Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVII DAY-DREAMS (cont.) Day-Dreams in Childhood--Adolescence--Old Age--Physical Defectives--The Expectant Mother--Day-Dreams and Ethics--Effect on Daily Life--Effect on Health. There is a story told of parents bringing their threeyear-old child to a Greek philosopher to be educated. When told the child's age he declined, saying that the child's education had already been completed. There is much truth in this view; we know today that a child, even in infancy, receives many impressions for good and for ill which persist into adult life. One who studies children will note that even infants are observant; and in early childhood the observing faculty is further developed. Moreover, the child is imitative. Coming mostly in contact with the parents, it is the latter that the child tends to copy. Mannerisms of walking, talking, certain physical ills, nervousness, anger and many other peculiarities often ascribed to heredity are in many cases due solely to imitation on the part of the child. Again, the child is inclined to develop the ideas of the parents; in fact, children thrown into very intimate contact with the parents, as mother and daughter, not only often think alike but use the same words in expressing their ideas. We cannot be too careful, therefore, of our personal conduct in the presence of our children; nothing is too insignificant for their notice. And we should be mindful, too, that we owe it to the children to be honest with them even though we choose to deceive ourselves. If the good things of life have been denied us, instead of belittling them and thus giving the child a false view of these things, we should refrain from showing envy, or deriding those who possess what has been refused us. If we manifest envy..."