Middletown transcript., 1915-08-07
ANNUAL VACATIONS
Great Care Should be Taken of
the Little Folks
SUGGESTIONS FOR MOTHERS

| anu CIOWeu clJleS.
Among the host of travellers are MANY
babies and young children. Indeed. it
is chiefly on account of them that
parents are willing to take all the
trouble involved in the annual summer
pllgramage, the WEAKNESS of the Jour
ney, and the many inconvenience of a
temporary home.
They are, however, usually repaid by
the increased health of the children, and
IN the early weeks of September the
trains are again filled with returning
families of happy children whose sun
burned cheeks, and legs, and irrepres-
sble spirits show what tonic fingers in
mountainside or country spaces.
Unfortunately, this is not always the
case, whether or not this change from
city to country life is to be altogether
beneficial or not depends upon the sort
of living conditions into which the child
ren will come, and upon the character
of the milk supply and the drinking
water
| In most cities, mothers, whether poor
or rich, may have the benefit of care
fully inspected milk and drinking water
in the country, it is a wise precaution
to look INTO these matters before select
ing the summer hi me. Flies and mos
qutoes are two great enemies of the
baby, affecting not merely his comfort,
but endangering his health, and possibly
his life. In going to the country, the
mother should select, If possible, place
where the doors, windows and the
porches are screened and one where
water closets or some form of sanitary
privy is in use. The latter improve
ments are not, necessarily, very expen-
sive, and should be provided.
The prudent mother will include a
bolt of cotton netting in the outfit she
takes to the country in order that the
baby's crib, at least, may be protected
from insects.
In going to new place with a baby
all the drinking water, and the milk,
also, should be boiled, if from a strange
supply about the cleanliness of which
the mother knows nothing.
To travel comfortably with baby,
the first thing to be considered is his
food. If the baby is breast bred no
trouble will be experienced. For a
bottle baby enough feelings must be
prepared at home to last throughout
the entire journey, unless the trip
takes longer than twenty-four hours.
1t is best to steriize the milk for this
purpose as follows:
Stand the filled bottles in a kettle
over the fire and let the water boil
about them for an hour and a half.
After boiling, the bottles should be
gradually cooled. and then made as cold
as possible by standing them in a pail
of cracked ice. They may then be
packed in a small portable refrigerator.
Many types of these have been devised,
S and may be purchased. A portable ice
t box may be made at home as follows:
a Use two covered tin pals, one an
= inch or two smaller than the other, so
2 that it may stand inside the larger pail.
. Fill the spaces between the two with
n sawdust; put the bottles with cracked
i ice in the inner pail and cover both
tightly, and make canvas or flannel
cover for the whole.
To warm the bottle for the baby, the
mother should provide herself with an
Il enameed ware pitcher holding a pint
S which the porter will fill with warm
l. water from the dining car. Set the
n bottle in it, after the water has cooled
a little so that the sudden heat will not
p be sufficient to break the bottle.
Il The next most troublesome question
IS on long journey with baby is how tc
d take care of the diapers. A separate
1t bag or bafket lined with rubber sheet
/, ing should be provided for them, anc
u with them may be packed a small
g enamelled ware chamber.
The two most common mistakes made
in travelling with children are with re
spect to their clothes and their food Ii
the hot summer weather, for a Ions
II JOdAAlCJ NiiC iiNIlC Nllllu SHOulu Dt
e dressed only in the sleeveless gauzt
"a shirt and diaper, with one thin QUITE
, garment. A sleeveless, low-necked slil
. of white china silk is best, since it i
"a much cooler than cotton, sheds the dus
/ and can be washed out in the bash
~ when soiled.
If 1t is well to change the baby's cloth
10 ing as soon as the journey begins il
ia order to have the regular outfit clean t
70 put on when leaving the train. Tn
"a little baby may go barefoot sandals t
protect the feet from the cinders scat
tered over the floor.
Mothers should observe the sam
regular hours for feeding their childre
n, as at home One of the worst thing
ed she can do is to give the baby cake.
on candy, bananas, sweet crackers and tn
at like, as so many mothers do, to kee
zee him quiet in the train. This kind {
ids irregular feeding, with unsuitable foot
lie, together with the heat of the train, al
On the fatigue and excitement of travelir
ice are very apt to upset the baby al
the make him irritable and restless.
uld
Tt1s Tp ANIscRIpT S1 M l. vaar