OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4964, 3 September 1918, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

(Bv “Hygela.”)

Published under the auspices of the Royal Now Zearand Society nor tho Health of Women and Children

“It is wiser to put up a fence al the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

' OVER-ANXIOUS MOTHERS. (Continued.) i Last week I tried to point out to | the mothers of New Zealand the harm some of them unwittingly do their children by constantly worrying over them. It must not be supposed, however, that the opposite extreme isi-what is advocated. In this, as in all other matters, proper knowledge and common sense should be our guide. Wlijle it is nKceedingly bad to hang over a baby, watching him every movement, 'it is also quite wrong to leave him to himself for hours. Even a tiny baby needs a certain amount of healthy movement. It excites and over-stimulates a baby to be constantly playing with him, making him show off liis smiles, andl tickling him to make him laugh, asi though h e were a toy and not a little human being with a rapidly-grow-ing and therefore sensitive brain (see page 113, “Feeding and Care of Baby”). Yet .to take . no notice of him at all, never to give him change of position or change of view, is equally wrong. The first of these two extremes — namely worrying—is probably fairly familiar to us; the opposite extreme one would scarce]} 7 believe to exist. Yet it dees, and, moreover, has actually been known to he the regimen of a baby supposed to be brought up on Karitane principles. One comes across people who 'declare they “do not believe in Plunkefc methods,” but who, on being questioned, admit that they do not read the Society’s text hooks nor its regular articles, and that they have never heard a“lecture on the subject, nor spoken to a Plunket Nurse. It is not surprising that people who have not taken more trouble than that should misunderstand the Society’s work; but it is strange that parents who claim to have studied the Society’s principles should depart so far from them in practice.

EXERCISE AND OUTING On page S2 of “Feeding and Care of Baby’’ the need for special periods of kicking exercise is plainly stated, and explanations and: pictures show exactly how it should be given. In addition to this, baby should be nursed and played with for a short time every day, perhaps during the latter part of the afternoon. As he gets older he will gradually take more exercise himself; he learns to roll over and tries to crawl. In the afternoon lie will sleep less, and this is the time when he looks about and wants to s ee wliat is going on. around him. He should be so placed that he can see flowers and trees and other children playing without being talked to or excited all the time. When he is old enough to sit up and roll over it is a good plan to give baby a taller pen with open sides, instead of the low one shown on page S 3, “Feeding and Care of Baby,” whose solid sides were designed _to protect him from draughts while ho was kicking. In such a larger pen he is quite safe up to about 18 months. and he will be good and happy, as it can be put on the verandah or the grass in suitable weather, and bo can cither play with his toys or look out upon the world. 11 a verandah is being fenced in to keep baby safe, it should be done by means of wiro netting or an open framework, not with solid walls. If he spends a good part of his waking time thus, or perhaps being amused at times by little brothers and sisters, he will not be tired or excited, but will grow alert and bright, and will notice things intelligently. Babies who are left alone too much, or who arc kept where they cannot see about them, tend to grow dpi! and unintelligent.

MANAGEMENT. The same need for keeping sensibly to the middle course between two _ extremes exists with regard to feeding, clothing, and all the daily routine of a child. Parents should beware of drastic attempts to “harden” children ; but undue muffling up only causes them to catch cold easily. Crying is another point about which there is great need for knowledge and common sense. To pick a baby up every time he cries is to spoil him and upset his digestion; but lie should never he left to go on and on crying, unless the mother or nurse has made sure that he is warm, dry. and comfortable in every, way, and, knows that he i s simply crying to be taken up Then, indeed, he must be left to cry it out; it is the only way to break him of what has boon allowed to become a had habit. All those matters are discussed m greater detail in the Society.» ex book “The Feeding and Care ot The path of her who would rear a baby in the best possible way may seem straight and narrow and beset with pitfalls on either hand But knowledge of the subject and common sense will be our sure mid baby’s best safeguard. Obviously this knowledge cannot be acqmred in a moment, or yust when the need arises- the foundations, at any rate, must bo laid beforehand if we are to dn justice to the coming generation, ow a as! so painfully value >e to now, aia* * l l bp able to offer some ideas on the' bnnging-np 0 f girls—a vexed question, but a imnortant one. f