The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-27
Never Give t,
Fight to Control
Nervous Child
By DIR. LENA K. SADLER.
(Awthor Of "The Mother and Her
Child."1

tAOyH0f OF Tire MOthef ana Her
Child."l
WYE OFTEN meet with this COM
4 " plant on tho part OF mothers
Of nervous children: why,
doctor, don't dare undertake to dis
cipllne my little child. II I do he re-
fuses his bottle. He does not eat
far better to let him have his own
way until his nutrition Is established,
or Is improved. and then begin the
training when he is or 6 years Of
age? I have consulted DIR. So and So
and both he and my neighbors tell
me that must not discipline the
child to the point OF its losing IL APP
petite. for he may miss a meal It's
moro important that he eat than 1t
. to discipline him at present Now.
doctor. what do you think I'd better
vo about IT."
i To that mother. and other mothers
IN q like situation, ! say that 1t Is
important to do both--to conserve
1.-THE physical strength OF the child and
TO stabilize its nervous system as
well. for. left to itself, the child is
probably destined to a life of selfish
introspection. These battles OF disci-
pine must be fought out with uftir-
ing patience and unyielding deter
mination.
j What One Mother Did.
One Of my interested readers wrote
me Of her experience with her o
month-old babe when she found 1t
absolutely necessary to take him Off
the breast and institute bottle feed
Ing.
"Our little fellow had always re.
fused both a bottle and solid food.
the sight Of a spoon causing him to
night desperately" she writes. when
your formula was prepared, dcsper-
ate measures were resolved upon.
The baby was given no liquid or food.
not even water, for twenty-four hours.
He still remained stubborn. I then
put tiny bit OF salt to his lips and
tried him again, and to my happiness
Ana surprise he took the bottle and
nnished seven ounces without stop
ping. Baby never refused the bottle
asain and Is gaining four ounces each
All honor to this heroic mother who
mad Self-posscssion enough to carry
ONT this wise plan to success. What
we need are perseverance and per
sistency on the part OF parents to An
zen what they attempt with these lit
10 people while they are small, before
tno years bring resentment and mis-
understandings.
"A ntti0 child may be corrected and
MS appetite wane, he may miss per
hAps one or two meals, or he NAV
merely nibble at his meals, but don't
let such conduct discourage you.
Keep the Child Quiet.
BeaS in mind that the nervous child
y very active. He nearly runs his
!itt!s legs almost Off between morn
Ing ana night, and when he refuses
FOOD during seasons of discipline he
should be kept quiet. Put him in a
carriage and have him wheeled about
the park and thus save strength and
energy. He shouldn't be allowed to
race all day" when the appetite is
poor and nutrition is below normal.
Efforts should be put forth to keep
up the feeding to the proper num-
Der OF calories and to see, if the
child does not gain during this dis
ciplinary struggle, Mt least that II
does not lose-and l give 1t as my
experience that I have vet to see a.
case IN which both the child's nutri-
ton and discipline cannot be EN-
GENTLY maintained at one and tho
same time. though this does require
ndroit. scientific and artistic manage