MOTHERS’ LEAGUE

Southland Times, Issue 20495, 25 May 1928, Page 8

MOTHERS’ LEAGUE

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Mothers’ League was held in the Y.M.C.A. Rooms yesterday afternoon. Mrs G. Chewings presided over a large attendance of members and friends. The president reported that Mrs W. Bissett had resigned from her position as vicepresident owing to ill-health.—lt was decided that Mrs John Thomson should be elected in her place. Dr. Owen-Johnston gave an interesting address on the care of nervous children. He said that the subject was one of great importance to every mother. Heredity and environment could both be considered responsible for nervousness in children. When a baby was born its mind was a complete blank. Gradually it gathered knowledge, picking up the harmful as well as the good, so that its environment even during the first few months of its existence had a great influence on its character. Children with poor heredity would do well if placed in a good environment. During the jiaet 50 years the number of nervous children had greatly increased because the environment had changed. The Victorian age was one of large families and the children were kept together, usually under the care of a nurse. The death rate in the Victorian age was greater because little was known of the correct care of the children. The mother of to-day had greater knowledge and was more anxious about her children. That anxiety, unless concealed, was communicated to them. Children of nervous parents soon developed nervous tendencies. Dr. Owen-Johnston considered that a nervous child was one who was too susceptible to the influence of parents or of those around him. He was usually pale, thin, inclined to be restless, and subject to uncontrollable fits of temper of irritability Punishment would never cure a nervous child. Indirect rather than direct methods should be tried, and an attempt made to prevent occurrence of conditions giving rise to excitement. Mothers should gain the confidence of their children so that they told everything. If a child were sensitive or shy no reference should be made to the fact and in time he would outgrow it. A child dominated by fear should never be forced to do anything of which he was genuinely afraid. A child sometimes was excitable and could not sleep. This was often due to the fact I that he had been too active or had been reading too much. A rest from school and studies would probably help him. If a j child often wakened and called out in his deep the mother should attempt to discover what was worrying him. Nervousness was displayed in various other ways—by the stammering habit, by headaches or by loss of appetite. These danger signals meant that the child should be carefully managed The mother should be wise and firm, and although allowing the child to develop along his own lines should give him the benefit of her guidance. A mother should return her child's confidences, never be unreasonable, never try to deceive it, and never work on its fear. Playmates for the children should be wisely chosen and physical exercise and dancing encouraged. Before the close of .the meeting Mrs Brown proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Owen-Johnston for his very helpful address.