Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-06-24
Learning to Walk.

Parents sometimes fall into the error
of supposiDg that bGckwarIness IN u
child is due simply to lack OF will, uu-
connected with the question Of muecu
lar strength. This IL very rarely. If
ever, the case. In i;.farcy and child
hood, if not entirely so At adult age,
the courage to do given thing COMES
with the ability to do it. d" He could
walk better if he hal mind 10" SAT-!
a Young mother OF her year and half
old boy who walked across the room
with some difficulty, and seemed to
make no progress towards fearlessne-s
on his feet.
fell warranted in saying that after
once "findiug his legs" a child eau
scarcely tie prevented from trottiDg
everywhere and continually. if he is
really strong enough TO do so. The
desire to win praise Is enough to make
q child even venturesome beyond his
strength; the very fun Of che thing
leads him to perform this novel action,
the sensual pleasure derived frcm put
ting the muscles in motion. when such
exercise is pleasure, as it alwaya will
be Just SO far as the proper degree oil
muscular strength exists TO perform the
given action, impels the little fellow to
keep on the 60 until almost ready to
drop in his tracks. Physical strength
is the thing needed. and if an approx
mately correct regimen be maintained.
mental and moral forces will follow at
a normal rate, Just in accordance with
the individual inheritance.
A correct dietary for the youngling,
correct as to quantity and quality, will
not fail to produce the requisite phys
ical strength, or strictly speaking, each
individual infants normal muscular
development, providing be be sufficient
ly NEGLECTED; for if he be kept in
arms much-or at all, except when
necessary-apd not suffered to take care
of himself most II the time from the
first, his progress will be bindered and
the child altogether injured, just to the
degree to which the fault is carried.
All other things equal, the child whose
mother is obliged to leave him the most
to himself, for want of time or strength,
or the means to pay nurse, will make
the most rapid progress, and will turn
out not only the most self-relisnt, but,
and consequently, the most vigorous
and healthy.
Let no one hastily :1E clude that I am
advocating utter neglect of the infant,
or, indeed, the least neglect, correctly
considered. The parents may Ell ~
paying him all needed attention, and
play and frolic with him to their hearts
content, leaving him. however, to de-
velop his muscular system instead of
being arms and legs for him. except
when 1t is Necessary t" transport him
from crib to foor. !r,n, iloor TO carriage
or the lawn, etc
Let all parents bear ia mind that fat
is a source of weakness for the infant.
Flesh or muscle will. always DO in in
verse ratio to the s..aHnat II fatty tissue,
and, other things "a ;al, the fatter the
infant the weaker aud more prone to
disease he will be. 4 pretty safe rule,
generally speakiag-indeed the excep-
tions will be fowls to aim to restrict
the diet sufficiently to prevent the in-
FAINT from becoming any fatter than he
is at birth, when he may be considered
to be as, except in case of monstrosities,
in q normal condition of flesh. The
gain in weight should be at the rate OF
three fourths of a pound to one pound
per month. Any excess beyond this
will not be growth, but merely rolling
on of fatty tissue, which is d symptom
of disease. or rather disease itself, viz. ::
Authorization in excess OF the dt mands
of the system and beyond it's power of
elimination, or. in other words, fat is
composed mostly OF excrementious
substances that remain unexecrated,
Fat is enormously believed, by some.
to be necessary to equalize the temper
sture; to keep the babe warm" But
it is found that, other things equal. fat
persons are more sensitive to cold than
the lean. and cannot Withstand exposure
as we'll Household.