Chapter 8 Section 6 Tutoring

In ancient China, children depended entirely on their parents for family education. "Book of Rites Internal Rules" has very specific requirements for teaching children, but the content of teaching children is mainly limited to life and etiquette, and later gradually added cultural knowledge.Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty formulated the "Miscellaneous Rituals at Home", which stipulated that when a son was born, if he wanted a wet nurse for him, he must choose a woman from a good family with good conduct, gentleness and prudence, otherwise it would have a bad impact on the child's conduct.When your son is able to eat, encourage him to do it himself and teach him how to hold chopsticks with his right hand.After the son is able to speak, teach him his own name and how to sing [re], etc.; Immediately reprimand, do not condone.At the age of six, teach him counting and place names.At the age of seven, he was taught the rules that men and women should not sit at the same table and eat together, and let him start reading "Book of Filial Piety".Children under the age of seven are collectively called Ruzi, and they are allowed to go to bed early and get up late, and have no time to eat and drink.After the age of eight, you can't be casual, go out and enter the house, and eat impromptu meals, you must know how to be humble to the elders; and your parents teach him to read "Shangshu".Nine years old, read "Spring and Autumn" and various histories, parents should patiently explain to him, so that he understands the "righteousness" in it.After the age of ten, you can go out to become a teacher, and you are allowed to stay outside.

The content of family education varies in different ages and families, but the etiquette education of respecting elders is common and becoming increasingly strict.Xu Ke wrote "Qing Barnyard Notes·Education Class": "Family education in the Eight Banners is the strictest in etiquette." Don't dare to slack off listening; if you don't want to retreat, don't dare to retreat."If you meet a senior elder brother on the road, "stand with your hands folded" and wait for the elder to pass before you can walk.This kind of education that follows the rules has the negative side of suppressing children's personality, but if they respect all elders regardless of their status, there are also reasonable factors. "Qing Barnyard Banknotes" records that Zheng Banqiao, who is famous for his poetry, calligraphy and painting, admonished his son to "treat his tenants with courtesy", which is really commendable in a feudal society with strict hierarchy.