HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 85, 26 September 1947, Page 7

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

YOUR CHILD AT FIVE (By the Department of Health) One of the most vital stages of a child’s progress through life comes when he reaches the age of five. It marks his entry to school, and his physical, mental and emotional future is about to take definite shape. Although the child will still rely to a large extent upon parents, individual thoughts and actions become more pronounced. Some of your habits and mine right to. this day were probably formed when we were round about five years of age. It is important to a child’s future that we should be careful to train the twig the way the tree should grow. Good diet is of enormous importance at this age. Apart from the danger of lazy or bad feeding habits, the diet must be adequate for the growing child. Fish and chips or bread and jam may be popular and appetising, but they’re not the type of foods on which a proper foundation for a child’s digestive future can be laid. As the child starts school he is liable to be exposed to a much greater risk of infection than in the past, owing to wider contacts with other children. It is here that previous immunisation against diphtheria counts so much. Every child entering school, if not already immunised against diphtheria, should have that simple precaution taken at once. A “booster” dose on entering school is necessary in any case, this will see him through the most dangerous years of possible infection.

More sleep—or adequate sleep at least—wil-l be necessary, because of the greater amount of running about that school life involves. Far-reach-ing and unpleasant consequences can easily follow the practice of having the child playing too late or going out at night. Doing the ‘sensible thing pays dividends for both the child and the parents for the rest of their lives. Boys Brigade Activities The Boys Brigade week held recently resulted in the sum of £95 being collected by the Whakatane Company. This was the fifth highest in New Zealand. The money will be used to further the work of the company in the town, to buy camping equipment etc. The Whakatane Company sincerely thank all those who generously supported the campaign.