OUR BABIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 September 1926, Page 17

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.)

[Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunkct Society.)] SENSIBLE ■ CLOTHING FOR CRAWLERS AND TODDLERS.

The following notes on suitable clothing, etc., for crawling and toddling babies during the •• cold weather liavo been suggested by a letter from a Plunket nurse. In this she, comments upon the lack of common sense and thoughtlessness sometimes, displayed by mothers, as shown by such mistakes as letting* babies crawl over cold linoleum without adequate extra clothing, lifting them out of warm cots and putting them straight down on the floor, taking little toddlers out on cold days in frilly garments instead of warm bloomers, and so on. We hope that these practical hints may be of use in •planning suitable clothing and surroundings for the “bigger babies,” who are so likely to be worse off as regards warmth and comfort than their smaller or bigger brothers and sisters. Being on or very near the floor little children are constantly exposed to the currents of cold air which Come in under doors and skirtings, chilling our feet in spite of stockings and chilling far more the whole body of the infant. Little children cannot move about, quickly enough to keep themselves warm, and they are pathetically at the mercy of grown-ups,” who may be sadly lacking in the quality of imagination. Were any of us obliged to crawl or toddle about a great, bare, draughty floor, perhaps insufficiently clad, we should doubtless voice oun discomfort in no'uncertain terms. v " Is it any wonder that these. little ones are fretful, or, as it is so often unfairly said, “cross,” on winter days. A very common little piece' of thoughtlessness consist in lifting baby from his warm cot after sleep or rest, and popping him directly down on the bare floor, without consideration of the sudden change of temperature, and the danger of chilling., . TYPES AND PATTERNS OF “CRAWLERS.”

A warm cover-up overall jis an essential part of a crawling baby’s outfit. There are various types and patterns of crawlers, but which ever is chosen for winter use they should enclose the whole of the trunk, legs, and feet. They should be put on over the usual clothes, including bootees, thus providing an extra warm garment covering the whole of the lower half of 'the body to make up for the absence of shawl or blanket, and also protecting the clothing from dirt. The crawlers may be knitted or made of woven or other warm woollen material, and are naturally much more serviceable- if made in darkish colours. A cosy little jacket or jersey should also be worn to give extra warmth over the upper half of the body. This is best made jn a coloured material also, and a whole little suit, consisting of pitchers, made with legs and feet, and jersey to match, is most" satisfactory. Shoulder straps may be attached to the pilchers, crossing and fastening at the back. If the jersey is fucked inside a very complete cover-up is affected. On very cold mornings little woolly bags, slipped on as gloves, complete the outfit; and the baby so equipped for his adventurous hours of exploring the fascinating territory of the floor, is not very likely to “eatek cold” or to fret and grizzle to be taken up., SAFETY FIRST. Don’t Sacrifice Suitability to Mere Prettiness.

In clotliing the toddling child the danger is that warmth and suitability may 7 be sacrificed for the sake of sprettinoss. There, is simply no justification for the way in which some of these little mites are clad —short socks, the shortest of short [frocks' with underclothes to match, constitute frills rather than anything that can be dignified by the name of clothing. _ How is it that mothers can clothe their children thus itnd yet consider fur coats no more than adequate for themselves? Winter time clothing should be designed for warmth and comfort first and foremost, but prettiness need not be sacrificed unduly. It is perfectly possible for a little child to be both sensibly and charmingly clad. The ideal is the "happy medium between coddling and undue exposure. We do not want our children to weai many layers of clothing for several reasons, as, for instance, weight is bad for the soft and o-rowing body, perspiration cannot escape freely, and air cannot' get to the body. At the same time, nothing is more rash than to seek to “harden” the toddler by a system of scanty clothing. The great number of clul(1 ren who sutler from rheumatism (often wrongly described as growing pains) points to the vital importance of a realisation 'by parents of .the necessity for sensible and adequate clothing "for children of all ages. The vogue of Dorous knitted woollen frocks and.jer seys is an excellent one, although it is necessary to bear in -mind the danger of sudden changes into flimsy clothes for the sake of appearances. The sensible mother will naturally make adjustments to suit the time and kind of and th.G needs of the individual child on every occasion.

