The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-07-07
RESTS ARE VALUABLE.

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The long, hot summer days are before
us, when the children waken extra
early and want to stay up late, because
it's too hot to go to bed. It's necessary
to take little thought as to how we
are to prevent their being overfatigued,
for we want them to get as much as
possible out of the time of year when
they should be storing up health against
the winter.
That children sleep less in summer
than in winter has been shown by
records kept for the Institute of Child
1t is also true chat children living in
the country get little less sleep than
city children. Though it would seem
that they have superior conditions for
sleep, it is probably true that because,
in order to make use of the long sum-
mer days, country families get up
earlier than families in large cities,
the sleep of the children is likely to be
disturbed, even though there's no
reason for their getting up.
| Whether a child lives in town or on
farm. he should have an opportunity
to take all the sleep he can possibly
use. While children are growing, it is
essential that they should have some
thing to grow with-and sleep provides
just that. No amount of food and
exercise can help child to grow I'M
less he has the rest that will give his
body a chance.
Though we are usually careful to see
that little children have plenty of
sleep and rest, we sometimes tend to
let the matter slide with children who
are older and more independent Most
children do not continue to take regu-
lar maps much past the age of four or
five, but there is every reason why
they should continue until much older
to have rest periods during the day,
especially in hot weather.
But can't get my child to lie down
and rest" is the frequent cry Of
mothers. 1t is hard to do, if he has
grown to think of rests as something
boring, or in the nature of punishment.
If, on the other hand, we have made
the rest period pleasant one, from the
earliest days on, a child may be trained
to think of this time as an enjoyable
one.
When a child is outgrowing maps it
is important not to insist on his
falling asleep If he says he's not
sleepy, say, "All right. You don't have
to go to sleep. just lie quietly and
relax for an hour" Just being alone
awhile, with clothing removed, and a
place to stretch out in comparative
GOODNESS, does a lot toward preventing
irritation and overfatigue late in the
day. There's no reason why he can't
have a book to look at, or to read
if he's old enough or a favorite toy, if
it's the kind that he can use while
Lying in bed.
Older children who have been brought
up to expect to stay in for an hour
after lunch during the summer vacation
take it as a matter of course, and often
look forward to this quiet reading time.
1t should, of course, be time of real
quiet-no radio, no talking or singing,
a time when everyone in the house
Including the mother, remember
catches up what has been lost by a
mornings hard work or play.
my little nieces aged ten and
twelve, are never given an allowance
Though their father gets regular
salary; nor are they allowed to accept
money from relatives or guests. Their
father gives them just what they need
for school, when they absolutely have to
have anything, but they are never al
lowed to make any decisions as to how