Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-07-28
VACATION TIME.
Parents Should Now Look to Health
of Children.

Parents Should Now Look to Health
/ of Children.
Scores of happy children but
few weeks ago waved promotion
cards and hurried home to inform
proud parents. and then, In sad con
trast, walking alone, eyes misty
spirits depressed, pictures of des
pondency, were those who somehow
just didn't "get along" in theil
lessons.
Can you bark back to the days
when you were in school? Can you
imagine yourself a child without q
promotion slip? Can you recall the
disappointment, the chagrin which
wells up as the failure" watches
the other children give vent to all
| the Joy and happiness of success!
Years ago we thought that the boy
who failed at school was lust plain
dumb" He wasn't bright like the
other children. We never Thought
| of looking for reason. And the
| only remedial measure taken was
some kind. Of reprimand for the
| child. But today we know that the
failure" is not "just plain dumb. ;,
| Medical science has proved beyond
doubt that large majority OF fall
ures at school are directly caused
by physical handicaps for which
the child is in no way responsible.
Children with impaired vision,
deaf ears, diseased tonsils, adenolds.
undernourished bodies or fat1gued
nervous systems, cannot possibly 90
the work of normal, healthy chill
dren. A child does not have to be
completely deaf, or have SUCH de-
fective eyes that he cannot read for
these defects to play their disastrous
part in his scholastic down1aii.
Even with slight impairment, mis-
constant straining to hear wnat IL
being said, his terrible embarrass,
| ment when he can't understand
questions asked him, his fatlguine
efforts to see what Is written on the
blackboard, all lead to mental con-
fusion, a depressed feeling OF IN.
feriority, disbursement and loss OF
interest, which make success all Du'
impossible.
NO community is without Its hun
dpeds of defective children. EH-
perts who have studied this problem
tell US that rs per cent. OF all school
children are suffering from some
physical defect. Among this mum.
| Der, rs per cent. have impaired
vision, 80 to 40 per cent. have ade-
noids and diseased tonsils, and 10 to
Is per cent. are malnourished.
In our own schools this year the
Red Cross public health nurse found
children who had physical defects
of sufficient magnitude to retard
their normal physical and mental
development, to check their energy
and to curb their initiative. Every
parent of every child suffering from
physical defects has been so IN
formed by the Red Cross nurse
Many of these defects have been cor
rected, and the parents report sur
prising and encouraging improve
ment both in the physical and men
tal DEVELOPMENT of their children.
But there are scores Of parents
who have not yet done this-not De-
cause they do not care, nor because
| thew are not anxious to do every
| thing possible to give their child the
hest that this day affords, but mainly
because they have been delaying
| this from time to time.
Summer Is here, when the ~cnlio
has weeks in which to DO nothlhe
| but grow, accumulate strenstn'
store up energy and get himself IN
| the best possible physical conaltion
for the next school term. Now IS the
| time for parents who have been de'
LAYING. to have these defects COT,
racted' to prepare to send the chile
| hack to school next SepteHpe,
mentally and physically aiert' az.
ready to take his proper piace A.
both work and play.
| Demonstration, the great Amerl
can game of putting off,, IS one "
tho chief causes for an annual waste
of s175.OOO,OOO in our educatloha
system This is what costs TAX
nayers each year who support cit9
and county schools to educate chll
dran who have to repeat grades
Exnerts tell us that most or tnes'
"failures" are due to correctipi'
nhvsical defects. Although this IS
tarrible waste of money, that Is ny
The only deplorable effect OF thi
nrocra estimation Parents who oeia!
ne correction Of defects In tnel
children and dismiss the suggest1oi
with a laugh at these new-iangiee
notions" are placing pe a,.,cren %,
The children for their indlnerenc'
and neglect which may prove o'S
astrous. d.,
Mrs. Bertha M. Smith, the re-
Cross public health nurse IN Ems -
worth, is making specM. sn oIread,
induce parents who have not aireau:
had their children's defects cor co..
rected. to do SO before the e. op ,s an
of the next school term. 1T is on ON
Of the most important things IN IN TN !,
world" she declares, because on
rest to a large extent the heal I'm
education, and happiness of thes'
children"
Mrs. Smith will be glad to discus
with mothers, problems concernnI
their children at her office, Frlda'
afternoons every week, from l.3o L
$50 O'Clock, and on other days iron
O 70 O n m mr. nv appointment