--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Bishop, Alice Peet collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 11 published: 1906-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Alice Peet Bishop, "The Development of Individuality in Children," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 11 (September 1906): 883–888.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0911unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0911unse start_page: 883 end_page: 888 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0911unse publication_year: 1906 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Development of Individuality in Children THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALITY IN CHILDREN. BY ALICE PEET-BISHOP. "A child left to itself bringeth his mother to shame," but when from babyhood the home training has been to make that child industrious, self-controlled, and self-reliant, there is all along great need of the proper understanding of a new proverb, "A child — never left to his own devices bringeth his individuality to shame." No one can deny that the wheel of fortune is ever rolling round, taking those who are at the top today, to the bottom in about the second or third generation. One of the strongest factors in producing this state of things is, that honest poverty is ambitious to better its condition. This ambition develops industry and self-denying qualities which are usually rewarded with most of the good things of life. While on the other hand, a child "born with a silver spoon in its mouth, " with nurses to feed it, and dress it, to be within call to open sticking doors and untangle hard knots, can not, under the circumstances, develop that individuality, that inventive genius, that pleasure in overcoming obstacles, that "stickto-it-ive-ness, " which makes him study out the causes of failure, and, by amending his processes, keep on trying until he succeeds. In this connection I quote from the school hand book of Henry Siglar, who desires to take boys from wealthy homes at the age of eight years. He says, A rich man cannot provide at home the conditions in which his son shall grow strong and active in body and mind, energetic and well directed, his capabilities made the best of, his pleasure got to furnish the impulse to self-improve- ment. He cannot, because he does not know how; because he is busy; because his whole occupation hinders; because the easy home-life that is right for himself is 884 IMPROVEMENT ERA. wrong for the boy, too soft; because the social life that is right for the mother and elder sisters is wrong for the boy, distracting; because the whole environment and spirit of the family of a man who has achieved his purpose in the world as to, fortune, is hostile to that sturdy industry and persistent faithfulness which are necessary to the boy, if he is to become as capable a man as his father. Some instances of how much children can accomplish, when they must go without or get what they desire by their own ingenuity, may be fitting just here. A five-year-old boy was trying to get a bridle on his horse. The animal was gentle, but its horse sense sized up the height of the little man, and would not lower its head. I stopped and watched, hoping in my inmost heart that the boy would outgeneral the horse. This he did, by getting on the back of the beast, where he looked about as large as a bird, and, crawling out on the neck, he contrived, in his own way, to accomplish what he started out to do, and I had the satisfaction of seeing him ride off a conqueror. It would have been an unkindness for any one to have gone to his help. One of the important inventions of our present steam engines was made by a small boy, who was left by himself all day, to pull open the stop cock for the escape of the steam, every time a wheel went round. It was tedious work for the little fellow, — and he tied on strings and worked it alternately with his hands, his feet, his teeth, and even with his waist. At last he discovered that he could attach it, with a wire, to a moving part of the gearing, and the machine would run itself. Imagine the pleasure that little chap took in all this contriving, and the joy he felt in his discovery. I can see his eyes, black, or blue, or brown, or gray, fired with a new light. Do' you think he stopped right there or went on contriving? From The Gem, I quote the following: James Watt sat in the chimney corner, waiting for his supper. His grandmother said to him, ' 'James Watt, I never saw such an idle young fellow as you are; do take a book and employ yourself usefully. For the last half-hour you have not spoken a single word. Do you know what you have been doing all this time? Why, you have taken off and replaced, and taken off again, the teapot lid, and you have held in the steam, first a saucer and then a spoon, and you have busied yourself in examining and collecting the little drops. Now, are you not ashamed to waste your time in this disgraceful manner?' THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALITY IN CHILDREN. 885 To that little boy, whose grandmother failed to tell him how he could employ his time to better advantage, the world is indebted for the discovery of the power there is in steam. Ah! these little boys needed no other help from the old folks, than to be left alone to follow the promptings of their own busy brains. Some years ago a lady sent her son to a friend, in Nashville, Tennessee, with the request that the latter would assist the young man in finding a clerkship. On returning home, after the first day's fruitless search, they found a caller, who, when he had heard of their wearisome tramp, asked, "Why do you prefer clerking to any other employment?" "I do not prefer it, but my mother thinks it will be [a nice business for me." "And have you no choice?" After a little hesitation the young man said, "I have never liked the idea of clerking, but my mother thinks I will [learn to like it." ' Is there any one business you think you would like above all others?" The young man showed confusion and did not answer. "Come! Come! young man, out with it! You see there is a poor chance to get a clerkship, and if you want to work, be honest and tell us what you would enjoy." 