Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-21
NURSERY COOKERY.
FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN,
By Christine Terhune Herrick.


SOnllHueu from last week.
Until the baby Is a year or so old, Il
is comparatively easy matter to reg
ulate his diet. MILK and prepared foods
seem natural and obvious, and IL 1t is a
first child, the mother has often whole
some dread of consequences that move
her to stick to a simple regimen. II
she oversr-ps this at all, it is probably
by giving the baby something like a
well. picked chicken bone or a hard
cracker to suck on, which If II does him
no good is not likely to work him any
especial harm. Thus the foundations.
at least, are laid of a healthy digestion.
When the child is old enough to come
to the table the mischief is likely to be-
gin. This is neither the time nor the
place to descant upon the comfort to
the parent Of habits of obedience in thI
child. But it may at least be said that
when these have been inculcated, the
task of regulating the little ones eating
is greatly lessened He does not make
a stir by his protests when certain arti-
Giles of food are denied him, but accepts
the mothers decision as absolute. in
this rs in other things.
A great deal of nonsense is talked
about the cruelty shown to small chill
dren in refusing them dishes that they
see their elders eat The parallel of poor
old Tnntalus is much overworked in
this connection. Parents should bear In
mind that there is a great difference
between the impulse that makes the
child beg for olives or pickles, and the
inclination of their own appetites in the
same direction. With the child the re-
t. n al. h.,
tativeness that evolutionists 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-
fusal is no cruelty to a craving, for
this he does hot feel. 1t is merely a
check upon his curiosity and his de-
sire to copy his neighbors. When he
has once been granted sample of a
coveted dainty, the bars are down. The
assertion that the baby cannot have
this or that because 1t is not good for
him has lost its force If the flavor of
the food has been pleasing to the baby
palate, the parent has created a taste
which possibly she cannot crafty with
OUT injury to the child. Should he fail
to relish the morsel, he has still learned
no lesson, for since his request has
been 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 fin
gers, the pleading of baby lips and eyes
she is smoothing her own path as well
as his. 1t will not take him long to learn
that mamas mo, no, that Is not good
for babies" is final. After a while, he
will cease almost entirely to proffer
pleas he has learned will not be granted
The mother should accept as an in
uisputapie truth the statement SO otter
and authoritatively made by dietitians
that babies digestions are not smaller
reproductions of those of their parents
| Their gastric organs lack certain pow
ers that they acquire with age. 1t Il
| folly to do as some apparently brain.
| bereft parents have done, and begin Il
| accustom children of tender age to ca
the things that will be their food wheI
they are older. AS well insist that
| young lamb or calf should devour ha,
and feed when 1t Is but twenty-fou
hours old.
One fond father of my acquaintance
who belonged to that unfortunately larg
class Of the community, who can neve
be taught anything, carried this theor
to its legitimate conclusion. From tn
time his baby was two months old, h
had 1t brought to the table, and fed tn
hapless innocent a taste of everythin
he had upon his own plate. 1t was 4
vain that the child, with semblance @
good sense that far exceeded his faith
| nrtC Of ha4 a.,
tue, protested with all the strength c
his infant lungs. Vegetables, grav,
sauces, tea, coffee, anything that coul
be given in liquid form or was sol
enough to be swallowed without chew
ing, was rammed down the poor baby
throat. If kind nature had not pre-
vided his stomach with reflex actio
in good working order, there woul
have been early occasion for coroner
, inquest.
ITO be continued next weekly