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

"Gentle Measures in the Management and Training of the Young" by Jacob Abbott is a parenting guide from the late 1800s that shows how to raise kids with kindness and firmness. Focusing on obedience and building good character, the book argues for using gentle ways that avoid yelling or hitting. It starts by looking at three popular parenting styles: trickery, using love and logic, and simply ordering kids around. Abbott believes parents need to be in charge, but that being gentle is the best way to get kids to listen and behave well; he uses stories and explanations to show how different actions affect kids' feelings and actions, setting up the ideas he'll share throughout the book.