PRE-SCHOOL CHILD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 12 April 1927, Page 7

PRE-SCHOOL CHILD.

CARE Oh’ ITS HEALTH. fContj-jbuted by the Department of Health.) In every work the beginning is the most important, especially in dealing with anything young and t tender. —Socrates. I 'There is profound wisdom underlying r this observation of the great phiioso--1 pher, for the health, happiness, and , efficiency of men and women depend - to a largo extent upon tare and train--1 ing during early lilo, and it is during - infancy and childhood that those life . habits arc formed which are respou- . siblo for health, character, and per- ; sonality. ■ Since so much depends upon our i knowledge of the fundamental requirements of early childhood it is most necessary that our attention be drawn to , that interesting and important figure the pre-school child, i. 0., the toddler between the age of two and live years. Though the more urgent claims of the baby of tho family detract attention from him we know that the toddler has a mental life as delicate and complex as his physical body, and that Ids 'future largely depends upon the provision of proper care and training during this early critical period of his existCHOP. MENTAL LIFE. A young child Jives a life full of hopes, ambitions, doubts, mlbgivings, joys, sorrows, and strivings that arc being gratified or thwarted in much the same way at three years of ago as they will be at thirty. He has certain characteristics that make the acquiring of new habits easy; be is open to suggestion; he accepts as correct information irom a. person he looks up to ; he wants to please those he loves; and he strives to adjust himself to the numerous ai.d varied changes incidental to the early years of life. The responsibility cf parents is great and it is to assist them that various agencies have been established, c.g., Ante-Natal C’inics, Plunket Society, School Medical Services, etc. Ry a systematic supervision begin-’ ning during the Ante-natal period and continuing throughout infancy and childhood there will be a continuous record of tbe child’s health and development from before birth to adolescence. R,v care before birth and during infancy the foundation of a healthy hie is laid. Not only are we concerned with the production of a perfect child, however, but it is our responsibility to provide for hiSn a wholesome environment in those early years which make up the critical period of growth and development. HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT. Heredity and environment together are responsible for the development of every hiving being. The practical question is, therefore, what may be done to control both so as to secure the best results. Whatever qualities a chi <1 inherits from his parents may be modified by his surroundings either to IK advantage or disadvantage, it is Lis parents who make his environment to a large extent, ami who most powerfully influence, his destiny. Their mental ab.ijity, their control of their emotions, their interests, particularly their interest in tile child, their ambitions or lack of them, their moral standards—these ah in some degree determine what the child shall make out of the endowment that Nature has given him. The home is the workshop in which tho character and personality are mould xl by the formation of habits. It is necessary, therefore, to provide for the whole period of childhood those ton tions which are most favourable for the perfect development of body and mind. Such fundamental requirements are sunshine and pure air, food and water, warmth and protection, sleep and rest, freedom and exorcise. A happy sinnl- j and ono of the common lessons oA ; everday experience, is that of a p’aiu, which grows strong and vigorous, and produces a wealth of bloom and fruit, when the soil, water, and sunshine are adapted to its requirements. When the conditions are unfavourable, it will grow spindly and weak, and produce few or stunted blosoms ami fruit. Sunshine, fresh air, and nourishing Icod are equally essential to the human plant. In short, we put our iruse in tbe big four—sun, air, food, and 1 abits — flic fundamental requirements of healthy childhood. Jn addition, special care must be devoted to tbe removal of weakness or defect by attention im its earliest stages. Tbe Department of Health is sti lying to reduce diseases not only ty si. libation. by a clean milk supply, by the removal of conditions which f militate the breeding of disease, but a’so 1 y the instruction of mothers in the primary essentials of hygienic liking. One great purpose of the New Zealand ante-natal clinics, the infant welfare centres, and school medical service is to increase popular knowledge along these lines. Parents shou’d avail themselves of these opportunities on behalf of their children. It is a well-known fact that good mothers do rot necessarily come into the world ready-made, and that the instinct of motherhood is not of itself a sufficient equipment for the satisfactory 'nurture and upbringing of a family. Even tho amazing power of self-sacrifice for which mothers are proverbial cannot act as a substitute for kiiow'edge and training i.u the essentials of motliercraft.

The modern kindergarten does much valuable work f.n the interest of the pre-school child. In the enviro'nment ilms provided lie lives a life < f joyous activity where healthy n.tirist .s quickened and energy' wisely' directed and where also IDs body Is subjected to a wholesome regime of work and rest and play.

Modern psycho’ogists lay increasing value upon the inculcation of right habits of living and of action at an early age. ! n i he. kindergarten school, as in the home, a sure foundation lor the child's education may he laid 1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES. A harmful doctrine held by many mothers is that all children must lane ihe common infectious diseases, and therefore may as we 1 be exposed to Infection in order to have them over while young. This idea is quite erroneous, since any illness, however brief and slight, is a hindrance to growth and may mean peimanent impairment lo some organ or function of the body'. Decent statistics have proved toe urgent need tor guarding the pre-school child against infectious diseases, since it has been estimated that in New Zealand a large percentage of illnesses from these diseases occur under five years of age, and many of these, such as diphtheria, whooping cough, aiid measles, are the cause of chronic finesses of adult life. Thus for the year 1925 there occurred 1401 cases of notifiable diseases in this age group, 450 alone of these being for diphtheria, with JO deaths, while broncho-pneumo-nia and penumonia accounted for 65 deaths.

Where it is possible to take measures to protect children agadast infectious disease parents are strongly advised to do so. it is a well-cstab ished fact, for instance, that ordinary vaccination protects against smallpox, and that by' a simple process of iuiniunisavion children may be safeguarded from diphtheria. it is obvious that treatment and care during early life is our first lino of defence against disease and suffering. The pre-school child is one of New Zealand's greatest' assets. The protection of the health of the pre-scliool child is the sacred trust and duty of every parent. Pare rife should avail themselves of the opportunities afforded by the Department of Health and other agencies for safeguarding the health and happilness of this important section of the community'. Many .voting lives wi l he saved and much sickness avoided by this co-operation.