The Proper Care of Children by Dr. E. S. Maxson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 16, 1911

The Proper Care of Children

By Dr. E. S. Maxson

WHAT care should children have in order that they may grow and develop normally? Much has been written on this subject, so I will merely try to call up some of the points that ought to be remembered.

First, in regard to sleep. It is important to see that children have their due amount of sleep. A young infant normally sleeps eighteen hours out of twenty-four. A child of four years should sleep eleven hours out of the twenty-four, and a child of ten years should sleep nine hours. Of course, I am merely speaking of averages; for some children require more sleep than others. It is important, however, that the little people have their sleeping hours encroached upon as little as possible.

It is far better for each child to have its own bed by itself. In this way contagious diseases are less likely to be communicated, and in the case of young infants, the danger from overlying is avoided. The child's sleeping-room should be thoroughly aired. In the winter-time it may not be wise to leave open the window in the room; but it may be practicable to open a window in an adjoining room.

The matter of diet is necessarily one of very great importance. Milk is not only the proper nourishment for infants, but it should enter largely into the diet of older children. Cow's milk for children should always be fresh and clean, but should not be too rich in cream. Professor Holt, of New York, thinks that Jersey milk is ordinarily too rich for children. The average healthy child should take, all together, from a pint and a half to one quart of milk each day.

Many of the vegetables, when well cooked and mashed, may be given to young children. Such, for example, are Irish potatoes, squash, and asparagus. On the other hand, none of the vegetables that are eaten raw, as radishes, onions, and cucumbers, are suitable for children to eat.

In the diet of children, cereals, when well cooked, are of great value. Rolled oats or some of the wheat preparations are to be commended. These also tend to lessen the decay of the teeth. These cereals should be eaten with milk, but with little or no sugar.

Toasted stale bread is better than fresh bread for children.

Very little cake, except sponge-cake, should be given to children under seven or eight years of age.

Candies are a great source of temptation. Dr. L. Emmett Holt, who is perhaps the most celebrated specialist in diseases of children in America, places candies among the things that should be especially forbidden. On the other hand, Dr. Holt recommends for young children the use of the juice from sweet oranges. He also recommends for children the eating of stewed fruits, as apples and prunes.

It is very important for both children and adults to avoid eating between meals or before going to bed.

Children should be trained as far as possible to have the bowels move regularly at the same hour each day.

The clothing for children should be light but warm. The legs and forearms, being a distance from the heart, should be warmly clad in cool weather. When the feet become wet, care should be used to change the shoes and stockings.

The matter of exercise is of importance. The infant takes exercise by waving about its arms and legs, and later by creeping. Older children are naturally active. There is nothing so good as exercise in the open air. Some of the running games are to be recommended for strong children. Children should be encouraged to play with soft rubber balls that will not injure the fingers, or cause other accident. In my opinion boys should be discouraged from playing football.

Children should receive a bath often enough to keep them clean. Naturally some children who play in the dirt require more attention in this way than others. Some of the children enjoy sea bathing. Parents should be careful that their children do not remain in the water too long. If the lips turn blue and the teeth chatter, the child should come out of the water. Care should also be taken that the surf does not strike against the side of the child's head so as to injure the hearing.

Not only should the teeth be kept clean, but parents will be doing their child a great service by regularly having some good dentist examine and care for the child's teeth.

Dr. Le Grand Kerr, of Brooklyn, says: “It is important to remember that the constitution of the adult is dependent almost entirely on the care that the body received during the period of childhood.”

Mental overstrain should not be overlooked in children. This overstrain is made manifest by irritability of temper, headache, and by restlessness in sleep.

In the lives of children and young people there are periods in which mental fatigue is more easily induced than at other ages. The first fatigue period comes between the ages of seven and nine years. The second fatigue period usually occurs in girls about the thirteenth year, and lasts for several months. The second fatigue period in boys generally comes a year later, or at the age of fourteen.

A child might better go more slowly in his studies than break down in health. It is not always a calamity for a child to have to repeat some of his work in school.

In closing, I would exhort parents to ever be vigilant in looking after the interests of the children that God has committed to their care.—Dr. E. S. Maxson, in Sabbath Recorder.