El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-07
DABY gardens have so

DABY gardens have so far blossomed
ID only here and there.
But believe that in ten years from
now cities and towns viii be abloom
with them.
They are going to do away with
rursemaids. and also with the over
working Of older sisters. They are
going to simplify life enormously for
distracted mothers. Yet their real
object is quite different from any Of
these.
Baby gardens are planned to pro-
vide the best possible conditions IN
der which little children OF from one
TO three years old can be happy and
comfortable, and develop naturally In
health, strength and Intelligence
Come mothers won't like this idea
until they really understand 1t. They
will say that they prefer TO take care
Of their own babies, thank you. and
that they have no intention Of allow
ing them to be out OF sight and reach
for an entire day at time
Perhaps the best way 10 convince
mother who talks like that is to
show her a baby garden in actual
Three in Charge.
A couple Of large, sunny rooms Is
the indispensable setting-supple-
mented, Of course. by bathroom, kitch-
en-. sleeping porch and outdoor play
ground Three persons at least VIII
be in charge specially educated
woman who loves and understands
babies, a trained nurse and scien-
tific cook who knows how TO prepare
food for young children
IN this environment there may pc
as many as a dozen babies. Somebody
will have brought them from their
homes in the morning and SOMEBODY
will come to fetch them at night Dur
ing this time they will be fed prop
erly, they will take long maps on the
sleeping porch and they Will be en-
couraged to play as much as they Ike,
outdoors or in, according to the
weather. and either alone or with each
other Children who wish 70 be alone
are given a floor space set apart By
screens.
Best Of all they don't come into col
lision with grownup life and grown
plans and grownup furniture-things
for which they are perhaps punished
at home.
Comfort for the Very Young.
Nothing OF this sort can happen, you
see, because there are absolutely no
grownup furnishings in a baby gar
none OF the fragile things that adults
are always so frantically engaged in
protecting. Neither are there any Of
the highly dangerous objects that ba-
bies often encounter in a Kitchen
range, a steaming kettle. a flatiron.
II isn't so uncomfortable TO be two
and 2 half feet tall II one isn't con-
tinualy giving mysterious offence 70
the surrounding group OF giants and
II there are chairs and tables OF ones
own size Indeed, it's good fun TO be
small. One has such a light. free feel
Z nd haFnwn TN
l long one can see ever SO much better
what is going on in the grass and on
the ground than the giants can
Taught TO Help Themselves
Now, you cannot prevent a baby
/ from learning things all the time,
I learning age But in a baby garden
a baby is helped 70 learn certain. nee
| essary and valuable things Thus
/ they are taught 10 help themselves. as
/ far as possible: 10 feed themselves. as
! soon as they are old enough, TO dress
/ themselves. and even. at a very early
/ stage, to pick Up their toys after they
have finished play. They are taught
J to be c0usiderate and unselfish with
each other and not eternally 10 be in
sisting on the importance CT mine
They are taught 70 love animals and
/ 10 be kind to them. They learn IA
miliarity with plants and flowers, and
something OF how these grow. And
whatever natural impulse they may
have to make" things is as far as
possible uraged-whether with
/ blocks or clay or pencil And even
the tiniest ones learn to run and jump
and climb.
A baby who is well and interested
and who isn't slapped and scoided
doesn't whine or cry. SO these are
happy babies.
Start Tour Own Baby Garden.
A mother might admit that all these
conditions were desirable and yet feel
that the whole question was settled
I BY the fact that no baby garden
flourished within reach OF her own
family.
But it Is perfectly easy. II not for
one mother. then for half a dozen
neiEhboring mothers. TO start their
own baby gardens. tt will be i'm
mensely interesting TO work out the
details OF 1t themselves. And they
nm, fL01 9TH (U1