Full text of The Child from One to Six : His Care and Training, Bureau Publication No. 30

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
W . N. DOAK, Secretary

C H IL D R E N ’ S B U R EAU
GRACE ABBOTT, Chief

THE CHILD
FROM ONE TO SIX
His Care and Training
T

Bureau Publication No. 30
Revised January, 1931

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1931

>

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.


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Contents
-[Alphabetical index on p. 131]

*

Page

Letter of transmittal____________________________________________________
Out of babyhood into childhood_______________________________________________
Helping your child to grow up________ 1____________ _____________________
Watching your child grow up_____________ ,-if‘____;_________________________
The child’s physical surroundings_____ ______ _ _ _ 5 ___ ________ _________________
Country and city________________________ *________________________________ g

v
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2
g

W ater supply and disposal o f waste________ _____________________ _______
Heating and ventilation_____ ______________ ________
Light------------------------------- ---------------------------- I| _______■_____ _________________
Screens____________;_____________________ .___________ ________________________
Playroom or playcomer_^.________________
A home to be proud o f_____ __________________________ ^_________________ __
Preserving health and preventing disease___________ ____ ___ _________ 51___
Keeping the well child well______ _________ JLJ*__________„ ____ _________
Health examinations_______________________________________________________

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Use o f weight-height-age tables— ______________ ________ 1 ________ __ ____
Prevention o f disease________ __ ______________________ ]_____________ ______
Prevention o f accidents______________ 1_ ______________ ____________________
Health h ab its_______________________________ 1________________ ,_____________
TeethL_______________ _______ ___________ :___________________ _____________________

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46
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05
41

Teething_______________ _____________________________________________________

41

Building and saving the teeth_____ ___ :_____ ______________________________
The sixth-year m olars______________________________ ____________________ __
The gums---------------------------------------- ------ ------------------ 'J|_______________________
Food and eating habits________ __________ ______________ ___________________ ___
Good eating h ab its__________________________ ___________________________ __
The food that a child needs_______________________________________________
Sleep and sleep habits________________________ _________________________________
W here shall a child sleep?___________________________________________ ____
Bedclothes and nightclothes_____________________________ ________________
Restlessness__________________________________________________________ _____
Putting the child to bed________________________ i_______________________
N a p s---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68
Undesirable habits usually connected with sleep____________________ ___
Clothing_______________________________ .___________________________ ______________

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51
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Planning the clothing_____________________________________ ________________
Articles o f clothing____________________ 3.__ ________________________________

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7g

Care o f clothing_______________________ _J 5_

82
84)

5 .____________________

P la y ------------------------------------— ..----------------------------------------- - 5^ - --------------------------Play, a way o f learning_____ ___ 5___ ____ &1; ______________ _______________
Playing alone
__________ ________ |____ ___ _____________' JgL___________ _
Playing with other children___________________________________________ ___
HI


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IV

CONTENTS

Play— Continued.
Imitative play________________________________ <_______.____ _________________
Pretending_________________________ i_l _______ ■§___________ 2- ________ ¿¡m___
Toys-------------------------------------------------------------------------- L*________ _____________
Stories and pictures___________________________ ,_________________________^
Training the eye, the ear, and the fingers____ _________________ _________
Khythmic play and appreciation of music__________ I________:_______ |i,__
Christmas and parties__________ ^_______ p p j_______ ;_1— ____________ _
Public gatherings_________ _______________ 1_______ 2 2 -_____________________
The child’s development_______________ ___________________________— __JfL—
The influence of the home______________________________ _________ £ ____ _
W h a t must a little child learn?___________________ ________________________
How does a little child learn?________ 2 .__________________________ |_____
Give a child time to learn_____________________*___________________________
Bringing up children_____ ___________________ _____________________ _______
The meaning o f education for a young child_l___ ,_ 2_ ___ S __________108
A happy home worth working for— _______________ __________ ____________
The sick child------------------------------------------------- *______ :_h — ____ _____________L
The mother’s responsibility__________________________________
Signs o f acute illness________ __________________________ _______c___________
W hat to do when you find your child is sick____ !_______________________
W h at to do for the child before the doctor comes_________ _____________
Caring for a sick child___________________ l — ____ 22? ___________ __________
Common disorders o f childhood— ___________________
Accidents__________________________________________ ;______ ______________ 122
Communicable diseases
_________ K_______%' ‘ g ' __________________ _
Selected books of interest to parents________:t ________1___ __________________
Child c a r e ______________ _______________ i22t __m___.________________ ______ __
Child training— ____________________________ _________ _22l____ v
. __________ _
Index—
--------------------------


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Letter o f Transm ittal
U nited S tates D epar tm ent of L abor,
C h ildr en ’ s B u reau ,

Washington^ March 17, 1931.
S ir : There is transmitted herewith a new edition of the Children’s

Bureau bulletin on the care o f the preschool child, first published
in 1918 under the title Child Care—The Preschool .Age, and now
entirely rewritten and issued as The Child from One to Six—His
Care and Training.
This revision is the work o f Dr. Marjorie F. Murray, pediatrician
in chief, Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, N. Y . ; of
Dr. Martha M. Eliot, director o f the child-hygiene division o f the
Children’s Bureau; and o f the bureau’s advisory committee o f pedia­
tricians : Dr. Howard Childs Carpenter, representing the American
Child Health Association; Dr. Julius H. Hess, the section o f diseases
o f children o f the American Medical Association; and Dr. Richard
M. Smith, the American Pediatric Society. Valuable suggestions on
the manuscript were also received from Dr. D. A. Thom, director,
division o f mental hygiene, Massachusetts Department o f Mental
Diseases; Dr. E. V. McCollum, professor o f biochemistry, School
o f Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; and
Dr. George H. Bigelow, Commissioner o f Health o f Massachusetts
and chairman Committee I I -B — Communicable Disease Control,
White House Conference on Child Health and Protection. The
communicable-disease section was also reviewed by the United States
Public Health Service.
Respectfully submitted.
G race A bbott, Chief.

