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    Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
    Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
    Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
    Ebook58 pages56 minutes

    Thoughts on the Education of Daughters

    By Mary Wollstonecraft

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    About this ebook

    Thoughts on the education of daughters: with reflections on female conduct, in the more important duties of life is a conduct book that offers advice on female education to the emerging British middle class. Although dominated by considerations of morality and etiquette, the text also contains basic child-rearing instructions, such as how to care for an infant. As an early version of the modern self-help book, the 18th-century British conduct book drew on many literary traditions, such as advice manuals and religious narratives.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigiCat
    Release dateMay 29, 2022
    ISBN8596547020561
    Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
    Author

    Mary Wollstonecraft

    Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was an English writer. She is best known for her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she puts forth the visionary argument that women and men should receive the same education and are moral equals in the eyes of God. One of the most pivotal thinkers of the Enlightenment, she is widely considered to be the first feminist philosopher, and her work strongly influenced the twentieth-century feminist movement.

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      Book preview

      Thoughts on the Education of Daughters - Mary Wollstonecraft

      Mary Wollstonecraft

      Thoughts on the Education of Daughters

      EAN 8596547020561

      DigiCat, 2022

      Contact: [email protected]

      Table of Contents

      THOUGHTS

      EDUCATION

      DAUGHTERS.

      The NURSERY.

      Moral Discipline .

      EXTERIOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS .

      ARTIFICIAL MANNERS.

      DRESS .

      The FINE ARTS.

      READING.

      BOARDING-SCHOOLS.

      The TEMPER.

      LOVE.

      MATRIMONY .

      DESULTORY THOUGHTS.

      THE BENEFITS WHICH ARISE FROM DISAPPOINMENTS .

      ON THE TREATMENT OF SERVANTS .

      THE OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY .

      ON THE MISFORTUNE OF FLUCTUATING PRINCIPLES.

      BENEVOLENCE .

      CARD-PLAYING .

      THE THEATRE .

      PUBLIC PLACES .

      .

      PREFACE.

      IN the following pages I have endeavoured to point out s ome important things with re s pect to female education. It is true, many treati s es have been already written; yet it occurred to me, that much s till remained to be s aid. I s hall not s well the s e s heets by writing apologies for my attempt. I am afraid, indeed, the reflections will, by s ome, be thought too grave; but I could not make them le s s s o without writing ​ affectedly; yet, though they may be in s ipid to the gay, others may not think them s o; and if they s hould prove u s eful to one fellow-creature, and beguile any hours, which s orrow has made heavy, I s hall think I have not been employed in vain.

      THOUGHTS

      Table of Contents

      ON THE

      EDUCATION

      Table of Contents

      OF

      DAUGHTERS.

      Table of Contents

      The NURSERY.

      Table of Contents

      AS I conceive it to be the duty of every rational creature to attend to its offspring, I am s orry to ob s erve, that rea s on and duty together have not s o powerful an influence over ​ human conduct, as in s tinct has in the brute creation. Indolence, and a thoughtle s s di s regard of every thing, except the pre s ent indulgence, make many mothers, who may have momentary s tarts of tenderne s s, neglect their children. They follow a plea s ing impul s e, and never reflect that rea s on s hould cultivate and govern tho s e in s tincts which are implanted in us to render the path of duty plea s ant—for if they are not governed they will run wild; and s trengthen the pa s s ions which are ever endeavouring to obtain dominion—I mean vanity and s elf-love.

      ​The first thing to be attended to, is laying the foundation of a good constitution. The mother (if there are not very weighty reasons to prevent her) ought to suckle her children. Her milk is their proper nutriment, and for some time is quite sufficient. Were a regular mode of suckling adopted, it would be far from being a laborious task. Children, who are left to the care of ignorant nurses, have their stomachs overloaded with improper food, which turns acid, and renders them very uncomfortable. We should be particularly careful to guard them in their infant state from bodily pain; as their minds can then afford them no ​amusement to alleviate it. The first years of a child's life are frequently made miserable through negligence or ignorance. Their complaints are mostly in their stomach or bowels; and these complaints generally arise from the quality and quantity of their food.

      The suckling of a child also excites the warmest glow of tenderness—Its dependant, helpless state produces an affection, which may properly be termed maternal. I have even felt it, when I have seen a mother perform that office; and am of opinion, that maternal tenderness arises quite as much from habit as instinct. It is possible, I ​am convinced, to acquire the affection of a parent for an adopted child; it is necessary, therefore, for a mother to perform the office of one, in order to produce in herself a rational affection for her offspring.

      Children very early contract the manners of those about them. It is easy to distinguish the child of a well-bred person, if it is not left entirely to the nurse's care. These women are of course ignorant, and to keep a child quiet for the moment, they humour all its little caprices. Very soon does it begin to be perverse, and eager to be gratified in every thing. The usual ​mode of acting is complying with the humours sometimes, and contradicting them at others—just according to the dictates of an uncorrected temper. This the infant finds out earlier than can be imagined, and it gives rise to an affection devoid of respect. Uniformity of conduct is the only feasible method of creating both. An inflexible adherence to any rule that has been laid down makes children comfortable, and saves the mother

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