The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-07-26
Personal Habits of Children

ONOOAASAA 11ehbAO0 VI O111IOI Gil.
If children are expected to grow into
refined cultivated people, nothing can
be more important than commencing
very early to train them into habits of
gentle, sensible human beings. 1t may
seem a very trifing matter to many a
mother whether her boy comes to the
table with his hair neatly brushed, his
finger nails cleaned or his collar on awry
or not; or whether the little daughter is
taught to knock at her sisters door for
admittance, or bursts right in, taking the
elder one quite unawares. But these
things are not trifing matters at all.
Many worthy people who would not
knowingly iptrude upon others, or offend
them IN any way, are constantly through
lack of early training, committing Of
fences against taste and propriety for
good breeding is like the aroma of the
spice or the perfume of the howef-some-
thing that belongs to a person. 1t can
not be put on as dinner dress or travel
ling costume can be, and taken off at
pleasure
Particularly should all the little per-
sonal habits which go to make. up the sum
total of neatness and propriety in chill
dren, be so ingrained in their early
training, as to become a part and parcel
of themselves. A child does not like to
use toothbrush with regularity, nor
submit to have its nails evenly and regu-
larly pared, nor its hair washed but a
child needs to be taught that these little
matters are part of its regular exist
ence-no more to be neglected than eat
ing when hungry, or drinking when thirs-
ty; Among the very wealthy who can
afford to keep a nursery governess, part
OF whose duty it is to specially attend to
these little matters on the part. of the
children, they are not usually apt to be
neglected; but in large family where
the mother is housewife, and all too fire.
quently maid work in addition,
somehow or other the children are some
times neglected. 1t may seem necessary
they should be; yet Of all places to slight
duty, here is the very last surely to be-
gin or even to end. They ought not for
one single day to be so left out of sight,
that their personal habits are not mat
ter of great moment to the mother. From
the day the little one first comes into the
home, it has claim to attention which
grows stronger and stronger all the time.
If the infant does not eat and sleep pro-
perly, trouble in after life will ensue. If
the little child bites its nails it may live
to regret the habit. And taken in sea-
son, any habit can be broken or acquired
at the will of the parent. In this matter
of forming habits of personal neatness
and order in the little ones, parents are
very often very neglectful. 1t is a sub
ject any mother may well take home to
herself.
Do not permit child to wear boot
or shoe either too short or tight in any
way. 1t will deform the foot and cause
corns and bunions, which are hard to
cure. Frequent bathing of the hair in
warm water, with or without little cas-
tile soap or borax, keeps it clean. 1t
should be well dried. To wash long hair,
part it evenly over the head, braid the
tresses in quite small braids, not too
closely to the scalp, and do not unbrai1
until the hair is nearly dry. Frequent
brushing improves human hair. Little
folks should go into bath at least twice
a week, if every day be impracticable.
In summer time it is very refreshing to
a tired, soiled child to give it good
before getting into bed. Then,
with clean sheets and a free conscience,
any child ought to sleep we'll and get up
bright and happy in the morning Teeth !
should be cleaned Immediately after eat
ing, to remove any particles of food which
may have collected about them. 1t is not
well either to work or play directly after
a full meal Ithinders digestion, and is
a fruitful cause Of after troubles. Neither
should food be bolted down. If the meal
be but an apple and bit of bread, it
should be eaten slowly and we'll mastica
ted before swallowing TIE Mother's