Hon. W. .N. D o a k ,
Secretary o f Labor.


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TH E CHILD FROM O N E TO S IX
Out o f Babyhood into Childhood
u How old is the baby ? f
u H e’s nearly a year old, and before you know it he won’t be a baby
any more. I hate to see him grow up.”
Mothers and fathers who talk like this do not realize how impor­
tant to the child’s future is the growing up that he does between the
first birthday and the sixth. They may give the baby the best o f
care and the older children the best o f schooling, but they do not
understand how much the child is growing in mind as well as in
body during this in-between period, the “ preschool ” years. They
may even hinder his development by encouraging baby ways when
they should be encouraging independence and free activity.
The baby less than a year old usually gets more attention than the
child who is running around. The preschool child needs as much
thought on the part o f the parents as does the baby, perhaps even
more. When parents are making every effort to give the proper care
to the child who is just leaving babyhood many questions arise:
How fast should he be growing ? How many teeth should he have ?
What food is best for him? How can he be helped to build good
habits? The best answers to such questions can be had from the
family doctor. This bulletin has been prepared in order to help par­
ents carry out the doctor’s advice and to help them solve some o f
the ordinary problems that arise in every family.
The job o f bringing up a family should not be left to the mother
alone. Both parents must combine their efforts, must work together
to bring out the best in their children and to help them form suchhabits that the minds and bodies with which they are born will de­
velop to their full capacity.
HELPING YOUR CHILD TO GROW UP
Everyone knows that little children change rapidly. You expect
to find a child changed i f you are away from him for a few months
but would be shocked to find so great a change in an adult. Psychol­
ogists say that a month in the life o f a child in the preschool period
is packed so full o f new experiences that it is like many months in
the life o f an adult. New sensations— new sights and . sounds and
smells— enter his life daily. W ith the help o f each new experience
he will try to understand the next one. This is how he develops.
In these preschool years his experiences become wider and wider,
first in his own family and then outside. A t a year old the child
may be able to pull off his stockings and to say one or two words.


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Think o f him at 6 years ready to go to school. He talks, plays, feeds
himself, and dresses and undresses himself. He has learned to play
with other children of his own age and to compete with them. He
will learn these things only by doing, not by havings things done for
him. Only if he has learned them is he ready to meet the new world
o f school successfully. The child who is a cry baby in school— the
sissy, the poor sport, the “ ’fraid cat ” —is usually the child who was
babied at home too long, who was not taught independence and
courage in his first few years.
WATCHING YOUR CHILD GROW UP
How fast does a normal child develop in weight, in height, in
mind? Parents must know this in order to help their children de­
velop normally. They must know not only how much the child
should weigh, how tall he should be, how many teeth he should have,
but what he should be able to do at 1 year and at 6 years; what they
may expect o f him in the way o f understanding, o f carrying out com­
mands, o f being responsible for belongings. They must understand,
too, that children do not all grow and develop alike. Some are tall
and some are short, some weigh more than others at a certain age,
some have quicker minds, some have nimbler fingers, some have spe­
cial talents. Harry may be able to sing a song but not to build a
bridge with his blocks. John, the bridge builder, may not be able
to carry a tune. Each child must be helped to develop to the fullest
extent o f his individual possibilities. The average child needs
thoughtful consideration as well as the frail child or the slow child
or the unusually gifted child.
In spite o f individual differences, however, there are certain things
a mother may look for at different ages as her children develop.
AT 1 YEAR

The average year-old child creeps and pulls himself up to a stand­
ing position. Many children o f this age can stand alone, and
occasionally a child o f the small, wiry type can walk. He can use
his hands well and has begun to do things with blocks and boxes
and a ball. He may have learned to say one or two words and
associate them with the persons or objects to which they belong,
such as mamma, dada, kitty, milk, water.
B y the end o f the first year the child will have been weaned from
the bottle and will be learning to hold his cup o f milk and perhaps
to help hold his spoon. He should also be learning to pull off his
stockings at bedtime. He is entering the period o f early childhood
and must no longer be treated as a baby. His parents must help him
to grow up by teaching him to do things for himself.
I f the mother has been training the baby properly, he should now
have learned complete control o f his bowels and may have begun to
learn control o f his bladder. I f such training has not been given, it
should begin at once.

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O U T OF BA B Y H O O D IN T O

C H IL D H O O D

3

Most children at 1 year weigh about 21 pounds (three times what
they weighed at birth) and measure from 25 to 35 inches in height.
The head is much larger than at birth. Many babies by the time
they are a year old have lost some o f their chubbiness and are
lengthening out into the slender type o f build seen in the second
year. Some babies remain fat during this period and some grow

tall without gaining greatly in weight. They vary considerably
according to family type and according to nationality and race. No
two children are exactly alike in growth.
Most children at 1 year will have six teeth.
AT 2 YEARS

The average 2-year old can run well. He can get down on the
floor and up again easily without holding on to anything. He can
balance himself fairly well. He can walk upstairs if he holds on
to the stair rail. He can turn the knob o f a door and open it.
He likes to pile blocks and build towers, to use a pencil, and
scribble on paper. He may be learning to put pegs in a peg board
and to string large beads. A t about this time he should begin to
learn to put his toys away after playing with them. He is just
beginning to include other children in his play and has begun to
imitate what he sees his brothers and sisters do or his father and
mother.
By this time he is using more than two words together and can
say things such as “ Want to get down,” “ Daddy all gone.” He

