OUR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17014, 12 April 1923, Page 10

OUR BABIES.

BY HYGEIA.Published under the auspices of tbo Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children. “ It is wiser to put. up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." THUMB SUCKING. Thumb sucking, if not corrected early, becomes a vicious and disfiguring habit. All such habits show iacK oi : self control and excess of indulgence; they militate against the child, s moral well being as much as, if not more than, against her physical. The homely remedy ot putting some bitter substance on the linger rarely acts a deterrent. Frequently, al»o, the mother * other efforts are neither method ic»J or sustained, and after some weks ol correction the child triumphantly goes on sucking her thumb, secretly rejoicing in the fact that alie has won. It. the child is able to understand, then her aid must be enlisted: thishelps to form character. It should be. explained that thumb-sucking (Handkerchief suckiug. sheet sucking, often re places this habit as it decrease.-, so mo thors should be on their guard to prevent these also), is wrong, and must stop: and that if the child \ persist s elbow cuffs will be put on the arms. Sometimes chamois gloves made with mil a thumb piece are all that is r« quived the disgrace of wearing t-hent goes very tar with some children. One must help the child by providing occupation for the hands. To dress :*c child in the morning and let her hang around till breakfast is ready, without anything to occupy her attention, am: then punish her for thumb-sucking, is | not going about tilings in the right ■ way. Prevent the act when possible, ! and the habit will gradually be broken, j But the secret of success is sustained ; continuous effort, then vigilance to pro- ! vert a recurrence. Children of six or j eight months can be cured very quickly j by attaching a piece of elastic to th“ j end of the cot ; this is forked, and an ! end passes to each wrist (where it us attached to n wristlet of flannel domed to fit comfortably), with sufficient play to allow of movement, but to prevent th v baud reaching the mouth. AN ELBOW CUFF. .An elbow cuff is easy to made. Take a piece of cardboard wide enough to go round a c hild s arm loosely, and long enough «•« reach from 2in to Bin above J to 2in to 3in below the elbow. It can : W< lined it necessary, and fastened t.> gether by adhesive plaster, and then slipped over the baby’s aim and attach ed to the sleeve of the dress by a tape (seivn on to the cuff) and safety pin. I bis allows tlie baby to move his elbows slight—he can play with his toys—his hands are free, but he cannot put them into his mouth. HABITSI I be live first years are the most impressionable - during them habits arc lormed and the mind is stamped with impressions; many parents fail to realise that true education begins long l»e----iore the child outers school. When the homo training has been good the well - trained teacher simply has to co-oper-ate with the paren ts; but where the parents have neglected the training ol the child the path of the teacher and child is strewn with difficulties. How often does a mother who has tailed to train her child threaten-'him with Just wait till you go to school! ’:- The child is afraid of the unknown, and much time has often to be spent by the teacher in gaining bis confidence before any corrective instruction J can commence. Some ehil- ! dren. arc* not even trained to regular, j cleanly habits before they are sent to I school .- may even be unable to inaniI pula te their garments, and are often | sadly unfamiliar with the proper use of j sanitary arrangements. Again the use J of the handkerchief has to be taught. flow does the pool- little chap fool who I till then has relied on the corner of his mother's apron? Uhildren should i»e taught to hold the handkerchief at the end of the nose as a receptacle, but. not to pinch the* nose, as this closes the passages an I not infrequently disturbs the position of the little bones in the ear, and may <-ause doef- ! ness. The best way to clear the nose j is to blow into the* handkerchief being J bunched up round the nose, without j an.\ squeezing of the nostrils. Train the child to cheerful obedience. self-reliance, and personal cleanliness: remembering always that tlie borne should be the real school anrl i ho place where foundations should be laid and inmressions made. Points like these, which may seem trivial, yet • often seriously militate against a I child's progress. Sow an act and I you reap a habit.” It is better always to form good'habits at the beginning than to attempt to uproot bad ones and substitute good ones biter on. Arts frequently repeated become automatic, and many are soon almost

beyond the ordinary control of the will--this is where good early training shows itself.