The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-06-02
A SCHOOL FOR NERVOUS IMPOSITION

A few of our old subscribers may remember but for the benefit of new ones who have dis covered this column since the first session oi the school we had better let the preceptress begin her recital all over:
 q have a little girl aged who is per- fectly healthy and normal In every re- spect, yet on the slightest provocation she yomits. The finest pediatricians in the city
 say it's a habit and nothing else, but they
 offer no remedy for such a habit ..
 At this point, in he first session, we broke in on the recital to say what we think about pediatricians, which Is precious little. On tnis occasion suffice to remark that the neurotlc disposition manifests itself in the readiness with which the parents of the child ran to the specialists. At least that is what 1t spells to my mind.
 You see, she is poor eater-little or no apl etite has to be coaxed and pleaded
 with to eat I have tried not forcing but
 taking her plate away and putting ner 10
 bed without food It doesn't bother her, though. Breakfast she detests-she'll start
 gagging at the sight of oatmeal or
 cooked egg I've tried giving her glass
 of Gan lrfsipid food nostrum) with a raw
 egg mixed thoroughly with the powder 50
 she can't taste it-in that way she gets her
 egg and milk all in one-but she will start
 at a. m. and sometimes at 1O:15 she still
 hasn't taken it. When this happens have
 to threaten her. If that doesn't help l
 spank her. But she is stubborn. She knows
 I mean to punish her if she doesn't drink
 
 me to lose my patience. l expect another
 baby in September and owing to my con-
 diton perhaps I become impatient and angry sooner than ordinarily would. Yet
 If allow her to go without her food she
 loses her color and seems to get thinner
 too. never have to scold or spank except at mealtime or just before mealtme. This
 affects me disastrously. I get nervous in-
 digestion before I've even looked at food.
 Is there nothing can do besides scold' spank or lock in a closet?
 It will be terrible example for another baby to have to continue like this.
 The right course to follow in any such case is one of calm indifference. Place proper food before the child at the regular meal time, and then give the child's appetite eating or 1ali, whole thing. There must be no discussion oi the childs appetite or failure to eat this oi that or even the child's refusal or this or tna' item of food. Indeed such discussion or food appetite eating, digestion or nutrition at the table is always out of place and always harm full to everybody present, especially 10 an ih- valid or near-invalid. Anything and every. thing else but food should be discussed al table. . To threaten punishment if the child doesn't eat this or that item of the menu, or to tnhic, punishment for such shortcomings, IS ldiotic and cannot fail to do harm in any case.
 It is a good rule to set a reasonable time foi meal say fifteen minutes TOT ,o. oreak,as.. asaas and require the child to remain at the table that length of time as a matter of etiquette whether the time is devoted to the business of eating or not.
 If the child rebels at taking raw egg mixed in with other food, but will eat egg scrambled or fried or hard boiled or poached why, it is surely more hygienic to serve the egg the wa, the child prefers it. If the child doesn't like eggs in any way, shape or manner. no matter Even if he doesn't like spinach, no matter Il is absurd to try to compel a child to eat spin. ach or egg or oatmeal if he hates the stun that is. if your inteent is to make the child healthy and strong Trouble with lot o plain people is they know so many things about the diet of children which ain't SO.