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can name some animals and many objects. He may like to listen
to nursery rhymes.
Bladder control, at least during the daytime, should be well estab­
lished by the second birthday. A t this age a child can help to
undress himself, pulling off his shoes and stockings when some one
has unlaced the shoes for him and unfastened the garters. He can
feed himself well, but not without some spilling.
Most children at 2 years weigh about 26 pounds. Your child may
weigh more or less than this, depending on his height. (See weight
tables, pp. 16-17.) He may measure 28 to 40 inches in height. Boys
are usually a little taller than girls.
Most children at 2 years will have 16 teeth.
AT 3 YEARS

The child o f 8 years is very active. He runs and jumps and climbs
and balances himself well. He tries to dance to music and likes
rhythmic play. He can ride a tricycle well.
He likes to do things with his hands. He can string beads easily.
He enjoys pasting pictures and likes to try to draw. He likes to
play with toys with which he can do something, such as large and
small blocks, a cart, an automobile, or a train o f cars. He may build
a simple house with a few blocks. He will pretend that his blocks are
a train o f cars or automobiles. He should put his toys away after
playing with them.
He likes to hear and try to repeat nursery rhymes, and to hear
short stories told or read, over and over again. He likes to play
simple imaginative games with other children or alone. He is
already imitating many things that are going on around him— words
and actions.
He talks in full sentences and carries on conversations about his
play. He can tell what he has been doing. He may like to listen to
music and try to sing.
He can feed himself without much spilling but still needs
supervision.
He can help considerably with his dressing and undressing and
can do a good deal for himself. He can take off his hat and coat
and hang them up if hooks are placed low enough. He can unbutton
his clothes if the. buttons are large and within reach, and can be
learning to button them. He can take off his shoes after they have
been untied, and can put them on. He should be learning to lace his
shoes. He can wash his own hands and put the towel back on the
rack. He can brush his teeth if he has some help.
He should have control o f bowels and bladder day and night.
He should no longer wet the bed.
Most children at 3 years weigh about 30 pounds. Your child may
weigh more or less, depending on his height, He may measure 31
to 44 inches in height. The average weight for his height and age
may be found in the table on page 17.
He should now have all his “ first teeth ”—20 altogether.

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OUT OF B A B Y H O O D IN T O C H IL D H O O D

5

A T 4 YEARS

The 4-year old is always on the go and is becoming more and more
expert at climbing and balancing and rhythmic play.
He now can draw rough pictures o f familiar things; he can use
scissors well and likes to cut out pictures. The average child is able
to count four pennies or other objects. He may be able to name a
few colors.
He listens more attentively to short stories and likes stories such
as “ Peter Rabbit ” and “ The Little Red Hen,” which tell the same
things over and over. He can repeat parts o f stories and nursery
rhymes. He can tell about his play or other happenings and may
begin to make up games or stories. He may like to sing.
He will be beginning to play games in which several children
take part.
He will build houses or garages with his blocks. H is play with
toys becomes more imaginative.
He can now button his clothes if the buttons are within his reach.
He can fake care o f his clothes at the toilet.
Most children at 4 years weigh about 34 pounds. Your child may
weigh more or less, depending on his height. He may measure 33 to
47 inches in height. The average weight for his height may be
found in the table on page 17.
A T 5 TO 6 Y E A R S

The child at 5 years skips and dances and can use his body skill­
fully. He climbs trees and turns somersaults. He can throw his
ball well.
He can draw pictures, putting in many details correctly.
He likes to cut and paste and weave. He plays many imaginative
games and likes to pretend and to dress up. He also tries to do all
the things that he sees being done around him—hammering, cutting,
painting, washing, ironing, sweeping, cooking, sewing. H e can learn
to do many o f these things well i f he has tools or utensils suited to his
size. He will work with other children, building forts or castles or
boats o f blocks or snow. He likes to try out new toys.
He likes to hear longer stories and can repeat stories well that he
has heard or that he has made up. H e wants to learn to read and
write.
He dresses and undresses himself without help, even lacing his
shoes, though he may not be able to tie the shoestrings yet.
Most children at 5 years weigh about 39 pounds. Your child may
weigh more or less, depending on his height. He may measure
between 36 and 49 inches in height. He may be tall and slender in
build or short and stocky. The average weight for his height may
be found in the table on page 17.


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The Child’s Physical Surroundings
A good home for children provides them with what they need for
health and development. They need fresh air and sunshine; they
need outdoor space in which to run and to play; and each needs his
own bed. They must have pure drinking water and suitable food.
The house should have good drainage, heating, and lighting arrange­
ments. Unless a home offers these necessities, it can not be consid­
ered a place well suited to growing children.
COUNTRY AND CITY
What a pity that every child can not spend at least part o f each
year in the country! Parks are indeed a godsend to city children,
but they can never take the place o f country woods and meadows.

A child’s education is broadened if he has explored woods, built
dams and bridges across brooks, watched the behavior o f insects,
birds, and animals. A child who has seen seeds planted and crops
harvested, who has waited eagerly for the cat to have her kittens or
the sheep to have her lamb, who has watched the robins build a nest
and raise a family, has learned all unconsciously lessons of funda­
mental importance.
The country child spends long hours in the sunshine. He brings
into play many muscles as he climbs trees or weeds the garden. He
is free from the constant strain o f city noises.
6

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T H E CHILD S PH YSIC AL SUBROIW DIHGS

