Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-07-18
A WORD TO MOTHERS.
A NEW WOMAN'S PLAIN TALK ABOUT
THE CARE OF BABIES.
Let the Little Fellow Sleep and Eat and
Don't Imagine He Wants His Muvver to
Swoop Down Upon Him and Snatch Him
Up Every Time He Cries a Bit.

Swoop Down Upon Him and Snatch Him
Up Every Time He Cries q Bit.
II motherhood means anything, it should
include the duties of a relationship dating
from tine conception of the child to the
close Ufrtfn life Of either mother or child.
Yet tho average mother concerns herself,
IL not wholly, then chiefly, with ministra-
tion to the merely physical needs Of baby
hood.
From the time the child leaves her arms
tho bond Of relationship ceases to develop,
and with the growing years the child Is
more and more isolated from mental or
spiritual association with the mother.
The inability Of the mother to realize
her grownup son as anything but her
baby" her "little boy" has it's senti
mental and poetic side, and it is put to
frequent literary use. But that mothers
do actually fail so completely to keep in
touch and in Intelligent and adequate ma
ternal relationship to the child, rs it de-
vclops from babyhood into manhood, is a
fact to be deplored, not applauded.
Even during babyhood, the period met
with some degree of efficiency by the aver
ago mother the standard of good mother
hood seems based totally upon considcra-
ton Of tho physical needs only of the child.
A consuming passion of maternal ten
derness, an inordinate vanity and pro-
found ignorance or disregard of hygienic
principles is the equipment Of the usual
mother in her attempt to direct the begin
ming Of her child's life.
A never failing flow of affection and
jealous watchfulness, hysterical anxiety
n I la, nnI n
dition create the mental atmosphere in
which tho childs nature develops.
Baby mustn't be allowed to cry q min
ute If any conceivable gymnastics can stop
him. That is accepted rs canon of nurs-
cry government from the beginning. The
rule elastically providing that if gymnas
tics fail food may accomplish the soothing
effect, or, when the happy infant has at
tanned n month or so of discretion, allow
ing him his own way, whatever it is, must
DO rcsortcd to, the high and mighty man
date being that "the darlin mustn't ky,
no indccdy."
All this IS wrong, an outrage to the
child's physical and mental and moral
well being and fearful reflection upon
the intelligence Of the parents
From the time the child is out of the
doctors and tho monthly nurses" hands
let 1t alone as much ms possible.
Wrap it loosely in light flannel. Don't
let it pcrspirc, and don't let it get chilled,
and don't ovcrfccd it, 1t should do little
moro than cat and sleep for Mt least ten
days. 1t shouldn't be handled or koochied
or pulled about or chlckcd or made tG
mile TO Its granny" 1t should be let
alone. Handle it M little as possible. 1t
really isn't thoroughly alive yet, and no
matter what gasping wagglements tho
combined assaults of al its relatives may
induce 1t does not 'know it's papa, and
it doesn't want to.
If he cries, something is tho matter with
him. TO swoop upon him and yell in his
ears that ho wants % muvvcr- ruvver, so e
did, and to skirt dance him around the
chandelier and yell ut him will only make
more the matter with him.
or course he may stop crying, but it
will be because he Is scared to death or is
SO confused that no forgcts which end he
ought to cry with, but the original cause
of his discomfort Is probably not removed,
but only fcarfully augmented.
Tho we'll ordered baby, who is being let
alone and not oveTed, cries for some per-
fcctly simple reason. Maybe he wants
turning over, perhaps his clothes have
grown tight while his last meal digests,
maybe he is thirsty and wants u little wa
ter, possibly it's u pin. Probably his di-
do-lumpsics-cal them what you like, If
you only attend to them-want changing.
If he is properly treated baby, ten to one
1t is one Of these troubles that produces the
cry; 1t isn't collie, because he hasn't been
ovorfrd or hanged about after eating; it
isn't because "he wanted to dit up and
havvcr lite womp wiz mnvver," because
he didn't. 1t isn't because he fought he
muvv0r had done often left i'm, )" because
he doesn't care u bit whether she has or
not. 1t probably isn't because he is Jus
ms mad aS he toud he, " though it is likely
enough to he that after you have waved
him about in tho air awhile and screamed
RibbcrSh Mt him.
1t may he nice and pretty to sit for hours
with the child in your arms, watching it
while it sleeps, but it isn't good for the
child--or for you either. He will sleep
much moro wholesomcly on n nice blanket
covered hard bed, and whilcyou may make
charming "mothcr and child" picture
hanging over him you will DO aSphyxiat-
ing him ut the Same time by breathing in
his face
And that is what is happening when all
the relatives on both sides of tho house
hang over his poor little puckcratcd face
and say, "Wnzzrr bcsSid 'ittlc lammio;
bidder lower rantie, So he diddir." So he
dontic, poor thing. The only wonder is
you don't kin hlm before he is n pair of
weeks old. And have no doubt he often
wishes you would and put him out VI his
misery New York Advertiser.