Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-14
NURSERY COOKERY.
FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.
BY Christine Terhune Hcrrick.
Continued from last wcck)

Until the baby is year or so old, it is "A
comparatively easy matter to 10 guldtc his
diet MIX and prepared foods seem n|-
tural and obvious and if ii is first child,
the mother has often wholesome dread
Of consequences that move her to suck to
II simple eg,mon. If she oV,rstcps this at
all, it is probably by giving The baby
something like a weil-Iit tcd oh ckCn bone
or hard cracker to suck on, which if IT
does him no good is not likely TO work
him any especial harm Thus the founda-
tons, at least, are laid of a healthy diges-
ton.
When the child is old enough to como 10
the table the mischief is likely to begin
This is neither the time nor the place to
doscant upon the comfort to The parent of
habits of obedience in the child. But it
may at least he said thai when these havo
bccen in .Ul'ated, the task Of regulating
the little ones eating is greatly losseneaL
lie does not make stir by his protests
when certain articles Of food are denied
linn, but accepts the mothers decision as
absolute, in this as in other things.
\ great deal Of nonsense is talked about
the cruelty shown to small children in re-
fusing them dishes that they sec their cid
crs eat The parallel of poor old Tantllus
is much overworked in this connection.
Parents should bear i'm mind that there is
great difference between the impulse
that makes the child beg for Olives or
uppctltes in the same direction. With the
child the request is born of curiosity and
The imitatVeness that eVJlutiOnists would
say he derived from the monkey strain
IN his makeup. He is ignorant OF the
taste Of the thing he demands and its re-
i1sal is no cruelty to q craving, for this
he does not feel. 1t is merely a check up
on his curiosity and his dc sire to copy his
neighbors When he fas once been grant
rd a sample OF a coveted dainty, the bars
Bre down. The assertion that the baby
rannot have this or that because ii is not
good for him has lost its force. If the
navor of the food has been pleasing to the
baby palate, the parent has created a
taste which possibly sha cannot crafty
without injury to the child. Should ne
fail to relish the morsel. he has stll learn
I'd no lesson, for since his request has hcen
once granted he sees no reason why he
should not beg to try any dish that takes
his fancy
Thus does the mother make trouble for
herself. on the other hand, If she holds
firm against the coaXing Of baby fingers,
Abe pleading Of baby lips and eyes she Is
Jmoothing Ter own path As well as his. 1t
will not take him lorg II learn that ma
mas NO, no, that is not good for babies,
IS final After a while. he will cease al
plost entirely to profGer pleas he has
learned viii not be granted.
The mother should accept as an indts-
putable truth the statement 81 often ana
iuthoritatively made by detitians, that
babies digestions are not smaller repro
1nctions of those of their parelts. Their
gastric organs lack certain powers that
they acquire with age. 1t is folly to do as
some apparently brainboroit parents have
done, and begin to aCCustOm cheldren of
I ndor ago to eat the things that Will he
their food when they are older. As we'll
insist that a young lamb or calf should
dcvour hay and feed when it is but TWEEN
ty-fOur hours old.
one fond father of my acquaintance, who
belonged to that unfortunately large class
OF the community, who can never bt
taught anything, carried this theory to its
legitimate conclusion. From the time his
baby was two months old, he had II
brought to the table, and fed the hap'esS
innocent taste IF everything he had up
On his own plate. II was in vain that the
child with a semhanCc of good sense thai
far exceeded his fathers actual possession
OF that rare virtue, protested with all til,
strength of his infant lungs. Vegetables
gravy, sauces, tea, coffee, anything tina
could be given in LIQUID form or was soft
enough 20 he swallowed without chewing
was rammed down the poor babys throat
If kind nature had not provided his stom
ach with Il reflex action in good WOrhnf
order. there would have been early occas
ion for a CORNERS inquest.
(To be continued next week.