NURSERY HINTS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7301, 3 December 1910, Page 11

NURSERY HINTS

GOING ABOUT WITH BABY. Don’t let your friends persuade you into constantly , gadding about, visiting and on shopping expeditions, with baby. If you’ve no one to leave with him, such outings must necessarily be limited in number. It is when travelling by train, motor-’bus, etc.,, that half the infectious diseases are caught, and though such an illness as measles may be trifling, t on the other hand it may have very serious after-results. No child is the better for such an illness, and you cannot conscientiously aver that it was bound to have it. If you but knew it, you are doing your baby a life-long service by keeping it free from illness during the first year or two of its life. Whoopingcough, for instance (often fatal in infants), not infrequently undermines a child’s constitution for good if it occurs during the first year. Recollect, too, that it is the over-tired; irregularly, and I injudiciously fed child who catches com- | plaints most quickly. 1 AS GOOD AS FOOD. I Sleep may be considered as valuable as -food; so see to it that you time the - baby’s tucking-up not later than halfpast six cadi night. After the first year a bath at bedtime will be found preferable to one in the morning, when a sponge-over will suffice. Up to throe years of age the last meal should be at tea-time. In any event, don’t court extra work by giving (as some mothers do) a big cupful of food the last thing. The afternoon sleep will probably be discontinued now, but just before lunch time baby ought to have a couple of hours’ rest. In very, hot weather, an hour in a cool, darkened room in the' early afternoon will do no harm. The child will I rest, even though it does not and, after an early tea, may take its airing in the cool. Intense heat (such as that of a summer day at noon) is extremely enervating.