7

F or children who are brought up in the city the parents should,
i f possible, choose a home with a park or playground near by, a roof
made safe for play, or a sunny back yard.
WATER SUPPLY AND DISPOSAL OF WASTE
Any water supply that may become contaminated with human
excretions is unsafe. A spring or well used for drinking should be
at a higher elevation than any privy or barn and at least 50 feet from
it. _ I f the water supply is not taken care o f by the community, as
it is in many cities, towns, and villages in this country, samples of
water should be submitted from time to time to the State or county
laboratory for examination in order to know that it is safe. I f
water is not known to be safe, it should be boiled before it is used for
drinking, for brushing teeth, or for washing foods that are to be
eaten raw.
In motoring or camping bear in mind these facts and teach them
to children. The most delicious clear water may be unsafe. Never
drink from roadside springs the safety o f which you do not know.
See to it that refuse is promptly burned or buried; that human
excretions are properly disposed o f by means o f a public sewage sys­
tem or a clean, closely screened privy or a well-built cesspool or septic
tank. Keep cans o f garbage covered so that flies can not get at i t ;
then dispose o f it promptly. A t home and when camping or motor­
ing avoid contaminating a water supply.
HEATING AND VENTILATION
In cold climates furnace heating adds greatly to the family com­
fort, though many houses are kept comfortable at less expense with
stoves. Either a steam or a hot-water system is cleaner than hot-air
heating. A fire in an open fireplace is excellent as a ventilator. In
any house where there are children, fireplaces must be carefully
screened. Stoves, especially oil and gas stoves that may be over­
turned, should be used with great caution where there are children.
(See Accidents, p. 122.)
Ventilation is the bringing o f outdoor air into the house. In
winter the air in houses is often overheated and excessively dry. This
hot, dry air may be one cause o f many winter colds. Probably the
most healthful and practical method o f keeping air sufficiently moist
is the very simple one of keeping a window open, even i f only a little,
and supplying enough heat so that the temperature o f the room is
kept between 68° and 70° F. A thermometer is the only accurate
way to test the temperature.
Any room that is being lived in should be thoroughly aired once or
twice a day by opening doors and windows, even though some out­
door air makes its way in through cracks about doors and windows
and even through the walls.


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In providing for ventilation avoid floor drafts and direct drafts
from windows. Use a window board to avoid a direct draft from an
open window.1
More children suffer from being kept in a room that is too hot than
in one that is too cold.
LIGHT
It is desirable for children to live in a house where plenty o f w in -,
dows let in the sunshine for as much o f the day as possible.
O f the various forms o f artificial light, the cleanest and safest is
electric light. Many country districts, however, do not have elec­
tricity, and oil lamps must be used. Oil lamps should always be
placed on wall brackets or on solid tables, out
o f reach o f young children. When gas is used,
great care should be taken that fixtures do not
leak and that lights are not left burning which
might be blown out accidentally.
SCREENS
Just as important as keeping houses com­
fortably heated and lighted and provided with
fresh air in winter is keeping them screened, in
summer. Every house can be fitted with
screens o f some sort. W ire screens are the
best; but i f the family can not afford these,
mosquito netting or cheesecloth can be tacked
to the outer window frame. Flies carry many
diseases, such as typhoid fever and dysentery,
and mosquitoes carry malaria. Screens that
keep out these insects are therefore necessary
to protect the health of the family.
In winter, cloth screens in the windows may
be useful to keep out the wind and snow.
PLAYROOM OR PLAYCORNER
Every house in which little children are to live should have a play­
room, i f possible, or at least a play corner. (See Play, p. 84.) The
child’s bedroom or a porch may also be his playroom. The sunniest
room in the house is the best for the child.
A playroom should be furnished simply, with a few low chairs,
low shelves or boxes where toys and books may be kept, and a
1 A window board is a piece o f wood or glass, 10 or 12 inches high, resting on the window sill and slanting toward the inside of the room. It is held in place by a triangular
support a t each end. T his board turns the air upward and prevents it from cooling the
lower part o f the room too suddenly.
By another plan the window is# opened a few
inches, at either the top or the bottom, and a board cut to fit the opening is inserted.
This permits the air to enter through the space between the sashes a t the middle o f the
window and distributes it so that it does not fall directly upon the head of the child.


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9

table or low workbench. The shelves will be all the more enjoyed
i f the children have seen them made by father or big brother. A
chest, or at least a drawer, to hold finery discarded by the grown-ups
may become a real treasure chest to the children, especially on rainy
days, for most children like to dress up and act parts.
The floor covering should be easy to clean and yet warm. Lino­
leum is easy to clean, and in winter small, easily washed rag rugs
may be put over it for warmth. Elaborate rugs and curtains in the
playroom are not desirable.
A child needs a low chair both in his playroom and in the family
rooms. A little seat made especially for him, even if made out o f a
soap box, may be not only a joy but a very real comfort.
A HOME TO BE PROUD OF
The quality that makes a home restful and desirable depends more
on its orderliness and cleanliness than on its luxuries. Teach chil­
dren to be proud o f their home. Let them help to keep it pretty and
well cared for. Let them learn by experience the restfulness o f
order. The surroundings o f early childhood set standards that often
last a lifetime.


