The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-15
THE CHILD WHO WILL NOT EAT

the discussion Of the management Of
the child who will not eat.
Mrs. H. L. H. writes:
Referring to the mother who
asked if there is anything she can
do after scolding. spanking and
locking in a closet have failed to
make her child eat, I wonder if
she has given kindness fair
trial? Has she tried to think of
providing variety of tempting
dishes to appeal to the appetite?
Both of my young daughters
started to develop such COM
pick about food. I hit on the
idea of telling them we were 60
ing to have tea party. Then
I'd fix things up party-style for
the meal. For instance I'd boil
carrots or other vegetables, put
them through potato ricer, pile
them in high cones on the plates,
and call them some such name as
Golden Peaks. I used pretty glass
plates and tinted glasses for milk.
Often I cut out pictures and
pasted on bottoms Of plates, and
the children actually ate the veg
etables SO they could see through
the plate what picture was there.
These are just few of the little
things that any thoughtful moth
err can do to cultivate what you
scientific experts call condi-
toned reflex or something. Any
way. such treatment made our
children eat.
1t is all good psychology and gooe
sense. A large factor in the lack O.
appetite and failure to eat is thu
wrong atmosphere at table. Ont
good rule for every one is that ther;
should be no discussion of the fooC
or of any likes or dislikes, or of thu
poor or good appetite of any perso,
present. Other subjects should oc
cupy the thoughts and attention o
those at table
H. J.. w. writes:
do not agree with your advice
to the poor worried mother who is
having a hectic time getting her
little girl to eat :. took our child
to the best specialists .. watched
her subsist for days on. hardly
more than a mouthful of food,
and watched her grow thin and
wan specialists pronounced
her a health child, but subject to
voluntary reorganization =. I be-
gan giving her small portions of
things she must have, making a
big fuss when she would call for
a second helping, and sometimes
special treats, or perhaps a prom
ised treat would be cancelled by
her failure, but this policy sue
ceeded and now at the age OF
eight she is a strong healthy girl.
D. j. Men. writes:
I have two fine examples in
the family, of the results OF rival
systems-to force and not to force
eating. When my first child be-
came finicky about her food she
was promptly disciplined. The
second one went on hunger
strike when she was years old.
I didn't try to compel her to eat.
| I did ask our doctor about her.
He advised me to leave her alone,
that children often 60 off their
feed" for a few months, but as
long as she was free of any other
symptoms it was better to pay no
attention. For a year she lived
mainly on cottage cheese, sardines
and bacon, with some milk.
Grandparents couldn't understand
my plegmatic attitude and one
day forced her to take some soup.
It made her sick. After the strike
had gone for two years the doctor
suggested a preparation OF malt
syrup. She took to it like a duck
to water. BY the time the first
bottle Of the malt syrup was fin
ished the hunger strike was OH.
OF course it might have been over
by that time anyway, but 1t
seemed to use that the malt re-
stored the child's appetite.
A fresh malt is rich In Vitamin
and Vitamin B gives appetite al
promotes the assimilation OF foe
Fresh yeast is even better medlcl
for the child who will not eat.