OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 312, 21 September 1918, Page 5

OUR BABIES

TBI HTGEIA/I

Published under the auspices of the Koyul New Zealand Society lor tho Health ol Women and Children. "It ia wiser to put up a feuco at tno top of a precipice than to maintain an smbulanco at the bottom." In tho last two articles I pointed out tho dangers of going to extremes in the management of children. The question, arises t "Can these pitfalls be avoided in tho future, so that the most may be made bodily and mentally of every child born into our Empire?" Tho answer is: Yes, if in the future wo train girls intelligently towards home-making and motherhood, not othorwise." Fifty years ago many girls were very, flimslly educated, and had very limited, opportunities. We do not want to go back to Victorian days, for overythmg must movo with the. times; but the opposite pole to which wo have rushed in the education of jirlß is clearly equally wrong judging by results. Certainly improvement has sot in, and tho pendulum of opinion is beginning to swing away from tho idea that girls should receive the Bamo education as boys, and aim at university and other courses designed lor mon. There are enlightened head mistreßeoß who realise that proper provision for rest aB wcU'as exercise is noccssary, and that, talents exist in girlß which the world ncedß, and which demand training, but which do not lend thomselves to examination purposes. Much remains to be done, however, before tho public really takes to heart tho fact that home-making and motherhood is the finest and moat important calling for girls, and, further, that it needs adequate preparation, lo put it shortljUwe must realise'that girlß have to grow into women and not into men. and that if they are overtaxed during tho growing poriod tho next generation • suffers.! ' ■ „ .. "But," .you say, "that is all very well for those who marry, but what about those who don't and who have to earn their own living?" I know -this is a complicated problem, especially in these sa« days, when the country is losing so many of its men. Tho point Is: Cannot rrirls first bo given a sound, moderate education without, damage to their vapidly-de-veloping .bodies, and thenv bo trained if the parcntß dosiro it for something which will enable them to earn a living, bm which also directs their minds towards home life instead of away from it? .1 am suro many can.-

Woman's Own Sphere. The Hold of domestic work strikes one' first. It is a burning question, and many a mother in most, unfairijr handicapped through lack of holh with her house and children. One feels tho solution can only come if we -grant adequate pay, treatment, and recognition on the ono hand and demand 'training and servioo on tho other. Eecognition of its value from men as well as women would be a great stimulus towards this neglected field. Nursing of all kinds is another sphere that is peculiarly women's own. and ono that calls for many -workers. Many girls would find scope and happiness aB well as good return in money, by becoming .Kantanc baby nurses. Tho demand for these is very great and their usefulness to the race obvious. Following on this copies kindergarten work. Housekeeping _on a large scale for schools and other institotions is another calling which girls oan ■take up, and which must be properly learnt. As. schools are now teaching domestic science, girls have posts of this kind open to them, and can take the •homo science conrso at the university In Dunodin, while in older countries women are being trained ns health and physical culture and sanitary inspectors. Gardening for profit and beekeeping arc also valuable, fields. The training for all these things is to the good whero girls marry. It must not be forgotten that many havo strong aptitude for art in some form, which, if pot overdone, is of great a<lvantago to the home, as well as providing a moans of livelihood if necessary Trained teachers are necessary, but if the education of girls were more moderate tins training would not noed to bo so severe.

The Business Girl. The heedless rush of large numbers of girls into "business" situations has done great harm to the girls themselves and, through them, to the' race. Office lite is a man's life, not a woman'B, and many girls who havo takou it up for the sake of a small salary have left undone work which properly bolongs to women, and which, if done, would often bring in or save more than that salary, 'lho desire for something of one's very own to save or 'spend is, however, very strong, and many a woman's lifo has been rendered .unhappy and embarrassed through having to.ask her husband for every penny. Girls who are kept at homo to Help should have settled and reasonable payment for thoir work. In many cases this would bring content to the girl and valuable help to the home. . A man whoso wife la running hia home capably, keeping hußband and children happy and healthy (perhaps on a small Income), should realise .that his wife is part earnerof tho income. Money for her personal expenses, and, if possible, something over, is hers by right and not as a favoui. It is partly because women s work has not boon recognised by men in this way that there has been so much j*™" [,'<"? domestic life. Marriage is, However, a contract, and the woman should be trained and competent, to do her part just as the man Bhould bo to do his.

War Work. Women diirinE this exacting time of war have rendered magnificent services to the Empire, lint wo must regard this Question neither fiorcoly nor sentimentally, and we must not overlook plain facts. Some of this work has ccrtainlyTbcenundertaken less from natnotic motiveß than ■from a desire Tar high waps, and this is. no doubt, the element hat hasibrousht about the increase in infant mortality and in juvenile delinquency so much lie-, plored at Home. ' Tho' war work winch women are doinp; now is absolutely necessary in this time of crisis, hut much ot it is quite undesirable In itsolf. and could not fieT continued indefinitely w.thout groat harm resulting both to the women concerned and to the race. The attftudo of rejoicing at having ousted men from yot another sphere of work is to my mind simply stupid and shortsighted. One cannot poßsibly deal fully with such a subject as this within Hie limits or a column, but to sum T.p shortly: Modern, tion both in school work and In athletics should be our watchword will bins, for we cannot safely ignore -neir physical liuiftfctlonß. Act rid '. xlic idea thit a 1 Rifi's time and energies oud't properlyto be t«..-ncd with all sijeed into money. Her value to- the State and her home cannot lie reckoned in terms of S s. d. And. finally, if it is necessary that she should bo prepared to earn her livinK. let her training be as far as possible for womon s work niid not for men'B, towards home life, not away from it.