KEEP BODY STRAIGHT

NZ Truth, Issue 1274, 1 May 1930, Page 15

KEEP BODY STRAIGHT

Early Guidance Essential (Plunket Society Articles — Series No. 42.) DARENTS know to their very literal cost how many children require treatment for the correction of defects — remedial exercises for round shoulders, flat feet, or what not m the way of defective posture, not to mention the expensive correction of crooked teeth and other dental deformities. Most of these defects need never occur — would never occur — if two main principles were understood and carried out: — (1) The body must be built rightly, and (2) It must be used rightly. For the body to bejbuilt rightly the child must have sunshine and fresh air and good food. Good food means a simple, regular, well-varied diet, m which is included abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit, fresh dairy products (milk and butter), and eggs m moderation. Right use of the body implies the following things: (1) Regular habits. (2) Good exercise. (3) Real and sufficient rest. (4) Watchful care to prevent cramping, from any cause, . and the adoption of one-sided movements or any sort of incorrect habitual position. From the very beginning _ faulty positions must be watched for and guarded against. The rapidly growing baby frame is soft and pliable to a degree, and "as the twig is bent the tree grows." The cot and pram must be fullylong enough to allow the child to stretch right out. The' mattress must be firm without any sag. An old spring mattress, sagging m the middle, is a very bad bed for any child. A canvas camp bed is far better. Avoid old, soft kapoc or feather mattresses; they not only tend to produce wrong positions during sleep, but are also hot and enervating. A good hair mattress is best. If kapoc must be used, : the bed should be full and well studded. For babies and young children a loose shakedown of winnowings of chaff, placed on top of a firm hair mattress, makes an ideally soft, warm, and yet healthy bed. Pillows are unnecessary for babies or any small children. . High, pillows are definitely injurious, and produce very bad posture — round shoulders and narrowed chest. If a pillow is used at all it should be very thin and small. Visualise the natural position of the child's body at rest— the spine flat and the head on tii level with the trunk. Children naturally tend to ,sleep lying almost chest downwards, with the head turned to one side and the knees slightly drawn up. This makes any tendency to rounding of the shoulders impossible during sleep. High pillows and soft beds prevent the adoption of this natural position; Carrying books to and from school is a source of joy and pride to most youngsters, but weight- carrying is bad for growing children and should be avoided as far as possible! Where it is unavoidable, the despatch case, so comically affected even by the smallest school mites these days, is probably best, and ■ the children should be taught to use alternate arms. The satchel with shoulder strap usually begins a habit of raising one shoulder to keep the strap well hitched up. ... Watch for habits of standing on one leg, sitting crooked, slumping the shoulders, and so on. Sometimes a child can be cured of a postural fault, if taken m time, by placing him or her undressed, before a long mirror, and pointing oiit the difference between the good and bad positions, stressing the ugliness of the bad. '