Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-03

it's hearts content, without the sitting
enervating hindrance of fluffy pillows
and innumerable gift blankets, does not
need much binding with hands to keep it
in shape, nor swaddling in long petit
coats to keep it warm, nor jostling about
to keep it distracted in lieu of its being
comfortable and happy.
A warm enough shirt, long warm
stockings fastened to the diaper (if legs
need protection), and clean, light, short
little cotton slip, with one flannel one
underneath when needed, is clothing
enough. Thus the small busybody can
kick clear of skirt with encouragement,
to move SO vigorously and busily as to
stimulate its breathing and circulation
and keep it warm from its own exertion,
rather than from enervating dependence
for warmth upon stuffy, discouraging
clothing, that weakens the skin, circula-
ton and general vigor.
A good rule is to put nothing on
baby that you can possibly leave off.
The baby will thank you for the favor
with all its little might of good temper
and fine growth. Cold-water shock is a
fine tonic for wee ones. They squeal a
bit over it at first, but they thrive amaz-
ingly on its stimulation of their deep,
strong breathing and brisk circulation,
and. its refreshing and strengthening of
the body's surface. Cold-dOuche babies
are never croupy ones. Of course, cold
shock must be variously and individually
adapted. Vigorous exercise is its best
preparation and conclusion. Hot water
or hot blankets before and after cold
shock are useful helps to good reaction.
The value of bathing with soap and
warm water seems hardly to need en-
phasis here; the need of the body to be
refreshed and stimulated by cleansing
it's pores, not necessarily of dirt from
outside contact-of which the baby gets
very little-but from the secretions
thrown out into the pores by the body's
daily processes of growth and change.
Outdoors is good for babies, but not If
they have to get it with too much dis
comfort. Its value lies not in what baby
sees outdoors. but in the amount of clean,
vigorous, outdoor air that baby can
breathe and assimilate and utilize. Out
doors is of little good to the overbundled,
be-pillowed little lump, bolstered up
with fashionable folderols in a lettering
baby carriage on popular thoroughfare.
A baby gets more good of outdoors
through open doors and windows, where
it may lie and stretch and kick and
breathe fully and freely on its mattress,
unburdened with supertluous wrappings
and pillows. These joy-giving mattress
es can be used on piazza or on the
grass, and serve baby (however much
mother or nurse may miss) vastly better
than any carriage for many months of
it's early life. Beside the dangers from
overbundling baby in carriage, where
its enforced inactivity prevents its keep
ing itself warm, there is danger of sit
ting a baby up with pillows long before
it is ready to sit up comfortably or safe
ly. If the muscles are not ready to hold
baby in sitting posture easily and firm
ly, the poor little body slumps down
until there is no chance for adequate
breathing or digestion or circulation.
Pillows never do muscles work, and
they often hinder muscles from doing
their own work.
Letting babies lie down and stretch
and breathe and turn until they have
strengthened their muscles into readi-
ness to sit up of their own accord is the
beginning of wisdom in physical care.
Adult training does wisely nowadays in
following the same precaution. Over
taxed muscles throw too much burden
back upon bone and organs, upon nerves
and energy. Just this one simple, mex
pensive precaution of letting babies lie
fat, with free, deep breathing, and easy
twistings and turnings until they sit up
of themselves, is rare boon. 1t is also
a potent charm against indigestion, weak
lungs and throat, flabby muscles, SILVER
ing circulation, bending bones and fret
full nerves. Uncomfortable babies are
either rebelliouSly cross or discouraged
ly resigned.
If baby is kept free to breathe and
move easily and pleasantly and thorough
ly all that it wants to, and no more,
nature will see to it that its bones, mus
cles and functions are exercised and
strengthened and made adequate to
meet and master safely and we'll each
successive requirement of growth. If a
baby is not put to sit up" but is kept
strengthening its muscles by stretchings
and twistings and turnings until it sits
itself up, there will be no danger of
bones not having had time to strengthen
duly, nor of weak muscles throwing
back on to bones; no danger of thus early
beginning the tragedies of bent backs,
pnched chests, feeble breathing, general
weakness and liability to disease with
that pathetic lack of youthful exuberance
and baby joyousness so common among
frail children.
Among baby exercises preparatory to
babies "sitting themselves up are many
amusing ones. Lay the baby fiat on its
back, hold the little feet down, and coax
baby to pull up by holding to one of
your fingers. Gradually give less and
less pulling help of your finger; then,
without finger, let baby pull itself up
with arms straight down at sides or out
stretched or upstretched. This is good
strengthening of the muscles forming
the front wall of the body.
For strengthening the back muscles,
lay the baby fiat on its stomach, with the
front of the body hanging off support.
Hold the little feet down and the arms
outstretched, and coax the up-pulling of
the body by the back muscles, with help
at first, and finally without help. with
children old enough, swimming move
ments of the arms may be introduced
for increasing time-endurance.
In all exercise care should be taken to
keep good chest position and expansion,
and to keep the breathing deep and full.
To this end avoid exercises and arm po-
positions that tend to INSTRUMENTATION.
The side-stretching of the arms with
backward swing and full circling from
the shoulder are excellent. In all work
the arms should be kept far apart, to al
low free uplift and expansion of the
chest.
One prime requisite to full, free
growth is freedom from the bondage of
Outgrown, narrow-chested, narrow-back- |
ed, tight-sleeved garments. Many faults |
of development have been caused by the |
difficulties of cramping clothing.
In good-sitting pOise baby has great
joy in bending and rolling its trunk and
head forward and back and at the sides,
and finally all the way around, to stretch
and timber and strengthen its eager lit
tie neck and waist muscles. All of the
arm stretchings, slowly and without
Jerks, are helpful here il the chest is
Kept always in the lead of good position.