OUR BABIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 12

OUR BABIES

TRAINING OF LITTLE CHILD.

The following remarks are taken from a chapter on “The Older Child” in a book entitled “The Mothercraft Manual,” by Miss Mabel Liddiard. Miss Liddiard is matron of the Mothercraft Training Centre in London, a baby hospital and mothercraft home conducted on exactly the same lines as oar New Zealand Karitane Hospitals. It is the successor to the institution founded by Sir Truby King in London at the close of the war. Miss Liddiard has had very wide experience with babies and young children; her opinion is valuable and hex* advice very well worth following.

Miss Liddiard says: “The psychology of the child at this age is a very long and interesting study; this cannot be gone into at any length here. Remember that the nervous child, and nerve troubles so common in later life, are very often the outcome of mismanagement in early years. In the. ‘good old days’ talked of by our grandparents ‘children were seen, not heard’ —an unnatural restraint was put upon them in the presence of their elders. To-day the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, and in many homes the children are the centre of attraction, and the grown-up folks are ‘not beard’ and are allowed no quiet; the only peaceful time being when the children are in bed. Both extremes are wrong-; the aim must be to find the middle I’oad.

SELF-CONTROL. “Self-control, obedience, the recognition of authority, and, later, respect for elders, are all the outcome of the first years’ training, as emphasised in preceding chapters. The baby who is picked up or fed whenever he cries soon becomes a veritable tyrant, and gives his mother no peace when awake; while, on the other hand, the infant who is fed regularly, put to sleep, and played with at definite times soon finds that appeals bring no response, and so learns that most useful of all lessons, self-control, and the recognition of an authority other than his own wishes. If parents and nurses would only realise how much easier it is for the child to bend to the social and moral laws in later life when trained from infancy, how much sorrow might be saved. “To train an infant for the first year is comparatively easy, but after* that' the child begins to resent authority, and the conscientious mother has to be prepared to fight, and win all along the line, in matters small and great. . “The person in charge of the little one at this time should cultivate an understanding of, and sympathy with, the fast-developing mind; she must have, unlimited patience, and, above all, a discerning love The wise rule of ’unselfish love always wins in the best way. . “Remember that general health is of vital importance. Irritability is often the outcome of indigestion, overfeeding, and constipation. Give a properly balanced diet, and allow no sweets or scraps between meals. If well-meaning friends give sweets, etc., at odd times, let it be a matter of course that these things must not be eaten until meal times. As soon as the child is old enough, talk to him simply about this; a fairy story with a greedy fairy and sad results is the best illustration. REGULAR HABITS. “A definite habit as to an early dailv evacuation of the bowels is especially important at this age, otherwise, when the child goes to school, it is often difficult, and chronic constipation results, Make it a definite rule that at a certain time early in the day, preferably immediately after breakfast, the child goes to the lavatory. The one in charge must always find out as to whether the bowels have been opened or not. Any tendency to constipation should be overcome by diet and water drinking. Do not settle down to the frequent use of aperients. “As much time as possible should be spent in the open air. Play in the garden., park, or fields is really more beneficial than being taken for long walks or pushed about in a push chair. One daily walk is good, as the change of environment gives the child added interest. The rest of the day children should be trained to play for the most part alone, being wisely guided by one in charge, who should enter into all the childish ‘make believes’ and not condemn them as ‘stupid.’ Tim child with an imagination lives a wonderful life, and should be helped to follow all natural instincts wisely “A definite daily rest must be insisted upon, and then the little ones will not overtire themselves. They will rest as a matter of course when tired, following the natural instinct, always providing that they are not being urged to play noisy, excitable games by the elder children or grown-up members of the family.

“A proper amount of sleep is very important. Children should not be taken to evening entertainments or kinemas for two reasons —first, the atmosphere of such places is far from ideal ; and, secondly, the excitement is far too great for the young brain. “The temptation, to keep the chil-

dren up late in the summer time is a very great one, but if the little one has been accustomed to go to bed at a certain hour from the beginning no protest will be made, and it will all be accepted as a matter of course, providing kind, but mistaken, visitors do not suggest in, the child’s hearing that it is hard lines. If possible, the mother or nurse should definitely plan, a quiet game or fairy story as the last item before bedtime.

“As soon as children are old enough they should be encouraged to do little things for themselves. They should, be taught to' be proud of being able to dress themselves, even though the process is a lengthy one. Little household jobs, such as dusting, cleaning up, keeping cupboards tidy, can all be made a pleasure. The nurse or mother should never get into the way of doing everything herself because it is’ quicker. THE FUTILITY OF THREATS.

“Obedience nijist be quietly and firmly insisted upon from the very be; ginning. Do not be dictatorial or unreasonable, but always mean what you say. For instance, it is very unwise to' suddenly break up a game—warn.„; that it is nearly bedtime, and so on Never try to gain obedience by threats such as policemen or bogies. An instance of the absurdity of such a threat is given in the following conversation overheard in Kew Gardens: Mother: ‘£o as I tell you, or that man over there with a stick will hit you.’ Had the child'refused to obey the man with the stick would not have hit him, and the next threat would have had no meaning. Obedience exacted by threats and bribery'is of no value, and is, in fact, demoralising. “Always teach generosity from the beginning. Sweets should be shared; a really loved toy should occasionally be given to a child who has none. Togive away only the toys that are shabby and unwanted has no meaning, but to encourage the little one tb wish to give away something valued teaches real charity. “Beware of talking before children, either about themselves or their playmates, or on subjects which are unsuitable for children’s ears. So many adults forget that children listen, understand, and dwell upon the topics of conversation overheard, and often get an unnatural and wrong impression of certain subjects. “During the early years of childhood the most lasting impressions are made on the rapidly developing brain. The mother should from the beginning;enter into all childish hopes and longings. The child should always feel free to talk of everything to the mother, being certain of no rebuff, and of an understanding love and patience. Such a mother continues to be the true friend of her child' throughout adolescence and in later life.”