Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24
CARE OF CHILDREN
Little Comforts for Their Play
Room.
HINTS ABOUT HEALTH
ESPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE
PAID THE EYES.
Sunlight and Fresh Air Are Absolutely
Necessary in Bed and
School Rooms.
HINTS ABOUT HEALTH
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
How little do grown-up people sometimes
consider the courtesy due to children! They
reprimand and discipline them very often
for conduct which is the result of their
own example. I have seen a man play with
a little boy of five or six, boxing his ears
and cutting him about in the toughest man.
ner, much the same as you would play
with a little puppy. Can such play have
any other effect than to make the boy rough
and unmannerly? Children are imitators
and too much care cannot be used in their
treatment. We should chastse them If
they wantonly destroy furniture, china
bric-a-brac or objects of value to us vet
| their possessions which cumber the house
are thrown in the fire or in the ash barrel
though they may be of priceless value to
the little owner. 1t may be only a pebble
fancied for it's shape or color or a broken
doll or defaced toy. but as valuable to it's
childish possessor as any of our treasures
of Sevres or Venetian glass. Then treat
these possessions with respect.
In every house there should be a room set
aside for the children and their playthings
This may be their sleeping room if the
house is small. but it should be the lightest
and best ventilated room in the house. If
there are several children to play in 1t it is
better to give them each a box or closet to
keep their playthingS in and thus teach
| them neatness and avoid little chickering's
If there are only two children, if the room
is of good size they may each have a play
closet to themselves. For the little girl
this should form nice doll house as well
as place for toys, a place which will be
sacred from the profaning hand of baby
brother or elder sister where dolly can be
put to sleep in her little cot and her baby
carriage and china tea set are never med
died with pleasant, coy corner in which
IA MI Ia " 70
small rocking chair adds to the comfort of
this pretty doll house.
little boy would appreciate a different
kind of closet A small wardrobe makes a
very nice ore. Some shelves should be fitted
in to hold the playthings, and the knob or
fastening must be within reach.
A Convenient Plan.
If the room is small a cupboard in the
corner is a nice arrangement. Should
there be a paneling small closet resting
on the ledge is nice, with two steps below.
These steps serve two purposes-first, to
enable the little one to reach the closet.
and, second, to build his block houses and
lay out his puzzles on. Perhaps a more
economical arrangement would be to fit
couple of shelves in the wall and cover
them with a neat chintz curtain
Even in a small fiat. where every bit of
space has to be utilized and the little one
cannot have room to itself. a place should
be set. aside for its playthings. l know
lady who has a box in one corner of the
kitchen, and all the playthings belonging
TO her little son are safe and sacred there.
He has been taught that if he gathers them
up and places them in this box instead of
leaving them around the house thew will
not be disturbed and so neatness is as
sured. We too often expect children to be
considerate of other peoples peace and
comfort when no attention is paid to theirs.
To treat them with the politenesS and con-
SiGeratl0O shown to TpoD1n pplli1
teach them practical lesson which would
render them much easier to manage and
leave its refining impress on their conduct.
A Drawing Board.
A source of great amusement in nursery
is an improVised drawing board made of a
width of unbleached muslin. This is tackled
as firmly as possible to the wall with brass
headed lacks. To go with this box of
cc!ored chalks with which to draw the
pictures will give much pleasure to a little
embryo artist. The drawings may be rub
bed out with the same kind of sleeps wool
eraser as is used on the blackboard in The
school room. This cOntrivance is so simple
and inexpensive and yet gives so much
pleasure that it is well worth considering.
Inc chlldrens room should be furnished
SIMPLY and comfortably. 1t should have a
stained floor or clean Japanese mating.
The cots should be iron and the covering
light and warm. The room itself should
never be overheated. Children, as well as
grown people, should sleep in room, the
temperature of which does not exceed 60
degrees And even in the daytime the room
should be somewhat cool and airy. The
little one becomes heated in it's play, and
the young blood goes racing through the
veins SO that much artificial heat is "a SUI
pert1uity. l have seen infants in overheat-
ell rooms wrapped in flannels, their very
heads covered lest a breath of air reach
them. Think of the suffering it would lie
to US II we were swathed in wooden cloth
ing in stuffy room. Imagine the flannel
bands the wooden shirts and pnning
blanket the trailing robes, and over all
cradle quilt or wool coverlet. Then addcd
10 TINS is often consuming and unSatIs-
ned thirst. Baby cries, and mamma says
1t is pin and searches it's clothes. Aunt
Mary is sure it is wind on its stomach ard
administers gin tea, which stupefies, but
does not quench its thirst, while all the
time the poor child is suffering the iornienss
OF thirst, which only little cold water will
relieve. This is especially likely to occur
in an oVerheated room or during hot
weather. Imagine what you would suffer
If you were helpless and unable to make
your wants known. A little cold water
should be frequently offered to babies II
they do not drink at one time that should
not deter you from Offering it again. Even
very young babies require an Occa Sional
sip of water. The poor little infant cannot
speak to tell us of its sufferngs and very
often they go unheeded and unsupported.
l am sure that they must suffer /, good
deal more from heat and thirst than any
one suppoSes.
Guard the Eyesight.