KICKING EXERCISES FOR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18614, 16 November 1928, Page 15

KICKING EXERCISES FOR BABIES.

Babies must have exercise if they are to grow up strong and healthy with well-developed limbs. Too often a baby is clothed in long, unsuitable garments and expected to lie for hours quietly in his pram. A baby needs plenty of sleep, it is true, and it is splendid for him to sleep in his pram in the open air. He also needs warm clothes, but his limbs should not be restricted, and he should be given opportunity every day of indulging in exercise to his heart’s content. Every morning and evening, after his bath, let him lie on a clean, thick blanket or rug in front of the fire and clad in just a vest. He will kick his little legs in the air and gurgle with delight. In the summer, when the weather is perfectly dry, a thick rug may be placed on the ground—in a play-pen if possible—and the baby can be allowed to kick and crawl as he pleases. Unless he has freedom for development his muscles will be soft and flabby, and his limbs weak. Light, loose woollen clothes are the best, probably. They should be cosy enough to keep him warm, and sufficiently porous for sunlight and air to penetrate to the skin.