MOTHER AND HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16641, 25 January 1922, Page 9

MOTHER AND HOME.

A Home-made Bath Mat.—ln these days of high prices, anything that can be prepared at home instead of purchased in a shop is well worth a thought, and as a rule plenty of material can be gleaned from an old blanket to make a very serviceable bath mat, and if the blanket should be thin then a double thickness of material can be used. The mat should measure 30in by 24in, and upon either side an anchor is roughly worked with dark blue washing thread, and in the centre the words “ bath mat ” are worked in featherstitching with the same material. The mat is bound at the edges with dark blue braid, and loops of tape are sewn to tlie upper corners so that it can be hung upon nails in the wall to dry after it has been used. When used in a bedroom it can be suspended from the handles of a chest of drawers or hung by loops over the back of a chair. Care of the Sickly Babe.—A child that is prematurely born, or Bickly from birth, needs extra care and attention, and there are thousands of children who die within a few weeks, or even hours, of birth through one or other of these causes. It is now made possible, by means of the baby incubator, to save the life of a child prematurely born, and hundreds of fragile little creatures have become rosy, romping mites by its use. Baby incubators are used in the hospitals and public institutions, and it is also possible to hire one for a specified length of time.

Baby’s Basket.—Here in the night nursery or bedroom we keep all the accessories for baby’B toilet. Tradition decrees that the basket holding the many little necessaries used in dressing baby shall, like his cradle, be daintily trimmed, and the mother ill be well advised to choose a standing basket, with wicker handle, so that she need not be constantly stooping to reach what she needs. The bath should also be on a stand, with towel rod, sponge bowl and soap dish underneath, and if the JSath has ail inverted rim it will prevent splashing. Children’s Need for Sympathy.—The child demands sympathy, companionship. love. Every child needs companionship—someone to whom every little joy may be imparted. Some of the most conscientious and devoted parents who have ever lived have been those who have never given any companionship to their children, and the same reserved habit still shows itself in some households. A woman of genius once said that she did not know liow to tell the time until she was eighteen, because her father had undertaken to explain it to her when she was twelve, and she was afraid to let him know sh© had failed to comprehend him. Yet she said that he had never spoken to her one harsh word. It was simply his attitude of cold repression that froze her.

Swallowing Solids.—When solid articles, such as buttons or beads, have been swallowed, on no account give the child an emetic. Send for the doctor, give the little patient buns or bread and butter, and induce him to eat. The dangerous article may thus become embedded without injury to the digestive tract. A Help in Teething.—A coral or bone ring is often of great assistance at teething time ; for centuries it has been the practice to give a baby something to bite when teething. Sometims rubbing the gum gently with a lump of sugar will assist the tooth to come through and afford the little one some relief, whilst quite a simple and efficacious plan is for the mother to dip her finger in fresh lemon juice and gently rub the gum. When nursing a child who is cutting his teeth the gums can often be gently rubbed in this way. The little mouth will often be found to get hot and dry, and if the mother wets her finger in cold water and therewith moistens the gums, it will tend to soothe and refresh the child, whilst drinks of cold water may be given a sip at a time. Woman’s crowning glory is her hair and it is hardly necessary to emphasise the fact that special care should be taken in brmshing tlie hair and keeping the scalp clean. The head should be tboroup<hly washed every two or three weeks if possible, as it strengthens the hair and is a great preventive against taking cold. Some are possessed of the erroneous idea that frequent washing of the hair has a tendency towards weakening the roots or causing it to fall out. This ib a mistake. As the c? ace aru * t * le are benefited by regular bathing and cleansing, so are the hair and scalp. Best Way to Brush.—A good recipe ior stiengthening the hair and preventing it from coining out is made of loz of cantharides, joz of eau de cologne and loz of rosewater. Give the scalp a good brisk brushing, and then apply tins tonic twice a day to the roots of the hair. Always brush the hair gently and thoroughly for at least ten minutes every morning and evening, taking long, quick strokes. Do not drag the brush or comb through in a reclT less, careless manner, as by this rough habit short, loose, broken hairs are made which are very annoying and troublesome. . The \ alue of Iron.—lt is not everyone whose system is benefited by iron, and ii the taking of it causes a dull pam over tlie eves, theu it mav be taken as a sign that no benefit is being derived from its use. But in cases of nneetriia iron can usually be taken with excellent results, but it should, to derive the full benefit from its use, be taken m a liquid form, as iron pills may quite possibly pass through the body quite undigested. A close of a tea spoonful three times a day will sometimes work wonders.