CARE OF THE CHILD DISCUSSED BY EXPERT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17672, 20 October 1925, Page 3

CARE OF THE CHILD DISCUSSED BY EXPERT.

SCHOOL CONDITIONS SHOULD NOT BE TIRING Interesting addresses concerning! child welfare were delivered last night at the opening of the “ Education Week ” campaign in the M.E.A. rooms. The speakers were I>.r A. B. O’Brien and Mr M. Al’Lood. senior inspector of schools, the subject being “•The Physical Needs of *the Child.” Air'll. D. A eland presided. Dr O’Brien dealt with the growth of the child from birth and its development. up to the school age. In the course of this review lie gave many hints lti concerning the c-arc of infants. It was on the food and the care of the baby in the first year that all the development depended. In the first five years the parents should .see that tlm baby was properly nourished, properly rested and kept out in the fresh air as much as possible. Tbe ‘child should be given proper rest at night. It should not lie taken out to the pictures or taken out of bed to be shown to friends, for that might affect the nervous system. That a. child should be taken out to the. pictures simply because the mother wanted to go was atrocious. They thought they had a fine country, “God’s own country,” and heard about the doings of the wonderful All Blacks, yet one-third of the men were rejected as medically unfit for war service. It was time that stopped, and if. was only by parents realising their responsibility in bringing up children that any improvement could be secured. With regard to the school ago. Dr O’Brien said that the child spent five hours a day in school, and it was important that conditions should not be too tiring. Air M’l.eod dealt, with the physical aspects of school life. He remarked on the fact that the\Greeks devoted a. great deal of time to games. He was very softy to sav ♦ bat iho modern civilisat ion had fallen away Irani the Greek ideals, ancl it was only now that people? were giving more attention to this aspect. The public schools in England took more notice of the physical development. because the boys used to go in j for cricket and football. Education was worth something, and it was worth trying to improve. Alucli could be done in the direction of providing^bigge r play ing a rea s, A general discussion followed. One speaker suggested to Dr O'Brien that some parents.might, be handicapped bv the fact that they did not have the means to provide proper f^od. Dr O'Brien said that an enormous amount of money which was spent in sweets was not only unreasonable bait also ruin oils to health. “ People who are reasonably careful can buv the necessary food." he said. “AH these frills are totally unnecessary.” At the conclusion of the proceedings a vote of thanks to the speakers was carried by acclamation.