spark of reason. Yet a real rhyme: or rhythm, much more important.
The song and the urge of the mother's voice plays direct on the
affective centers of the child, a wonderful stimulus and tuition. The
words hardly matter. True, this constant repetition in the end forms a
mental association. At the moment they have no mental significance at
all for the baby. But they ring with a strange palpitating music in
his fluttering soul, and lift him into motion.

And this is the way to educate children: the instinctive way of
mothers. There should be no effort made to teach children to think, to
have ideas. Only to lift them and urge them into dynamic activity. The
voice of dynamic sound, not the words of understanding. Damn
understanding. Gestures, and touch, and expression of the face, not
theory. Never have ideas about children--and never have ideas _for_
them.

If we are going to teach children we must teach them first to move.
And not by rule or mental dictation. Horror! But by playing and
teasing and anger, and amusement. A child must learn to move blithe
and free and proud. It must learn the fullness of spontaneous motion.
And this it can only learn by continuous reaction from all the
centers, through all the emotions. A child must learn to contain
itself. It must learn to sit still if need be. Part of the first phase
of education is the learning to stay still and be physically
self-contained. Then a child must learn to be alone, and to adventure
alone, and to play alone. Any peevish clinging should be quite roughly
rebuffed. From the very first day, throw a child back on its own
resources--even a little cruelly sometimes. But don't neglect it,
don't have a negative attitude to it. Play with it, tease it and roll
it over as a dog her puppy, mock it when it is too timorous, laugh at
it, scold it when it really bothers you--for a child must learn not to
bother another person--and when it makes you genuinely angry, spank it
soundly. But always remember that it is a single little soul by
itself; and that the responsibility for the wise, warm relationship is
yours, the adult's.

Then always watch its deportment. Above all things encourage a
straight backbone and proud shoulders. Above all things despise a
slovenly movement, an ugly bearing and unpleasing manner. And make a
mock of petulance and of too much timidity.

We are imbeciles to start bothering about love and so forth in a
child. Forget utterly that there is such