OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 306, 14 September 1918, Page 5

OUR BABIES

[BY HTGBIA.I

■ Published under the auspfces of Mo Royal New Zeaftnd Society for tho Health ot Women and Children. It la wiser to put up a fence at tho •op of a preoiploe than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

OVER-ANXIOUS MOTHERS. '■ (Continued.) Last week I tried to point out to tho mothers of New Zealand the harm somo' of them unwittingly do their children by constantly worrying over them. It must not be supposed, liowovor, that tho opposito extrome ie what is μ-idvooated. In this, as m all other matters, proper knowledge and common sense should be oni giudo. .While it is exceedingly bad to nang over a baby, lvatoluiiß his overy mOTOraont, If 18 also quite wronc to leave nim to. nimsolf for hours. Even a- tiny baby needs a certain amount of healthy movement... It excites and over-stimulates a baby to bo constantly pl(iyin K -with him. making him show off his smiles, and tioWimj him to .make him lawn', as though ho were a, toy and not u, littlo S? mll . n DOlnK V th a rapidly-urowine and thoroforc sonoitive brain (sce pago 113 . Foeding and.Oaro of Baby"). Yet to takd no notico of lain at all, novor to jtivo Jilm change of position or chaiißo of view, is equally wrong. Tho first of three two extromee-namely, worrying-i8 probably fairly familiar to us j «ie opposite extreme one would scarcely boliovo to exiet. Yet it does, and moreover, has actually been known to bo tno regimen of a bnby supposed to be brought up on Karitane principles. Ono comos acroes people who dcclaro they "do not behove in Plimket methods," but who, on being questioned, admit that they do not read tho society's text books nor its regular articles, and that tho.y havo nover heard a lecture on the subject, nor Bnolten to a Phmkof nureo. :It is not surprising that pooplo who have not taken more troublo than that should misunderstand the society's .work; but it is strange that parents who claim to have studied the rooiety'e principles should depart so far from them in practice. / ESEECISB AND OUTING. On page 82 of ''Feeding and Care of Baby" mo need, fur special , neriodu of kicking excrciso is plainly stated, anil explanations and pictures show exactly how it Bhould be given. In addition;to this, baby elurald be nursed and' plnyefl with for a- short time overy day, perhaps during tlm latter part of thu afternoon. As he gets older Jio will gradually take, more exercise himself; he Icarus to roll over iuid tj'ies to crawl. In the afternoon ho will sleep less, and this is the tiiuu when he looks, about and \vunts to neu what is going on around him. He should be eo placed that hu can boo flowers and treosmid other children playing without, being talked to or excited all the time. When he is old enough to sit up and roll over it is a &oqd plan to give baby a taller, pen with open sides, instead of tho low one shown on page 83, "Feeding and Care of liaby," whoec solid sides were designed to protect him from draughta while ho was kicking. In such a larger pen ho is quito safe up to about 18 months, and he will be good and l\o.pny, as it can bo put on the verandah' or the , grase in suitable weather, and ho can either . play with his toys or look out upon the world. If a vorandahi is,'being fenced in to keep baby safo, it should be done by means of wire netting or an open framework, not with solid walls. If he spends a good part of his waking time thus, or perhaps being amused at times by little brothu're and sisters, he-will not be tired or excited, but will grow alert and bright, and will notice things intelligently. Babies who are left alone too much, or who are kept where they cannot see about them, tend to grow dull and ■unintelligent. J

MANAGEMENT. Tho snme need for keeping sensibly to the middle course between two extremes exists with regard to feeding, clothing, and all tho daily routine of a child. Par-, entg should bewaro of drastic attempts to' "harden" children; but undue muffling up only causes them to catch, cold easily. Drying is another point about which there ie great need for knowledge and common senßC To 'pick a baby up every time ho cries is to spoil him and upset Ins digestion; but ho should never be'left to go on and on crying, unless the mother or nurse hae mado Bure that he is warm, dry, and comfortable in every way, and knows that he is simply crying to be taken up. Then, indeed, he must be left to cry it out; it is tho only way to break him of what has been allowed to become a bad habit. All these matters are discussed in greater detail in the society's text book "The Feedlnc and Oare of Baby." The path of her who. would rear a baby in tho beet possible way may seem etraight and narrow and besot with pitfalls on eithor hand. But knowledge of tho subject and common sense will bo our sure guide and baby's best enfecnard. Obviously this knowledge cannot be acquired in a moment or just when tno need arises.; tho foundations, at any rato, must be laid beforehand if we aro to do jußtico to tho coming generation, now, dlael so painfully valuable to us. Next week I may bo ablo to offer some ideas on tho brlnging-up ofgirls-n vexed question, but a very important one.