CHILDREN’S NEEDS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 148, 18 March 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

CHILDREN’S NEEDS

Form Good Habits While They Are Young

One of the primary needs of growing children is the exercise of the larger muscles of the body. Active forms of exercise tend to strengthen all the muscles (including the heart), develop the brain, deepen and increase the rate of respiration, induce the skin to perspire, and secure and maintain equilibrium. They are essential if proper benefit is to be derived from food, if the digestive organs and the bowels are to. be kept in good working order, if proper excretion through the kidneys, skin, and lungs is to be ensured, and if nervous regulation of the body is to develop, states a publication on health education. Hence the importance of the boy and girl actually playing games and not merely watching them; and his or her learning to swim, taking part in school sports, organized games, and active forms of recreation, such as country and other dances. Too many children at present never acquire the habit of active exercise. Recreation. Recreation other than that obtained by vigorous exercistj, e.g., walks, reading of books, visits to museums, art galleries or the zoo, concerts, cinema halls, etc., may have an important influence on health, beneficial or otherwise, according to circumstances. It should be remembered that, other things being equal, enjoyment has a wholesome tendency, and that for this reason children should be encouraged to use such forms of recreation as they prefer, provided that there are harmless to body, mind or spirit. They should at the same time be encouraged to cultivate a taste for wholesome hooks anoamusements.

Active forms of free exercise of the kind referred t o above should come first in the child’s physical training, but they need supplementing by the more regulated and systematic forms of physical exercises which play a social part in the harmonious training of the body as a whole. Organized exercise leads to improvement in the general physique, to the prevention or correction of faulty attitudes of the body, to the acquirement and development of habits of self-eoutrbl. discipline, and quick‘response. Systematic physical exercise., are a valuable safeguard : against daiiger from strain arising in the course of the more violent forms of exercise, such as runniiig or swimming: they are of particular/valne to the less robust children, who nmy .need to lie warned against undue strain,, especially in competition with their fellows. Good Habits. Many children need to be encouraged to acquire good habits of rest and sleep. The difficulties in the way of children getting, a long night's rest may he very great in some households, but chihli'eii cun form the habit of steeping through much disturbance and noise, though it should be borne in mind that sleep in quiet surroundings is more honefb-ial. One of Hie most (i»no-'ant forms of health education is to gel ingrained in 'lie child's consciousness that “early to hed and a long night’* rest’’ is one of 'lie essentials of good liedilv -md menial growth and fitness. Both by direct iiiHiv'"co upon 'ho -lii'd and through eo-operation with the pn'ciits the leadier *|ioiil<l endcn.V"Ui to secure Dial eliildren up Io 12 vears of age have of 'east 12 hours in hed every night, the younger ch’h'ren as much as 14 hours: older hoys and girls need nt least 10 hour-. Uememher that hi the ancient world it was taught that "healthy sleep cometh of moderate ■■.•iling." t’opi’-ihuted -by the Department of Ile.alth.