OUR BABIES

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1930, Page 12

OUR BABIES

ON CATCHING WHATEVER’S GOING. (Continued). Hardening 1 the Coddled Child. Last week we dealt with the tendency of the coddled child to “catch everything that’s going,” and promised to give a few hints to the mother who courageously determines to go about what one calls, For want of a better name, “the hardening off” proFirst of all it is good policy to make sure the child is not suffering from adenoids or diseased tonsils, for these are an everlasting source of trouble, and need the attention of a good doc'i-or. Now, to discuss methods of toning up the system generally and educating Ih?’ skiji to perform, its protectiv f functions pi’oporly: I I Exposure of the Skin. The- first thing is 1o overcome the tendency to fear exposure of the skin ami to restrict this to the occasion of I the warm bath. Warm baths are neej essary for cleanliness; but air baths, I cool water, and sun are equally necea- * sary for the purpose- of developing the j function if the skin find for Their general tonic effect. / Cold Water. ! Ono may lay it down as an axiom | that the cold bath is one of the surest I of all preventives of the common cold, * ami one of the best all-round tonics ! known. The ideal time to start the r cold bath habit is in infancy, so that * it becomes “second nature.” j Although everyone cannot take a * cold plunge with benefit, and to some j it may be harmful, all healthy people loan accustom themselves to some form of cold or tepid sponge, shower, or I rub down, and every child should be. I taught to regard such as an essential I health habit. | However, in starting to “harden I off” the coddled, child we must proI coed slowly and cautiously towards the

ideal. We would suggest the following I procedure:— ' Instead of hustling the child straight t from night to day clothes without any 1 exposure of the skin, make an invariable rule of stripping him and applying brisk friction to the surface of the whole body. Start by giving a vigor- ’ ous. rub down with a dry towel, after washing hands and face in the usual way. After a. few days of this, extend the usual wash to include the. chest and arms, using lukewarm water, sponging quickly and drying briskly. Proceed until the whole body is being rapidly sponged and briskly rubbed dry. Then cool the sponging water day by day until you are barely taking the chill off and at the same time are using a wetter sponge or cloth. By this time, if you have avoided fright and chill, and made a game of it, the child will begin to feel the day not. rightly begun without his “bracer,” and will presently in all. probability refuse to get dressed for rt stranger without it, so much are most , children creatures of habit. Having got this far, habituate him < to a proper shower, which is a. more. bracing procedure than sponging. Ono mother found that a smallish watering 1 can with a rose sot the whole business in the key of a joke. Whilst the j youngster pranced in two or three’ inches of warm water in the bottom * of the bath to keep his feet warm, she ' “watered” him with tepid and later with cold water from the can. This led by stages to the big shower. The whole procedure occupies only two or three minutes —scarcely longer than “straight” drossing. The quicker it is done the better. Exercise. Of course, it is imperative to the success of this, treatment to get a good j reaction and a warm glow afterwards. ] Towels must, be dry, friction thor- i ough, and dressing quick. Put on an extra jersey or ooat until the child warms up. Then set him to a vigorous I game; let him race up and down the |

• hall, If necessary. If it is difficult to get him to rnmp at this time, give him k breakfast fir r t. I After ;i time, as he grows more baridy, and rhe sun gets warmer, send him out in the garden to run six times round rhe house, or to tricycle so often Ito the gate and back before breakfast, ami keep up this run outdoors throughout the coming year, unless it is actually bleak or raining. The Warm Bath. As for the warm bath, at whatever time of the day it. is given, let it be warm, but not really hot. and cultivate the habit, of (moling down the ■water at the lasi moment. At night, if the child H put straight io bed without a bath, again strip him anj if there is time, rub down with a dry I towel. If the room is warm and not |draughty, two minutes spent chasing a | naked or nearly naked small person is a diverting and healthy bit ot fun for I all con corned. | Clothing. t As rhe child becomes hardier and the circulation improves, he will not ’ feel the cold so much, and will tend to reject extra clothing of his own aej cord. Very gradually you can with benefit lessen the number of garments ,to the minimum the child requires in ? order to keep comfortably warm and happy. Except in hot weather, the I average healthy child needs one eom- , plete covering of .wool —combination.- | or singlef and underpants, long enough to cover chest and thighs and with no chilly gaps —a bodice and pants, and ’ a frock or suit of warmth and weight according to the weather. Cardiganor sweaters are very useful lor extra (warmth at odd times, and much de i I pends on watch fulness in putting on /and taking off extra clothing as iquired. it is just as foolish to go •to an extreme of scantiness in clothring as io systematically ovendothe. ■ Bedclothes and. the Bedroom. By degrees reduce the number of bed-clothes also to the fewest required . to ensure warm, comfortable, sleep, and ;|do — oh, do!—open the bedroom winjdow wide, not just a tew inches at the (top, with the blind over that. Place ; the bed out of all possibility of direct | draught, and then let the life-giving Fair blow through. ’ If you are lucky enough to have a •/sleeping porch or sheltered verandah, take adxantuge of the first warm weaI thor to accustom the child to sleep ; outside. Ti i< a wonderful health moasAt the Karitane Hospital all but ■very small and delicate sleep on the verandah all night, even when • snow falls and frosts are hard. One ’may go round these childrei in the ’small hours, and, feeling inside the blankets, find their bodies “warm as I toast” though their little noses may 1 |be ('Old. The toddlers who have spent 1 ■ some months under this regime have j I •• glow of colour in their cheeks which 'is positively startling. I Sun Baths. 1 J <- < , Aim to arrive by gradual stages at definite sun baths, as well as the air. i cold water, and friction baths already achieved, by the time spring has advanced to the stage of providing usj 'with warm, sunny mornings. Wo shall! have more* to say about sunshine and’ sun baths later in this column. If this programme is conscientiously carried out, persevered with, and believed in in spite of the setbacks and criticism from well-meaning friends, and provided that at the same time the diet is adequate, the bowels regular, and the child is not over-stimu-lated or “fussed,” it is perfectly safe to predict that “catching whatever is » going’’ will soon be a. thing of the j past, and that colds and roughs when caught will be mild and brief. What a saving of worry, money, time, and temper for all concerned!