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4
Preserving H ealth and Preventing Disease
The foundation for health is laid in the first six years. The
healthy child has the best chance o f growing into the healthy adult.
The child who lives a regular life and has good health habits—who
eats well-planned meals at regular hours, gets plenty o f sleep at
regular hours, plays vigorously out o f doors in the sunshine—has the
best chance o f laying a good foundation for future health.
Parents are learning more and more that it is health economy to
go to a doctor to keep their children well rather than to go to him
only to cure illnesses that might have been prevented. They know
it is the doctor who can teach them how to do their share in the cam­
paign for health and against disease. Besides giving the child regu­
lar health examinations twice a year, the doctor will give him protec­
tion against certain diseases and will tell the parents what they can
do to guard against other diseases. He will advise the parents as to
the child’s health habits.
The healthy child has rosy cheeks and red lips. His eyes are
bright. His skin is smooth, his muscles firm, and his body straight
and strong. He grows tall and gains weight month by month. He
is active, alert, and interested in everything. He plays vigorously,
creeping, running, jumping, climbing, according to his age. His
mother may find him a strenuous companion, with his never-ending
desire for activity. He is probably a bit noisy, getting pleasure out
o f banging and shouting and singing. But when it is bedtime he
sleeps like a log. He is hungry at mealtimes and needs no coaxing
to persuade him to eat. His bowels move daily. He has no abnormal
discharge from eyes or ears or nose. His teeth are clean and not
decayed. He breathes with his mouth closed. He does not have
pains nor aches.
The child who is “ not really sick ” is usually the same child as
the one who is u not really well.”
“ But,” says Tom’s mother, u I can’t think Tom is sick just because
he is thin and breathes through his mouth. He takes after my
mother. She was always thin, and she used to snore, too.”
“ Mary has never seen a doctor in the five years since she was
born, and I know she’s not really sick,” says her mother, “ but she’s
always been nervous and fussy about her food.”
Like many other parents, here are two mothers who are puzzled
because their children do not measure up to the best standards o f
health, and yet they can not believe them sick.
Too many people are satisfied with a child that is “ not sick.”
Ill health is often excused or explained on some ground or other and
considered unavoidable.
Nothing short o f really healthy children should satisfy parents.
10

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KEEPING THE W E LL CHILD W ELL
1. Take your child for a regular health examination twice a year
to a doctor experienced in the care of children. (See pp. 11-16.)
2. Ask the doctor to give him special protection against smallpox
and diphtheria and to advise how to guard against other diseases.
(See pp. 18-24.)
3. Take him to a dentist regularly twice a year for examination
and care o f his teeth, beginning at the end o f the second year. (See
pp. 41—44.)
4. Give him a well-plarmed diet, including milk, green vegetables,
fruit, cereals, meat, and eggs. (See pp. 45-64.)
5. Be sure that he has 11 to IS hours o f sleep every night and a
daytime nap o f 1 to 2 hours. (See pp. 65-73.)
6. Send him outdoors for play and exercise in the sunshine every
day. (See pp. 84^94.)
7. See that he has good habits o f eating, sleeping, exercise, cleanli­
ness, and elimination. (See pp. 25-40.)
8. W eigh him once a month; measure his height twice a year.
(See pp. 16-17.)
HEALTH EXAM INATIONS
Intelligent parents want their children kept well. The owner o f
an automobile has it looked over at regular intervals by a capable
mechanic and thus avoids accidents and lengthens the life o f his car.
The machinery o f the human body is in just as much need o f regular
inspection. Every child should be thoroughly examined by a doctor
and a dentist at least every six months. He should be weighed once a
month. Throughout the second year o f life, and in some cases even
longer, it is wise to take him to the doctor every three or four months.
A t such examinations little defects are often discovered and easily
corrected, which, if allowed to persist, become much more difficult to
handle.
The same doctor, i f possible, should see the child at these regular
examinations so that he can record the child’s progress. He will have
a much more complete understanding o f the child’s condition in case
o f illness than i f he had never seen him before.
TEACH

C H IL D R E N T H A T T H E

D O C TO R IS T H E IR

F R IE N D

The visit to the doctor’s office or to the child-health center should
be a pleasant excursion. Every child should be taught to think o f
the doctor as a friend. A mother who threatens to “ call the doctor
if you are not good ” is building up fears in the child that will cause
trouble when the doctor’s aid is needed. A child should never be
deceived about a visit to the doctor. It is foolish to tell a child,
“ The doctor isn’t going to touch you,” or “ He won’t make you take
your clothes off.”
13405°—31

-2


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When the doctor examines the child’s heart and lungs he will be
grateful to the mother who has taught her child to have no fear o f \
him. Nothing is harder than to listen to the chest o f a crying, strug- rC ^ f.
gling child. The signs o f early trouble in the lungs, which it is o f
great importance to discover, often can not be heard unless the child
is quiet. I f he fights and cries, three or four visits may be needed.
Many mothers find that daily inspection o f teeth, ears, neck, and
nails helps to remind the children to scrub them well. I f occasional
throat inspection is added to the list it will help the doctor.

W H A T W IL L T H E DOCTOR LO O K FO R ?

The first thing the doctor will do will be to inquire about the health
and habits o f the child. H e will ask about his food and his habits
o f eating, about his habits o f sleeping and exercise, about his habits
o f elimination, about illnesses he has had, and about measures that
have been taken to protect him against disease.
He will then look him over completely undressed. He will ex­
amine his head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, throat, glands, heart,
lungs, abdomen, genitals, arms, legs, and back. He will compare ^
his weight and height with the average weight and height for
children o f his age. (See pp. 16-17.)


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General appearance.

The doctor is first interested in the general appearance o f the child,
whether pale or rosy, thin or fat, alert or listless. He watches for
the tired-looking child who stands with a drooping posture.
Posture.

The doctor will look at the child’s whole body to see whether it is
well formed and whether his posture is good—that is, whether he is
standing well. He will see whether the child holds his head up and
his chin in so that the head is well balanced, whether he holds his
chest up and his abdomen in, and whether the curves o f his back
are as they should be. Many children, especially those who are too
thin, let their heads drop forward, have flat, sunken chests, large,
prominent abdomens, and an increased curve in the lower part o f
the back.
A rm s and legs and feet.

The doctor will examine the child’s arms and legs and feet to see
whether his bones are straight and his muscles strong. Little chil­
dren often have flatfoot; that is, their feet are rolled outward and
their ankles are bent inward. The doctor will advise what kind of
shoes and stockings to buy and will advise about exercises. (See
Shoes, p. 78; Stockings, p. 78; and The habit o f standing well, p. 31.)
W eight and height.

