Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-07-15
Children at the Table.

Among the upper and middle classes
of English society the practice of iso-
lating children from the general family
life is much in vogue. They have their
nurses and governesses, are kept much
in the open air, and spend more time
in the country than in the city. What
ever dissipation the London season may
bring to their elders, the effects do not
reach the children. The little ones
have their full amount of sleep, and eat
by themselves and not with the family,
while their food is palmer than that
upon the tables of their fathers and
mothers. To some extent this custom
reaches to the lower classes.
A German child, on the contrary, sits
or stands at the table with his elders
and consumes his full share of food and
drink, while frequently very little at
tention is paid to decorous manners.
A few American families, who have
wealth sufficient to afford large reti-
nue. of servants, accustom their chill
dren to the same table habits at least
as do the upper English classes. Yet
to have q child's table is far from being
the American style. Some sensible
fathers and mothers, while permitting
their little ones at the same table as
themselves, do restrict them to palmer
food; and demand of them quiet de-
meanor wilhelm the breakfast or dining
room. To strictly carry out this system
requires vigilance on the part of the
parent, and no little self-denial on that
of the child. To be constantly watch
ing the movements of little folks will
more or less break up the harmony of
the meal, and to place palatable food
before child, of which it may not par
take, is a frequent cause of demands
and concessions annoying in the ex-
treme This can be avoided by having
the children served in the nursery a
half hour or more before the family
meal, and if it is impracticable to hire
attendants, the mother herself can sit at
their table and serve them.
Possibly this arrangement might serve
rs an aid to check the rampant growth
Of Young Americanism, of which we
hear so much. Such suggestion will
undoubtedly shock many excellent
parents, who firmly believe in little
ladies' and little gentlemen. But old
heads on young shoulders are so much
the fashion that the style is becoming
somewhat stilted, and the element OF
reverence is fast becoming eliminated
from the typical American character.
Children ought to be. children, and
not miniature men and women, and iso-
lation tends to keep them so, Even at
their own table their manners should be
carefully watched. and all tendencies to
greediness or ill-temper quickly
checked.
II impossible or undesirable, for any
reason, 10 make this family arrange.
ment, then the children's place and
rights and the family table should be
carefully respected, and quiet, re-
spectful department insisted upon.
Bibs are all but necessary for little
folks. They should be large and tie
about the neck with tapes. Brown OF
white linen of coarse texture make
serviceable ones, or they can be made
of gingham.
Cereals, milk and fruit should form a
large share of their food, though there
are exceptional cases in which meat in
considerable quantity may be eaten
with benefit by the child, Fresh berries
or canned or stewed fruit is always
preferable to preserved, and sweet
baked apples invaluable. Simply
cooked oaten meal, wheaton grits
hominy. rice. ETC.. and plenty of mill
in sufficient quantity to satisfy hunger
should never be deaied a growing