Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-24

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24-Bring-
ing up children Is q complicated
procedure and Uncle Sam Is help
ing parents with the job. even In
its most ~perplexing aspect-.
Through the doctors Of the
Children's Bureau here and its
advisory committee OF experts in
medicine, hygiene and psychology
over the country, he has w-rked
out suggestions for handling most
Of the puzzling problems which
children present in their develop
ment to the age Of six.
Any parent anywhere in the
United states can ask the Chill
dren's Bureau any question hay-
ing to do with a young ones care
and training. The inquiry may
be met with advice to consult the
family physician when specialized
advice BY one who knows the child
Gems advisable, but individual
questions are answered concern
Ing behavior, general health, play
rooms, teeth. food. clothing. Sleep
ing habits. home influence. pun
ishments and so on. -he bureau
also bundles the most important
part OF its wide information In q
150-page, ten-cent book.
DR.. Frances G. Rothert Is In
charge of answering all the ques-
tons. And this is what she tells
perplexed parents about some OF
the more difficult phases of doing
right by the youngsters:
Junior Won't Eat What's
Good for Him:
Keep the food which Is disliked
off the table entirely for a week or
50. Then serve 1t quite as a mat
ter OF course and he probably will
have forgotten that he disliked II.
II that doesn't work serve him
first with a small portion or the
food he refuses. remove the whole
meal without comment II he still
refuses. serve nothing but water
until the next meal hour and con-
tinue the process until hunger
c~onvinces him OF the wisdom OF
eating as directed. Consistency,
calmness and firmness should be
the keynote Of the parental atti-
rude.
Junior Sucks His Thumb
Punishment for sucking thumbs
or other objects will only empha-
size the habit. When a baby or
small child first begins to suck his
thumb or finger the mother should
first quietly remove II from the
mouth and put a toy in his hand
TO divert attention. A wide. stiff
cardboard cuff, preventing the ell
bow from bending. will often cure
the habit.
Children OF two or three who
take a bottle or other object to
bed should have II taken away
once and for all. They will almost
surely cry and fuss. but parents
must not give in yer II they have
TO sacrifice two or three nights
sleep. II a child Of five or six still
sucks his thumb or bites his nails.
punishment won't help. He must
be persuaded to want TO abandon
the habit.
A series CT small rewards. such
as gold stars pasted on a card for
each day or night on which he
hasn't sucked the thumb. followed
by a more real reward for a whole
week OF gold stars, may be help
ful.
Junior Disobeys:
Teach your children to trust
you and they viii obey. II parents
are absolutely consistent In treat
ment of children the child will
know that when a command Is
given there Is no questioning II.
Punishment may be necessary In
certain things which must be re-
quired OF every child: He must
not run out on a road where cas-
are passing: he must not touch
lamps. stoves or matches: he must
not hurt his baby sister and so
forth. II Is better not to make
punishable issues Of less impor-
tant matters. Never give COM
mands that are not worth insist
ing on.
Junior Tells Lies:
The best way TO teach children
to be truthful Is to set them a con-
slant example Of t~ruthfulness.
Children frequently punished may