1 am ashamed to tell you, for mother thinks my taste de- ' graded, but, from my boyhood, I have hung around blacksmith shops, and, when they would let me, I have helped, often neglecting some duty to work there for nothing, because the yielding iron had a fascination for me." ' 'Come to my office at nine tomorrow morning," said the caller. Morning saw the young man and the yesterday's caller talking with the head blacksmith of the railroad shops. "This young man wants to learn to be a blacksmith. Will you try him for a month without wages? I will board him. Then we will ask for wages, if he can earn them." In a very few years from that day, this same young man, by being allowed to dirty his hands in a business for which nature had 886 IMPROVEMENT ERA. fitted him, became the superintendent of the works, at a salary of five thousand dollars a year. The mother had done a grand work in bringing him up to have character enough to be able to grow into such a place, but it would have been a life's mistake if that son had been denied the opportunity of working in iron. "For, since the birth of time, throughout all ages and nations, Has the craft of the smith, been held in repute by the people." The mother's fear of "dirty work," or of hay seed in the hair, or machine grease on the hands of her son, has helped many a young man to get the seeds of an evil habit in his brain, and a worse than work-grime in his heart. If the mother trains her boy to be all right within, the hay seed will brush out of the hair, and the grease will wash off the outer man, but sin seed will not brush out of the brain, and the scars of soul-grime can never be wholly cleansed, though washed over and over again by the hot tears of repentance. Several evils are fastened upon our children by the social and school systems of today. Any person, old or young, who has all his working hours filled full, fuller, fullest, of work, cut out, laid out or planned out for him, must work like a machine, and cannot develop individuality. Any person must have time to think, to observe, to plan, to try new things, to dream, if you please, in order to have him discover what he likes best, what he can do best, and the best methods of accomplishing his best. I have always maintained, and I must still believe, that it is wrong for any child under twelve years of age to have to take books home from school to study at night. Six hours of study and recitation, planned by others, is enough for such years; and a child with parents not too busy to look after is much better off, under home work, home duties, their offspring, home readings, and home pleasures, than one who studies until late at night, and goes "like a quarry slave scourged" to his bed by thoughts of lessons, yet all too poorly prepared; for though conned so long by weary eyes, they can not be digested by the overworked brain. THE DE VEL OPM Eft T OF INDIVID UA LITY IN CHILDREN. 887 Give any honest, unintimidated child a chance, and his in- clinations will lead him to do the things he likes and can learn to do well. I can not emphasize too strongly, the desirability of providing children with the implements and materials with which to practice. Two girls lost their mother, at the ages of seven and nine years. There were no relatives to take the mother's place, and the father, having noted their fondness for sewing, decided he would let them open a dressmaking shop, with dolls for customers. This, he reasoned, would keep them at harmless and, at the same time, pleasant employment. He furnished all the dolls and mate- rials asked for, and even stopped in his busy life to build doll houses for them. The little girls studied patterns and acquired great skill in cutting and fitting, so that when they were fourteen and sixteen years old, they could make their own dresses nicely, and could fit any figure. At the age of nineteen the older girl graduated in music, wearing a gown of her own designing and making. Among the eight young ladies in the class, no prettier costume was on the stage. Two years later the same young lady was ambitious to design and make her own gown for a large church wedding, and, of the modiste-made gowns of the four bridesmaids, not one was more stylish than hers. I saw a three-year-old boy driving a nail while holding it between his first and second fingers. I marvelled at the skill with which he handled the hammer and held the nail. I discovered that he had hurt his thumb and could not use it, so, baby though he was, he contrived this way, and drove the nail as straight as a carpenter. From the time he could creep, he had been furnished tools and materials, and was allowed his own way with them. An older brother, brought up in the same way, at the age of twenty five, was taking contracts in his own name, to build palatial houses. Nagging over wasted materials, or hurt fingers, or waste of 888 IMPROVEMENT ERA. time, or too much directing, might have driven all these children away from the work for which Nature had fitted them. A mother was buying Christmas presents for her children. The boy wanted a red wheel-barrow. The mother argued that red was loud, and the natural wood-color was the proper thing. The little girl wanted a doll bedstead, with canopy top and rockers: the mother desired her to have one more modern. The children cried, but, in the tyranny of power, the toys were bought to please the forty-vear-old mother instead of the little ones who were to play with them. The teacher of drawing, in one of the large city schools of Pennsylvania, had never taken a lesson in drawing from a teacher, yet he had unusual success both as an artist and a teacher. He requested the twelve primary teachers to set apart a few minutes each day, in which the children were told they might go to the board and make pictures. It did not take many lessons (if we may call what the children looked upon as play, lessons), to see which were apt; and a few dots and suggestions worked wonders with some of them. I never saw as rapid advancement in any other school. I once heard an old and very successful teacher say, I believe I never took charge of a new school of grown up pupils where my patrons were not disappointed in me at the end of the first month. Why? Because, as far as the parents could see, the students were at a standstill. What was I doing? Teaching them to think and to rely upon themselves. To stick to a piece of work until they conquered it. To understand what they read and not pollparrot through a problem, or over scientific terms, and so go on, lame, and deaf, and blind to what the author intended to teach. Then, when the joy of discovering the meaning and intelligently applying the terms, came upon them, what a change of feeling in them and their parents! Parents and teachers might as well eat the child's meals and expect his body to grow strong therefrom, as to do his work, to help him step by step, and expect his mind to grow strong. The story is told of a man who wagered that, at the end of two years, he could carry an ox over a certain set of steps; he began that day by carrying a young calf over the steps, and keeping this up daily, for two years, he won the wager as well as great strength. Mothers, spend much time with your children. Be patient