OUR BABIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 245, 14 September 1929, Page 15

OUR BABIES.

By Hygela. Published under the auspices of tj*° Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD. SEIZING THE ESSENTIALS. To seize tho esseritmle, and hold on to them —to avoid frittering away precious time and energy on non essential detail —to study and treat the whole child 1 - bow difficult 1 And yet in the capacity to do these things lies the •:ecret of success in the difficult art of rearing children; wisely and well. Certain things a:e essential —sunshine and exercise, properly chosen food, regularity, rest, cleanliness —but over-insistence on detail is a very great mistake. It is a mistake which often accounts for tho failure of children for whom everything is done according to the best advice to thrive as well as “the children next door,” who simply “run wild.” It is a sad thing that it is most often the earnest. good mother who makes this mistake. In her great anxiety to neglect no detail of her duty to the child, she becomes swamped in detail, and fails to grasp the problem “on the round”—to see the child as a whole —a complex little “mind-body system,” needing freedom and scope for development of his unfolding powers, and an opportunity to learn by independent experiment. “ATMOSPHERE.” Right from birtlr the child is extremely sensitive to the mental, atmosphere in which he is placed. Much depends on whether his world is one of peace and stability in wliich he can confidently place liis trust or whether it is dependent on the adult caprice of the moment. Tho effects on the child, of over-anxiety, contradictory lines of treatment anu conduct, unhappiness or conflict in his home atmosphere are terribly deep and farreaching. Some of the immediate results are storms of temper or sulkiness, trickiness of appetite or undesirable habits; the ultimate effects on character may influence the child’s whole life. THE TODDLER’S DEVELOPMENT. Let us pause .and consider tho stage of development of tire toddler. Physically he is growing fast, still teething, learning new muscular movements, gaining strength and endurance. Mentally he is growing even faster—the world opening up to his exploring mind through his senses. He is supremely impressionable and dependent on us for interpretation of facts. It is the duty of any and every person responsible for the uj>bringing of the child to consider seriously whether he or she is providing a home atmosphere of peace and trust a.s faithfully as are provided daily bread, clothes and shelter. For perfect all-round development all sides of tho child’s nature must be considered. REGULARITY AND REST. First-class physical condition is the foundation on which to build mental as well as physical health and efficiency. “Granted good organic foundations, truth and honour can be built into the edifice as it grows.” Absolute regularity of habits is the ultimate foundation of all-round obedience and conformity to social law and order. As Sir Truby King lias said, “Building the teeth and formmg a character are parts of construction of the same edifice —standing in the relationship of the underground foundations of a building to the superThere should bo an absolutely regular daily routine upon which the child can definitely depend. The regular rhythm provides the greatest freedom for. his mind and prevents tension and strain. Meals should be “by the clock. This is an “essential,” which is often dropped with the bottle-feeding, with great detriment to the child. The pre-school period is the time to fix for life the habit of regular bowel action by insisting on regular “sittingout” after breakfast, or at some other suitable time each day. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with this. Bed time must be punctual, and tho same each day, except on the rarest occasions. The same thing applies to the day-time rest. As time goes on the child may not sleep in the day, but the Tegular quiet time is immensely valuable for recuperation both of body and mind. It is specially important not to break the habit of daytime rest, as it is often hard to re-establish it. Insufficient rest and nervous overstimulation are very common causes of slight failure to thrive on the part of the pre-school child. The unceasing physical and mental energy and activity of the small child absolutely demand adequate provision . for recuperation, else loss of condition, pallor, poor appetite, irritability, or some other abnormality will surely appear. “The body must be built rightly and used rightly that it may serve and guide the mind.”