Evening star., 1941-11-09

See that the shoes have straight inner
soles and that they girdle the ankle,
until baby reaches the age of three.
Sturdy But Flexible
xHE first walking shoes should have
pretty sturdy soles, but the uppers
should be as flexible as the glove on
your hand. You are being almost
wickedly unfair, if you try to fit the
first walking shoes yourself. Let a
trusted shoe salesman do the honors.
Then. If there is any doubt about
little toes not being properly lined up
in those oh-so-important first shoes,
they should be f1uoroscoped.
If i fiddle-bow curve sneaks into
little legs. in spite of all precautions,
see a doctor about inserting wedges
in the shoes. Their purpose is to
change stance and correct curves. In
this respect. tot athletics are very
useful. too. Legs that bow out are
helped by roller skating, for this forces
the knees in. Legs that bow in and
knock at the knees are Strengthened
out by tricycle. riding.
If the small miss is to dazzle her
public later on with little cadet-like
rows of pearly teeth, or the wee lad
is to have an attractive mouth in
manhood, the first full crop of twenty
baby teeth should be shown to the
dentist This visit should be made not
later than the third year. Since sound
and good-looking permanent teeth
depend upon the attention these
little forerunners get. any cavities
in baby teeth should be filled. If
stains from foods. medicines or min
erals in water mottle their pearly
whiteness, discolorations should be
removed as fast as they pop up. If
teeth are too widely spaced or crowd
ed or they show signs of bucking, take
the baby to an orthodontst and let
him begin making casts of the mouth
and studying the Developments. By
the time the child is twelve years old
the mouth and jaw will really show
what they are up to. If the teeth
haven't Strengthened themselves out
by then. let the dental specialist be-
gin his corrective work. Wearing
braces or other simple appliances to
bring balky teeth into line all too
often spells the difference between
good looks and plainness later on.
The Thumb Sucking Problem
IHIs brings US up to the thumb
sucking habit which. if it isn't nipped
in the bud. can push teeth out of line
and spoil the shape of a mouth. Baby
sucks its thumb as an escape from
boredom, and is usually willing
enough to settle for any other kind of
diversion as a substitute. A toy, 4
lollipop. or silly boo's from mother
will be wholly acceptable. But it is
very unsporting of you to imprison
little hand in a guard, or seal a
finger up in bitters. You rob the baby
of its fun, and offer nothing instead
But perhaps your headache is a
little girl whose infancy has been
serene enough but who, as she grows
older. develops an excitable little
temperament. and begins gnawing
away at her nails. That's not such an
easy problem to solve. The best plan
is to remove the excitement, stress
and strain of her surroundings. Help
her choose quieter playmates and,
when she is old enough for movies,
radio serials and books, censor out
those that keep her overly excited.
While you are plotting ways to
calm her down. you can also gain her
full permission, and then keep one
nail at time out of harms way by
wrapping it in adhesive tape and
keeping it bandaged until the nail
grows out. When time comes to lib
crate the little prisoner, manicure it
within an inch of its life, and show
her how wonderful it can look. Then