The doctor will weigh the child and measure his height. He will
compare his weight for height with the average weight for height
o f a large group o f ordinary healthy children o f his age. (See tables,
p. 17.) The doctor will use not only this information about the
child’s weight in relation to his height but also all the other informa­
tion that he gets from examining the child before he decides whether
his growth and development and his present nutritional condition
are satisfactory.
Since a steadily increasing weight is one sign o f good health, the
doctor may ask you to bring your child back once a month to be
weighed or he may ask you to take him to a child-health center for
this purpose; or, if you have scales, he may ask you to weigh him
once a month and report the weight to him. (See Weight-height-age
tables, pp. 16-17, and Malnutrition, p. 118.)
Skin and tissues under the skin.

The child’s skin should be smooth and free from eruptions. The
fat and muscles under his skin should feel firm. A tanned and rosy
skin and red lips are likely to be badges o f good health. Pale, flabby
children are often those who have had too little sunshine and have
lived on a diet containing too little green vegetables, eggs, and meat.

M^Eyes.
The doctor will examine the child for any inflammation o f the eye.
Little children seldom complain o f headache but often rub their eyes
or make faces or blink their eyes or hold their heads down i f their


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eyes bother them. Tell the doctor about such habits. Before the
child goes to school his eyes should be tested. (See Eye disorders, -,
p. 115.)
4
N ose and throat.

The doctor will examine the nose and throat for evidence o f inflam­
mation and for enlarged tonsils and adenoids. He will ask whether
the child breathes through his mouth or shows other evidence of
obstruction in his nose. He will ask about colds and earache and
swollen glands. (See pp. 113-114.)
Ears.

The doctor will look at the child’s ears. Ears are often the seat o f
trouble in early childhood. Earache or discharge or deafness should
be reported promptly to the doctor. (See Ear disorders, p. 114.)
Teeth.

The doctor will examine the child’s teeth to see whether they are
developing normally and whether they show signs o f decay. He will
look at the jaws to see whether they are o f the right shape. He will
examine the gums for gumboils, which are abscesses at the roots o f
teeth. He will look at the lining o f the cheeks and lips. (See Teeth,
p. 41.)
H eart and lungs.

The doctor will examine the heart and lungs for signs o f any m.disease.
Abdom en.

The doctor can gain much information about the internal organs by
feeling the abdomen. A hernia or rupture may occur in a young
child and should be looked for in both girls and boys. Many rup­
tures disappear as the abdominal muscles grow stronger.
Genitals.

The doctor will inspect the genital organs o f girls to see whether
there is any discharge from the vagina, and o f boys to see whether
the foreskin can be drawn back easily and completely. I f it is not
possible to draw back the foreskin so as to keep the glans, or end o f
the penis, clean, the doctor may advise circumcision. (See Care of
the body— Genitals, p. 38.)
G IV E T H E D O C TO R E X A C T IN F O R M A T IO N

After the doctor has completed his examination he may ask more
questions about the child’s life and habits. Frankness and honesty
are absolutely necessary in answering his questions.
The mother o f Louisa, aged 5, meant to put her to bed at 1 o’clock,
but something always happened, so that Louisa really got to be&^M
between 9 and 10. Her mother prided herself on being a good mother, *■
and when the doctor asked her about Louisa’s bed hour she said it
was T o’clock. It took the doctor a long time to find out that staying
up late was the cause o f Louisa’s tired, nervous, irritable ways.

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F O L L O W T H E D O C TO R ’S IN S T R U C T IO N S

Last o f all the doctor will explain what changes must be made to
improve the child s health. The parents should listen carefully and
get all the help they can. It is safer to write down the points that the
doctor considers the most important or ask him to write them down.
He is an expert in health; and if his advice is worth the time and the
trouble and the money that have been spent in getting it, it is well
worth following with painstaking and conscientious care! He will
advise about giving the child special protection against smallpox and
diphtheria, i f this has not already been done (see p. 20) , and about
guarding against other diseases. He will discuss in detail the child’s
health habits. (See p. 25.) Parents should never leave the doctor’s
office without understanding just what he wants them to do and
intending to carry out his orders to the best o f their ability.
D E N T A L E X A M IN A T IO N S

Little children should have their teeth examined by a dentist
quite as regularly as older children, for the prevention o f trouble
in the first six years will help to build strong, well-formed teeth
for later life. The “ baby teeth ” need home care and the dentist’s
care ]ust as much as the permanent teeth. From the time your child
is 2 years old he should be taken to the dentist every six months so
that the teeth may be inspected and cleaned and any small cavities
filled. (See Teeth, p. 41.)
IS Y O U R C H IL D R E A D Y F O R S C H O O L ?

The child who is to enter school for the first time in the fall
should have a thorough examination by a physician and by a dentist
m the spring or early summer. This will allow the summertime for
correction o f defects and for vaccination; also for immunization if
needed. (School brings added danger o f getting communicable
diseases.) I f the child has not been having half-yearly examina­
tions up to this time a thorough examination is especially needed.
A physical defect puts a child at a disadvantage with his schoolmales. Poor sight or hearing may make him seem dull in school
and cause him to become discouraged and uninterested. Do not
et your child reach school age with a handicap that can be removed.
Ask yourself these questions :
Does my child see and hear well?
Are his teeth sound and well kept?
Are his nose and throat in healthy condition ?
Does the doctor consider his weight correct for his
height and age?
Are his eyes bright, his cheeks rosy, his muscles firm,
his posture erect?