COMFORTABLE UNDERCLOTHING. As regards underclothing, nothing is so sensible and useful as little combinations of fine wool or silk and wool, v’ltn loner sleeves if necessary, in tho coldest climates. Next best is some open cellular cotton fabric, such as Aertex. If a- vest is worn instead, it should be long enough to come right down inside the bloomers. Bloomers or little woo - len pants fitting in above the knee should be worn by little boys and girls alike, and they should be long enough to adequately cover the thighs. The common practice of tucking the bloomers up to the groins, so that the thighs arc almost completely exposed is most injurious It inevitably means what may be dangerous exposure, it necessitates a tight elastic band, and is neither pretty nor hygienic. Ideally, the bloomers should be attached to a little woven bodice with buttons, thus avoiding the necessity for an elastic band round the middle of the body. If a knitted jersey 'suit is worn, consisting of jersey and pants, or skirt, as tho case may be, no petticoats are necessary. if, however, a lighter frock or suit is preferred or substituted, a petticoat with woollen top should be added to the outfit.-Finally, the legs and feet should "be adequately protected. Woollen socks, or, in severe climates, stockings, should be worn, and sensible shoes with water-tight soles. The child is thus ideally clad in three more or

.less even layers of light yet warm clothing, one of which is of woven or. other texture closer than handknitting, through which wind penetrates so easily. There is comfort and full freedom of movement, with ade-. quatc warmth and protection. USE OF SLEEPING BAG.

The woollen sleeping bag is an excellent method of keeping little children warm at night. These big babies often throw off the bedelotlies at night, and many a mother, has unnecessarily broken sleep because she has it on her mind that her baby may need, covering up. Again, how many babies crawl up out of their blankets and. insist on sitting, all uncovered, on their pillows, as soon as\ they wake in the morning. Both those habits may be robbed ,of their worries by means of the sleeping bag. To make this, simply fold a piece of blanket, or in warmer weather ah old shawl or flannel, to form, a double square, long enough and wide enough to allow baby to stretch both arms and legs widely, and freely without any hampering of movement. A bag 30 inches to a yard square should be ample. Cut out a neck to fit, and make an opening down the back or on the shoulder big enough to pop the baby into the bag feet foremost. Button him in up to the neck, and he is then completely covered up, and yet has complete freedom of movement. If tapes are attached to the two bottom corners of the bag, and these are brought, out at the foot of the bed and tied to the cot posts, the baby is further prevented from getting up. on to his pillow. He may quite naturally object to the treatment for a few nights, but he will soon get used to the new arrangement, and sleep very much more soundly. The baby’s cot should be made up on exactly the same principles as are illustrated for the making of a cradle in “Feeding and Care of Baby” on page 160. ' . PENS FOR BABIES AND ’ TODDLERS.

A good-sized kicking pen, such as is shown on page S 3, “Feeding and Care of Baby,” provides the best means of protecting the baby from draughts and from danger when it is not possible to supervise his adventures. On no account should the crawling baby be allowed to go about over cold linoleum or in draughty passages. For the toddler, it is an excellent plan to fence in a sheltered corner of the verandah with a low solid railing. If the corner is partially glassed in and sunny an ideal playroom is provided, where, with a rug on the floor and a few beloved toys, the toddler can be safely left to play. Where there is no verandah available, a large, roomy packing case makes quite a good exercising and playground for a little toddler, and can be used either indoors or outdoors, according to whether the day is fine 'or .wet. Further, this enables the busy mother to get- the breakfast ready without the constant anxiety that her child will pull over a kettle, teapot, or saucepan, and supply the newspapers with latest record of avoidable accident—“ Little child badly scalded owing to carelessness of the mother.” Hundreds of such casualties take place every year—often causing disfigurement for life and not infrequently death. The use of wire fireguards would also prevent many serious accidents.