THE CARE OF THE BABY.

Shannon News, 15 October 1926, Page 4

THE CARE OF THE BABY.

; (By Hygeia). pood Tor Toddlers. ■ J In a. recent article we wrote of tne special needs of toddlers in regard to warmth-and suitable clothing. This week wc shall go into some practical < ways and means of ensuring that they shall be properly fed. . ■ There is still far too much ignorance J and carelessness about this important - matter and far too much ialkng-off m condition amongst* children in the seeond year. It is just as important to . plan the toddler's meals as it is to • plan the adult's or baby's—in this, as ■ in other respects, the "big baby" is ; apt to bo worse off than his older or • younger brother and sister. He should neither be allowed to drift along on "baby food" indefinitely,'nor should he sit Up to the family table and just i "take what's going." Should The Toddler Come to Family Meals? It is altogether wiser to plan his meal times either before or after the general meal, whichever fits in best with the household arrangements. Whatever hours are chosen should be observed with the utmost regularity, and no scraps should be allowed between. If the toddler has his meals regularly at his own special hours, he | is not tempted by the sight of food which he should not have, nor are the "grown-ups" tempted to give him 1 "tit-bits." The ideally-trained toddler is very little in evidence at .meal times: he is sleeping or playing outside; or, having had his own good meal, is satisfied and content to play about unnoticing—but not unnoticed, for how sweet he is . . . the unspoilt child. ' • _ Is It Too Much Trouble? One often hears mothers say, "But it is so difficult to fit it all in, and special cooking and special meals for the little ones makes so much to do. Is it not worth a little extra time and trouble to'give the children the verybest possible chance of the very best possible health? Mothers! try to take , the long view, and realise that although . your toddlers may seem to you to be "all Tight" on food which is not suitable, sooner or later they will have cO pay the penalty for your wrongmethods, in impaired digestion and nutrition, and lowered resistance for the battle of life. „ Planning the Toddler's Meals. And now-planning the toddler's meals is not so much extra trouble after •ill It is more a matter of method and j management than actual work-more j head than hard work. ) Here are a few practical suggestoons which we hope may be helpful to busy mothers of babies in the second half of tie first year and-.onwards.. First o± all! however, we would ask that mothers carefully read the chapter in the Society's book "Feeding and Owe ol Baby," entitled "Feeding in the Second Year " as we shall not now repeat the given there The book mav be procured from the local bookSrL or from the Plunket Nurse, from whom io Tveiy practical leaflet on • SSCeding fit, children after nine and buu/r - twice-baked bread and butter. A piece of raw ripe appk. N.8.-K baby is taught to cue > small piece of his toast and each mouthful of porridge, the P°» ia «£ wl?l chewed with the bread and bu. Ter and will no longer be merelyjgp, .besides it will be thoroughly with saliva. 2. ' Oatcake and a drink of milk.

Brown bread and butter. A piece Oi! raw ripe applu. About Breakfast. ' It is usually most convenient for baby to have his meal after the family breakfast, as then his allowance of porridge can go on cooking for an extra half-hour. Coarse oatmeal, thoroughly cooked, is preferable to highly refined "breakfast foods" advertised a-s only needing a few minutes' cooking. In the process of refining they have lost some of the properties essential for health. The porridge should be of firm consistency, and though given with plenty of milk, should not be mixed into and made semi-liquid with it. No sugar, of course —the toddler who has been well trained from the start wjill never have known the taste of sweetened foods. See that the ! toast is really crisp, not just bread which has looked at- the fire. It is best to try it off in the oven before toasting. The article should be well cooked and toasted. Note that oatcake and a drink of milk is given as an alternative to porridge and milk for breakfast. This makes a change, and perhaps a change for the better. It should b,e clearly realised that there is just as much nourishment to be derived from oatmeal given -in the form of crisp oatcake with a drink of milk as in the form of porridge with milk over it. And in addition the child is exercising teeth and jaws in 1 obtaining that nourishment, to their very great benefit. This fact should be borne in mind constantly when planning meals for children, else we are apt to make a fetish of porridge, milk puddings, and other pap foods. \ The largest possible amount of the day's food'should be given in a form TVhich requires chewing. The Toddler's Dinner. Suggestions:— 1. Vegetable broth and twice-baked bread. Custard. A piece of raw apple. Or:— .2. Fresh cooked vegetables and gravy, with or without a little light meat. Simple pudding. Piece of raw ripe apple. Or:— 3. A little steamed fish. Baked po'tato. Junket. A small orange, apple. j 0r: — 4. Egg and brown bread and butter. Stewed fruit and top-milk. Piece of apple. Any of these would provide an adequate meal, but, of course, there are any number of combinations to suit the household, the time of year, etc. "Come, gentle opringl Ethereal mildness, come."—Thomson. Don't | delude yourself into thinking that !you can't catch a*cold in the epringjtime. Mild weather may'meet you | off your guard, and a chill or cold is the result. The wisest course is to ,be prepared and take Baxter's Lung Preserver. The slightest chill can develop into a serious illness, and "Baxter's" is the surest preventive. Even one dose brings ease and gives relief. A reliable specific, and also invaluable as a tonic. You can get a generous-sized bottle of Baxter's Lung Preserver for 2/6 from all chemists and stores; family size, 4/6.*