HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 25, 7 May 1947, Page 6

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

CHILDREN MUST GET DIRTY (By the Department of Health) If a child is healthy he is on the go all the time. As soon as crawling begins-he starts off on explorations, in whatever room he may be. If it is the kitchen the pot cupboard is a great attraction for there is a variety of noisy things there. And of course he’ll get dirty. As he grows to toddler age and gets out of doors, are you going to keep him away from water and earth or sand for play and good old mud pies? Of course you’re not. But he’ll wear old clothes and get really dirty. Somewhere about the first birthday he begins to try and feed himself with a spoon, and right up to the second birthday this learning to eat will go on. He will take much longer and he will make a lovely mess at times, but he has to go through this stage. And so here’s another time he will get dirty.

When mother declaims: “I wish my boy was a clean little fellow like yours,* either the clean one has been dressed up for company, or there is something wrong with him. A lively healthy youngster is going to get dirty many times during the day. No child should get into trouble because he has become dirty through play. Give them • suitable clothes to get dirty in. Give them a daily warm bath before the evening meal for the older ones. Or if they have a morning tub, then a thorough clean up of legs and arms and face instead of the evening bath. As well, see that they always wash hands and face before each meal, and never omit washing hands after visiting the lavatory. • And when visitors are due, skip the party clothes. Let them be at play. They will be good then. You will enjoy your tea party better, and won’t make that mistake of focussing attention on a child that makes them precocious and naughty.