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Has he been vaccinated against smallpox and im­
munized against diphtheria (also against typhoid fever
if this is necessary) ?
Has he good habits o f eating, sleeping, bathing,
elimination, self-control, and obedience?
USE OF W EIGHT-HEIGHT-AGE TABLES
Certain standards o f growth and development have been estab­
lished by weighing and measuring a large number o f children.
One o f the ways by which the doctor studies a child’s physical de­
velopment is to compare his measurements with such a standard.
A standard o f weight based on height and age is given on pages
16-17. In comparing a child’s weight and height with the standard
the characteristics o f his race, nationality, and family should be
taken into consideration.
When using these tables always remember that each weight figure
represents merely the average weight o f many ordinary girls or boys
o f a certain height and age and is not a fixed weight that is necessary
for health at that height and age.
Do not worry if a child is a little above or below his average weight,
provided he shows the general signs o f good health; but if he is much
below or above this average, be sure to put him under the care o f a
doctor.
Do not make the mistake o f thinking that a child o f average weight
for his height and age is necessarily up to par in other respects. A ll
the signs mentioned on page 10 are needed to make up the picture o f
a healthy child. Remember that regular gain in weight and height
is more important than weight or height at any one time.
Be sure that your child is examined by a doctor twice a year.
HOW

TO

U SE TH E TABLES

1. Weigh your child, without clothes i f possible, in pounds and half
pounds.
2. Measure the height o f your child. To do this let him stand
without shoes against a straight wall with his feet flat on the floor,
and his head, shoulders, buttocks, and heels touching the wall. Place
a light book or box on top o f his head at right angles, to the wall, and
mark on the wall the level o f the bottom o f the book. W ith a yard­
stick or tape measure measure the distance from the mark to the floor.
A tape measure may be fastened to the wall permanently i f it is
desired, in order to measure conveniently several children in the
family (each child should be measured twice a year).
3. Find your child’s age at the top o f the table (boys or girls).
4. Find his height in inches in the left-hand column o f the table.
5. Run your finger across from his height to the column under
his age. The number found at this point represents the average
weight in pounds o f boys or girls o f the same age and height as
your child.

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Weight-height-age table fen' w hite G IR L S between 1 and 6 years o f a g e 1
[Without clothes!
Average weight in pounds for each specified age
Height in inches

1 year
hut less
than iyk

i y i years 2 years 2Yi years
but less but less but less
than 2
than 2Yi
than 3

25__ ___________________________
UH
26______________________________
16
27_____________________________
17
28-_J_______________________
is m
29____________; _________________
20
30______________________________
21
31______________________________
22M
32_________________________
23H
33
____________i_______
25
34
____________________________________
. 26M
3 5 ,_________i ____________ ; ____ ;
27M
36______________________________
37____________________
...
38______________________________
39______________________________
40________
______________

3 years
but less
than 4

4 years
but less
than 5

5 years
but less
than 6

m i
20

21
22X
24
25
26M

2m

29
30M

tm

20
ia s

22H

24
25
26M
28
29
30M
SIM
33

41J________________________

42______________________________
43______________________________

21M
22M
24
25M
26M
28
29
30M
32
33
34M
35M

44___________________ . . . . __

45___ __________________________
46______________________________
47..................... . ................. ...........
48______________________________
49______________________________

23
24
25M
26M
28
29M
30M
32
33
34M
36
37
38M
40

25M
27
28
29M
31
32
33M
34M
36
37M
38M
40
41
42M

29M
31
32M

33M

35
36
37M
39
40
41H
42M
44
45M
46M

1 Reanalysis of weight, height, and age of 62,160 white girls between 1 and 6 years of age examined in
Children’s Year.

Weight-height-age table for white B O Y S between 1 and 6 years o f a g e 1
[Without clothes]
Average weight in pounds for each specified age

Height in inches

25____ ’ __________________ . . .
26____________________________
27____________________________
28___________________________
29____________________
30_________________________ _.
31.___________. . . . . ________
32____________________ _______
33.____ __________________ . . . .
3 4 .,
______________ . . . . .
35., 1________________________
3 6 ..
, . . . _____ _____ . . .
37___________________________
38__________________ _______
39______ __________ ___________
4 0 .._________________________
41______ ______ ______________
42____ ___________
43___ i ________________ ______
4 4 .,.-._________ .
45____________________________
46____________________________
47______ _____________________
48._________________ _________
49___________________ ; _______

1 year
but less
than 1M
15
16M
17M
19
20M
m i
23
24M
25
27M
28M

years 2 years 2M years 3 years
but less but less but less but less
than 2 than 2M than 3
than 4

18
19
20M
22
23
24M
26
27
28M
- 29M
31
32M

20M
22
23
24M
26
27
28M
30
31
32M
34
35

22
23M
24M
26
27M
28M
30
31M
32M
34
35
36M
38

25
26
27M
28M
30
31M
32M
34
35M
36M
38
- 39M
40M

4 years
but less
than 5

27M
29
30
SIX
33
34
35M
37
38
39M
41
42
43M
45

5 years
but less
than 6

30M
32
38
34M
35M
37
38M
39M
41
42M
43M
45
46M
47M

1Reanalysis of weight, height, and age of 63,647 white boys between 1 and 6 years of age examined in
Children’s Year.


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PREVENTION OF DISEASE
Doctors are learning more and more how to prevent diseases, or
how to m odify them so that they will be less severe, or how to avoid
those which they do not yet know how to prevent. I f a disease is
to be prevented, something must be known about its cause, about
how it is spread, and about the possibility o f making people immune
to it. Some diseases, like rickets and scurvy, are known to be caused
by the lack o f some element in the diet or by the lack o f sunlight;
these are called deficiency diseases. Some diseases, such as diphtheria
and malaria, are known to be caused by germs or parasites which
get into the body through the nose and throat and lungs, or through
the stomach, or through the skin; they are called communicable
diseases. For many other diseases the cause is not yet known.
A deficiency disease may be prevented by supplying the sunlight
or the food element that the child requires. Certain communi­
cable diseases, such as diphtheria and smallpox, may be prevented by
inoculating the individual with substances that will protect him
against these diseases. Other communicable diseases, such as measles,
may be modified or made less severe by the use o f certain substances.
Still other communicable diseases, like influenza, can be prevented
only by avoiding exposure, since it is not yet known how to make
people immune to them.
Communicable diseases are spread:

