286
Child Guidance
If they fail once, twice, or thrice, censure not. Already discour-
agement is doing its work and tempting them to say, “It is of no use;
I can’t do it.” This is not the time for censure. The will is becoming
weakened. It needs the spur of encouraging, cheerful, hopeful words,
as, “Never mind the mistakes you have made. You are but a learner,
[375]
and must expect to make blunders. Try again. Put your mind on what
you are doing. Be very careful, and you will certainly succeed.
How Interest and Ardor May Be Cooled—Many mothers do
not realize the importance of this branch of knowledge, and rather than
have the trouble and care of instructing their children and bearing with
their failings and errors while learning, they prefer to do all themselves.
And when their daughters make a failure in their efforts, they send
them away with, “It is no use; you can’t do this or that. You perplex
and trouble me more than you help me.”
Thus the first efforts of the learners are repulsed, and the first failure
so cools their interest and ardor to learn, that they dread another trial,
and will propose to sew, knit, clean house, anything but cook. Here
the mother was greatly at fault. She should have patiently instructed
them, that they might, by practice, obtain an experience which would
remove the awkwardness and remedy the unskillful movements of the
inexperienced worker
The Most Necessary Preparation Young Women Can Make
for Practical Life—Young ladies should be thoroughly instructed in
cooking. Whatever may be their circumstances in life, here is knowl-
edge which may be put to a practical use. It is a branch of education
which has the most direct influence upon human life, especially the
lives of those held most dear
I prize my seamstress; I value my copyist; but my cook, who knows
well how to prepare the food to sustain life and nourish brain, bone,
and muscle, fills the most important place among the helpers in my
family
[376]
Young women think that it is menial to cook and do other kinds of
housework; and, for this reason, many girls who marry and have the
13
Testimonies For The Church 1:684, 685
.
14
Testimonies For The Church 1:685
.
15
Testimonies For The Church 1:683, 684
.
16
Testimonies For The Church 2:370
.