The Bismarck tribune., 1933-06-21
THE BABY IS MOTHERS RESPON.
SIBILITY; JOB CAN'T BE LEFT
TO THE FAMILY

SIBILITY; JOB CAN'T BE LEFT
TO THE FAMILY
Too many willing hands" in the
baby's care aren't good for him at
any time, especially in summer, de-
clares Olive Robert Barton, widely
known child rearing expert in this
article, the second of series Of six
on summer care Of babies.
In summer one Of the most neces-
sary things for the babys welfare, I
think, is the personal supervision of
the mother.
OF course In many families that
can afford it there is often a train
ed or a graduate nurse to assume
this responsibility. And there does
still exist the other type of nurse
who puts her duty to the baby so
conscientiously first that his mother
: can leave entire responsibility in her
hands and feel assured that all will
be well.
But there are two things I be-
lieve should be guarded against re-
, gardleSs Of means. One is to trust
the baby to q young nurse who OBJ
viously is more interested in other
affairs than her charge, and the
other is to divide up the baby in the
family-mother to make his formula
one day, auntie the next, and twelve
year-old Suzy the next. Evenness and
observance are necessary for this rite.
It Is one-man job.
Details Require Watching
OF course busy mother needs help.
To change the baby is almost any
ones job. To see that his cart is
kept out of the sun can be done with
out a kings equerry on hand. Even
to hold his bottle up so that it doesn't
get air and the weight does not rest
on his mouth needs no diploma.
But take even these simple duties
and unless there is generalissimo to
keep an eye on details, trouble can re-
suit from any one Of them.
When the baby is changed It is
necessary for him to be washed and
slightly powdered or oiled so that he
doesn't get chafed In hot weather
too many little babies cry all day long
from itching and chatting. often not
enough to be seen, but maddening Just
the same. The change should be
made at once and the same ritual gone
through each time. The diaper should
be an entirely clean one, never dried
and used again. The soap in washing
1t should be rinsed out thoroughly.
Clean diapers, washing, oiling in the
creases, quick changing, all these
things prevent raw skin, exhausted
nerves, and keep the appetite going.
A suffering baby won't eat.
The cart must be kept out of the
hot sun these days. The sun moves.
What is shady one hour is sunny next.
Will Suzy remember to move it? The
mothers eye again!
Baby's Care Must Come First
The baby's bottle-there is q trick
about this too. After he has finished
and Is held up over the shoulder to
get the gas up" is just anyone in
the family to be trusted to do it prop
erly, will she watch his little back
and lay him down gently again So
that he does not spill up? Every
thing about a baby has to be done
right.
The more important routine du-
ties of baby's day come before any
thing else in the house. These are the
things best done by the mother her.
self. II Suzy or her aunt are to help
out, 1t is better for them to spread
the beds, make the salad and iron the
shirts, even If Dad. gets q bit fussy
about it.
This is the best plan for the sum-
mer months. One all-seeing eye, pref
erably the mothers, and no mistakes
made: nothing overlooked, and no
trusting to second or third person
who may forget.
One more thought. Twelve-year-
old Suzy, herself child, needs some
playtime. Don't turn the baby over
to her and hold her responsible. It
is too much and is fair to neither of
them.