The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-23
az OLTYE ROBERTS BARTON


BY OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON
Noted Authority on Child Care
Written Especially for NEA Service and
The Times.
THE first thing a mother worries
Il about in hard times is the
health of her children. Naturally
enough her first thought is about
proper food, and she is right.
Nourishing food is necessary to life
and health, as we all know-but
there are other things that are quite
as important.
This is easily proved by the fact
that many children with every adj
vantage of health are Sickly.
Sometimes, of course, there is a.
sound reason for the privileged
child being i'll, but more frequently
the trouble can be laid to the door
of irregular habits, too much or too
rich food, lack of fresh air and sun
shine, and even occasionally to dirt
and improper sanitation.
Another factor that is now known
to be a straight lead to illness in
children is mental unhappiness. An
unhappy child rarely will be phys
ically perfect.
It may be encouraging, then, for
the worried mother to know that
she can do much to keep her little
family strong and well, even though
the table does not groan under a
weight of fine and varied foods.
Soap and water are just about
the greatest gift God has bestowed
on us, because clean body not
only makes for health, but it has a
direct effect on a happy, whole
some mind.
Children should battle every
day, or at least every other day.
A house scrubbed clean and
with everything in order comes
next.
So I put soap and water first
because everything starts from
there. .Discouragement and de-
preston take on less frightening
visages when cleanliness and neat
ness gISeIS tIleIns
TINE children should be laugh
Il their own responsibility in
keeping themselves clean. Their
heads should be washed every week
they can do this too, as we'll as
take their own baths, if they are
over years old.
Clean clothes and clean bed
clothes, of course, are as necessary
as clean bodies. And this brings us
to fresh air at night.
All children are indoors too much
They get so little through the day
that compensation must be made at
night. Put window up but see
that the little folk are not in a
draft.
frame and set in the open window
Coarse muslin tackled over q
let's in the air and breaks the cur
rent; or screen should be set UP
between the bed and window.
The children should be covered
warmly so they can sleep we'll
Watch out for very bitter nights
and watch your babies. Babies
safely can not breathe air of ex-
tremely low temperature for any
long period. Many babies get
pneumonia because young mothers
do not realize this.
CUNSHINE is not only a medicine
~ bur a focd. It contains a vita
min that we often buy certain
vegetables to get. When there i:
any sun shoe the children out into
it. See that they are warm anc
their feet dry when they play.
Show them how to breathe Deep
ly. Exercise causes deep breathing
that is one reason it is so gooc
for every one. But do not keeE
them trotting until they are ex.
hausted. An exhausted body i:
ready for disease.
Regular habits for meals anc
sleep are absolutely essential to thu
healthy child. To bed on the do
(and that early, then up in thu
morning on the dot. Meals OF
time, TO.
TIOT food in cold weather is hes
Il l. for breakfast and lunch. Cooket
cereal with whole milk, an egg D
q piece of bacon, toast, and if pos
sible a little stewed fruit eithe
dried or fresh makes the idea
breakfast before school.
Certain foods now are very cheap
Our cheapest and most plebeiai
vegetables are the most nourishing