extreme case, Belford Russell
Lawrence, the boy criminal, testified at twelve years of age, that
among other things, his mother had often said to neighbors, referring
to him: 'That devil will hang yet.'
"As a general rule children are what their elders expect them to be.
"As a general rule we adults are what our fellows expect us to be."
The story is told of a boy who was no student and hated school, he
even disliked to read. One time when there were guests at dinner there
arose a discussion of a certain point of history. The boy had just
studied this fact in school and was able to set the entire group right.
On several occasions later his mother repeated this fact to friends,
in the boy's hearing, always ending with the statement: "You know
Johnny is quite a historian." Up to that time he had had no interest
in the study, but believing that others considered him an authority on
the subject he got busy and studied up on it. He afterward became a
historian and a professor in one of the large universities. He just had
to make good, to keep up with his mother's expectation, and he did.
Take every opportunity to tell others about the good points of your
children and the characteristics that you want them to have. Do this
when the children can hear you. Tell it to others and the child will
not disappoint you.
The subject should be studied by every parent. There is no attempt
made to cover it in these pages, but merely to give a hint of its
possibilities in the hope that the parent will learn to use this power
constructively and wisely.