Evening star., 1924-12-26
Comfort for the Child
Suggestions for the Health and Entertainment OF
the Very Young Members of the Family-Co-
Operation Among the Heads of Households.

In almost every family there is at
least one child who feels the cold.
Since children need warmth as much
as food, this uncomfortable sensation
of always feeling cold means real sur
fering. A child who is not dressed
with sufficient clothing, IL healthy,
tries to make up for the absence OF
external warmth by always appearing
TO be hungry. Woolen clothing Of
soft knitted make supplies warmth
without too much weight. but here
again care must be taken not to over
clothe a child.
A child who Is inclined to be chilly
and is old enough to walk should
have sleeping suits made with feet. so
that If he throws off the bedclothes
no part of him that is susceptible to
chill will be uncovered. Do not allow
Your child to continue wearing just
socks In cold weather. Put him into
warm CATERS that reach high up and
cover the legs. Do this as soon as his
little red nose and cold fingers warn
You that he is not warm enough.
Do not wrap up a child's throat too
closely. Children who feel the cold
intensely are not made warmer by
means of scarfs and furs swathed
around the neck. This only makes
them more sensitive to the cold. 1t
is the hands and feet that should be
kept warm. In very cold weather a
close-fitting cap should be drawn
over the ears. A child should be en-
couraged to sponge the throat with
cold water every morning upon rising.
This will be a great benefit.
1t is usually discovered that chill
dren who are always cold suffer from
a deficiency OF fat in their diet. This
must be supplied, and as no child at
first likes the fat OF meat. 1T should
be given in the form OF butter, cream
and suet puddings. Children who eat
heartily of good. plain food at regu-
lar intervals seldom suffer much from
oold, provided. as has been said, that
their clothing is suitable.
When a baby Is in his carriage and
delights to kick and wave his legs
in the air, he can do this without un-
covering himself II his mother will
make a square bag Of light, warm
material with elastic at the top to
keep it in position under the baby's
arms, or else with shaped flaps to
come over the baby's shoulders and
button onto the bag in front.
Do not always be alarmed because
your baby cries. Crying is good for
his lungs. There are three kinds of
cries, which can be distinguished by
one who has had experience-the pain
cry the hungry cry and the healthy
SIS MoSl OIL d DdDy s crying Is
healthy crying. 1t is the only way he
has of exercising his lungs. If he
does not cry at all. look out for
trouble
baby should be weighed at regu-
lar intervals. Nothing else will tell
so accurately whether or not he is
thriving. For the first year a baby
should be weighed each week. Dur
ing the second year every two or
y
The best time to weigh him is when
he Is undressed, just before giving
him his bath
Special Cautions.
Do not trust your baby alone For
an active and enterprising baby, op-
portunities for mischief are open in
even the least promising directions.
No mother can possibly foresee all
the chances OF which a child can avail
himself the instant they are present
ed. For instance, do not leave your
baby alone on a couch for a minute,
no matter how we'll fenced in by pill
lows he may be. He is liable to tum-
Bile forward on the floor on his head
You may put him on the floor for a
few minutes il you. are sure there Is
nothing dangerous that he can crawl
to. --
Do not use small safety pins to
fasten bonnet strings or any other
part of a baby's wardrobe Unappe-
tiztng as they are, a baby can and
Will swallow them II he takes a no.
tion. Use the iarge-sized pins, and
then If the baby does work one open
and attempts to eat 1t it will not go
down.
A bit OF cord may seem to be q
harmless plaything, but a baby will
not hesitate to swallow an indefinite
length of any kind Of string that IL
soft and small enough to be pushed
into the mouth a little at a time. If
it is fastened to teething ring or
other large object, II may be reeled
out again with no serious results, but
beware Of a loose piece which can
not be drawn forth.
If a workbasket stands on a table
having a cloth which hangs over the
edge, sooner or later the baby will
get hold of the tablecloth and pull
until he drags 1t and the whole COL
lection of needles pins and scissors
on his head. All sharp and breakaole