The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-12-03
The Care Of Young Children.

that MOtOcn 10 WnOm so many c0uQren
have been sacrificed in bygone days. fol
once asserted her influence on the side
of common sense when she decreed
that their necks, arms and legs should
be protected by proper clothing. A
few years ago it was not an uncommon
sight to see a mother warmly dressed,
in thick wooden, fur-trimmed garments,
leading by the hand child daintily ar
rayed in short frock with least two
inches of its poor little legs uncovered
between the edge of its drawers and
the top of its tiny white socks; or in
doors to see plump necks and rounded
arms exposed to an atmosphere (which
adults could meet only when swathed
to neck and wrists. Happily this alb
surd custom is thing of the past, and
one can only trust it never may be re-
vived. The error now is rather in the
other extreme. While children should
be warmly dressed, particularly when
going into the open air. care should be
taken not to overload them with cloth
ING. The sweat glands are very active
in youth, and if over-stimulated by
heat, become inflamed, producing heat
rash.
Light wooden materials should be
used in winter and colOrs selected that
will wash when necessary. The gar
ments should be so made as not to inn
pede the freest use of the limbs.
Healthy children require great deal of
exercise, and should be encouraged to
play vigorously and shout Justify for
some time every morning in the open
air. They will be much more ready to
play quietly in the nursery during the
remainder of the day than if they had
been taken for a decorous walk, which
is simply useless as exercise for the
young muscles that need strengthening
and developing. If perfectly well they
should be sent out in all weather, eX-
cept when it is absolutely raining. Then
they should have on part of their out
door clothing, be sent into a room
where the windows are open, and made
to play tag, puss-in-the-corner, or any
active indoor game, for half an hour or
more. Nothing is so fatal to children
as bad ventilation. Their bedroom
windows should invariably be open at
night; if there is any fear of draught
a light frame made to fit the window
with flannel tackled on each side of it
will admit fresh air and obviate the
difficulty.
No garment that has been worn dur
ing the day should be suffered to re-
main on during the night. A cotton
night-dress is all that is necessary in
summer. In winter, or if the child has
a delicate chest, or is subject to Group,
a scarlet flannel Jacket may be added.
Children should be thoroughly bathed
from head to foot every morning in
cold or tepid water. Nothing does
more to promote a healthy action of the
skin and make the complexion clear and
fresh than thorough daily additions.
The greatest attention should be paid
to the care of the teeth. Until a child
is old enough to use brush they should
be washed with soft rag dipped in cool
water at least twice day.
The hair should be well brushed with
a soft brush and never touched with a
fine comb, which, as we'll as stiff brush.
causes disease of the scalp. 1t should
be cleansed by washing in warm water
to which little borax has been added,
with plenty of white soap, and thor
oughly rinsing with clear water. The
hair grows frem the head, SO cutting the
ends can do no possible good. If it
splits at the ends it is owing to de-
ficiency of natural oil, and may be rem
edied by using a little sweet oil. 1t is
q popular fallacy that the extreme
growth of hair tends to weaken the
system. If it is cut nature will produce
fresh hair more quickly, thus increas-
ing instead of lessening the strain on the
productive powers.
Children require plenty of healthful,
substantial, nourishing food; they not
only have to repair the daily waste of
the system but also to create new bone
and muscle every day. An infant
should have food at first once in two
hours during the day and four at night.
When older. once in four hours will be
sufficient. Young children should have
a bowl of bread and milk, or at least a
cup of milk, on first waking in the
morning, if any length of time elapses
between their rising and the regular
breakfast. They can be taught to like
almost anything if its use is begun sutfi-
GENTLY early. Oatmeal porridge is an
excellent article of diet; it may be
varied by hominy, boiled rice, porridge
of white or yellow Indian meal, etc.
Soft-boiled eggs are also good. Tender,
Juicy, broiled beefsteak and roast beef
or roast mutton are better than lamb or
veal, as they contain more nutriment.
Well-made soups and broths and fresh
vegetables are never out of place. SIM
pie buildings should be substituted for
pastry, which children never should be
allowed to touch. The supper should
consist of bread and milk. or bread and
butter, with slice of plain cake. Tea
and coffee had better be dispensed with
until eighteen or twenty. The good
effect Of going without them wal be