Gentle Measures in the 
Management and Training of the 
Young 
 
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Training of the Young, by Jacob Abbott This eBook is for the use of 
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Title: Gentle Measures in the Management and Training of the Young 
Or, The Principles on Which a Firm Parental Authority May Be 
Established and Maintained, Without Violence or Anger, and the Right 
Development of the Moral and Mental Capacities Be Promoted by 
Methods in Harmony with the Structure and the Characteristics of the 
Juvenile Mind 
Author: Jacob Abbott 
Release Date: March 22, 2004 [EBook #11667] 
Language: English 
Character set encoding: ASCII 
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENTLE 
MEASURES ***
Produced by Curtis Weyant, Valerine Blas and PG Distributed 
Proofreaders 
 
[Illustration: AUTHORITY.] 
 
GENTLE MEASURES 
IN THE 
MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING 
OF THE YOUNG; 
OR, 
THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH A FIRM PARENTAL AUTHORITY 
MAY BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED, WITHOUT 
VIOLENCE OR ANGER, AND THE RIGHT DEVELOPMENT OF 
THE MORAL AND MENTAL CAPACITIES BE PROMOTED BY 
METHODS IN HARMONY WITH THE STRUCTURE AND THE 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUVENILE MIND. 
By JACOB ABBOTT, 
AUTHOR OF "SCIENCE FOR THE YOUNG," "HARPER'S STORY 
BOOKS," "FRANCONIA STORIES," "ABBOTT'S ILLUSTRATED 
HISTORIES," ETC. 
NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 
 
CHAPTER I. 
THREE MODES OF MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER II. 
WHAT ARE GENTLE MEASURES? 
 
 
 
CHAPTER III. 
THERE MUST BE AUTHORITY 
 
 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
GENTLE PUNISHMENT OF DISOBEDIENCE 
 
 
 
CHAPTER V. 
THE PHILOSOPHY OF PUNISHMENT 
 
 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
REWARDING OBEDIENCE 
 
 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
THE ART OF TRAINING
CHAPTER VIII. 
METHODS EXEMPLIFIED 
 
 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
DELLA AND THE DOLLS 
 
 
 
CHAPTER X. 
SYMPATHY:--I. THE CHILD WITH THE PARENT 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
SYMPATHY:--II. THE PARENT WITH THE CHILD 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
COMMENDATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
FAULTS OF IMMATURITY
CHAPTER XIV. 
THE ACTIVITY OF CHILDREN 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
THE IMAGINATION IN CHILDREN 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
JUDGMENT AND REASONING 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
WISHES AND REQUESTS 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
CHILDREN'S QUESTIONS
CHAPTER XX. 
THE USE OF MONEY 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
GRATITUDE IN CHILDREN 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
RELIGIOUS TRAINING 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
CONCLUSION 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
AUTHORITY 
INDULGENCE 
"IT IS NOT SAFE" 
THE LESSON IN OBEDIENCE 
ROUNDABOUT INSTRUCTION 
AFRAID OF THE COW
THE INTENTION GOOD 
THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY 
STORY OF THE HORSE 
"MOTHER, WHAT MAKES IT SNOW?" 
THE RUNAWAY 
THE FIRST INSTINCT 
 
GENTLE MEASURES. 
 
 
 
CHAPTER I. 
THE THREE MODES OF MANAGEMENT. 
It is not impossible that in the minds of some persons the idea of 
employing gentle measures in the management and training of children 
may seem to imply the abandonment of the principle of authority, as 
the basis of the parental government, and the substitution of some weak 
and inefficient system of artifice and manoeuvring in its place. To 
suppose that the object of this work is to aid in effecting such a 
substitution as that, is entirely to mistake its nature and design. The 
only government of the parent over the child that is worthy of the name 
is one of authority--complete, absolute, unquestioned authority. The 
object of this work is, accordingly, not to show how the gentle methods 
which will be brought to view can be employed as a substitute for such 
authority, but how they can be made to aid in establishing and 
maintaining it. 
Three Methods. 
There are three different modes of management customarily employed 
by parents as means of inducing their children to comply with their 
requirements. They are, 
1. Government by Manoeuvring and Artifice.
2. By Reason and Affection. 
3. By Authority. 
Manoeuvring and Artifice. 
1. Many mothers manage their children by means of tricks and 
contrivances, more or less adroit, designed to avoid direct issues with 
them, and to beguile them, as it were, into compliance with their wishes. 
As, for example, where a mother, recovering from sickness, is going 
out to take the air with her husband for the first time, and--as she is still 
feeble--wishes for a very quiet drive, and so concludes not to take little 
Mary with her, as she usually does on such occasions; but knowing that 
if Mary sees the chaise at the door, and discovers that her father and 
mother are going in it, she will be very eager    
    
		
	
	
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