The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-28
DON'T PINCH BABY.
Al About Bands and strap and Sleeves
and Ankle Fsstenings.

Al About Bands and strap and Sleeves
and Ankle Fsstenings.
None of US would inflict such cruelty
with thumb and finger. but how is 1t
with baby's clothing-bands and straps
and sleeves and ankle fastenings? Are
we sure that they are soft and giving
on the sensitive flesh and tender little
limbs?
How much our helpless babies can
suffer from bands and bindings that
choke and chafe them with their
scratchy, goading edges. we can not
know, since our skin, doubtless, is
thirty years older. and maybe. that
many times tougher than babys.
Perhaps we do know how irritatingly
uncomfortable are the pinching sleeves
of some wiry, rasping dress that allow
ed fashion to cut with too snug fit to
our arms Then let us be merciful in
cutting sleeves and arm-sizes for our
little folks, whose tender flesh is sOrely
chafed by a rough seam, and whose
arms round out so fast, and allow gen.
erous space for breathing and growing
room.
ALI seams and bindings on baby's
clothing should be made perfectly
smooth and flat, and as soft as can be
sewed from silk gauze flannel, and UNI
starched. finest cambria. that no buDg-
ling ridges. or hard, scratchy edges
may goad the sensitive flesh.
Not long since, l saw a fond auntie
making under-waists for her little
nieces, one and three years old. The
garments were cut from stout I'M
bleached drilling that would wear like
sheet iron and give almost as little.
For greater strength, the arm sizes
were bound with a strip Of the same
stout goods, making a thick, scraping
finish that was hard and rough enough
to rasp the skin from an ox's neck If it
had encircled it. But no less cruelty
was in the scrimping dimensions OF
these arm holes: cut 80 small that the
little fat arms could scarcely be
squeezed through them. Not bit of
space allowed for the play and growth
and breathing room for the poor little
choked limbs.
In selecting boots for our little peo-
pie we must see that plenty Of ankle
and instep, as we'll as toe room, is
given the fast growing feet. You and
find acute misery in pinching boots.
especially across the instep. How
much more baby must suffer with cruel
structures cutting into her soft flesh
strangling sensitive chords!
| have seen sock ribbons and ankle
tie straps drawn so tightly that the
plumpness of baby's ankles was pinched
into purple ridge. and who has not
seen both scrawny and fat little feet so
strangled in too snugly buttoned boots
that the warm blood could not circulate
in them and ice-cOld feet be one of the
evil consequences?
Little fOlks-and big folks. too. as
for that, need breathing room all over;
feet and arms and wrists and ankles.
lungs and stomach and bowels, and
common sense tells us to let them have
it
Plenty of breathing room. and good.
pure air to breathe. with common sense.
care and cleanliness, means sound
body and a sunny nature for the grow
ing baby.
When your little one is fretful and
troublesome, instead Of attributing its
irritability and wretchedness to collie or
teeth or worms. as we are so apt to do.
see if baby's miserableness is not caused
by cruel bunch or band or seam that
somewhere is chatting or choking its
person. -Clarissa Potter, in Ladies'
Home Journal