*

1. Directly—
(a) By a healthy person’s coming in contact with a sick
person. The germs or other cause o f the disease may be present
in the secretions o f the nose and throat and in the fine droplet
spray which such a person breathes or coughs out, as in the case
o f measles, tuberculosis, influenza, and many other diseases.
In some diseases the germs are present in the stools or urine
and may be spread directly to other persons on hands or utensils,
as in typhoid fever and dysentery.
(5) B y a healthy person’s coming in contact with another
healthy person who is a “ carrier” o f some disease; that is,
the germs are present in his body secretions or excretions, though
he himself is not ill. A healthy person may be a carrier o f such
diseases as diphtheria, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and
meningitis.
(c) From an animal that has the disease to a human being;
rabies (hydrophobia), some intestinal worms, and occasionally
other diseases may be spread in this way.
2. Indirectly—When the cause o f the disease is carried to a healthy
person—
(d) B y hands or objects which have been in contact recen tly-^ 1
with a sick person or which have been contaminated by the
secretions or excretions o f a sick person.
(6) B y food, milk, or drinking water which has been con. taminated with germs from the secretions or excretions o f the

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sick person, or o f a 4i carrier,” as in typhoid, fever, dysentery?
scarlet fever, and septic sore throat.
(e)
B y milk from cows that are themselves infected with the
germs o f the disease, as in tuberculosis, septic sore throat, and
undulant fever.
(d ) By flies or other insects that alight on the excretions o f
a sick person and then carry germs on their feet to food which is to
be eaten by a healthy person, as in typhoid fever and dysentery.
(e) By mosquitoes or other biting insects, which by biting first
a sick person and later a healthy one may carry the cause of the
disease from one person to another, as in malaria.
( /) By worms, which enter the body by penetrating the skin
o f the soles o f the feet, as in hookworm.
In order that children may avoid exposure to communicable dis­
eases, it is necessary that they be kept away from all sick persons
and from those who are sneezing or coughing; that all water and
food supplies be safeguarded by proper sanitary measures; that all
milk be pasteurized or boiled; that houses be screened from flies and
mosquitoes; and that the authority o f health departments be upheld
in all matters o f food regulation, sanitation, and quarantine.
P R E V E N T IO N O F C O M M U N IC A B L E D IS E A S E S

Prevention o f disease by avoidm y contact with sick persons.

Many communicable diseases can be prevented only by keeping sick
persons and well persons separated. Especially should children be
kept away from the sick, even i f the sickness is “ only a cold ” ; a
person who has only a mild cold may infect a child and make him
seriously ill. Mothers often run great risk in taking little children
to see invalid friends or relatives, particularly those with chronic
coughs. ^ When a child is sick, keep other children away from him.
Do not intentionally expose young children to diseases like measles
or whooping cough because you think they must have them sooner
or later. As a general rule, the younger the child the more serious
may be the effects o f the disease.
Perhaps the most frequent way that diseases spread is through
coughing and sneezing, because the germs are present in the spray
which come from the nose, throat, or lungs. Tuberculosis is spread
m this w ay; so, too, are common colds. Do not let a child with a cold
play with other children. Teach children to cover their mouths with
their handkerchiefs when they cough or sneeze, or to turn their heads
away, and to use a handkerchief when it is needed. Handkerchiefs
should never be exchanged nor borrowed.
Do not take children into crowds or public places, where there are
.many people o f whose health or illness you know nothing.
2. Prevention o f disease b y cleanly habits.

Teach children not to put their hands or other things into their
mouths. Disease germs may be carried into the body on things put
into the mouth, and children should learn early not to pick up things

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from the floor or street and put them into their mouths, not to suck
fingers, pencils, or other objects, and not to exchange mouth organs,
bubble pipes, candy, etc. Dirty hands are carriers o f disease. Chil­
dren should be taught to wash their hands before eating and after
going to the toilet.
•
.
A void carrying disease to y our children.—A mother caring for
anyone with a communicable disease must be careful not to carry it to
others in the family. It is best for her to wear a long-sleeved apron
while in the sick room and take it off when she goes out. On leaving
the sick room she should wash her hands carefully before touching
food or caring for other children, and she should avoid intimate
contact with them, such as kissing.
3. Prevention or modification o f disease by inoculation.

Some communicable diseases, such as smallpox, diphtheria, typhoid
fever, tetanus, and measles, may be prevented or modified by inocu­
lating with protective substances.2
Prevention o f smallpox.— The great example of such protection
against disease is vaccination against smallpox. In the seventeenth
century more infants died of smallpox than o f any other disease.
Those who did not die were usually scarred. Everyone had small­
pox, as to-day everyone has measles. Vaccination against small­
pox has done away with this situation and could abolish the disease
in the United States i f everyone in the country would take advan­
tage o f this protection.
Every child should have been vaccinated for smallpox before the end
o f his first year and should be vaccinated again before entering school.
Prevention o f diphtheria.—It is now possible to protect children
against diphtheria, one o f the most dangerous o f children’s diseases.
Three injections o f diphtheria toxin-antitoxin or toxoid will keep
most children from contracting this disease. Every child who has
received these three injections should be given the u Schick test ” six
months later. This test will indicate whether the child has re­
ceived adequate protection or whether he needs another course o f
treatment. Diphtheria has been practically wiped out o f communi­
ties where parents have been willing to give their children this pro­
tection. The best time to give this treatment is as soon as possible
after the child is 6 months o f age.
Prevention o f typhoid fever.— Typhoid fever can be prevented by
a vaccine. Every child who lives in a community where typhoid
exists or who is to travel to a place where jt may be should receive
this vaccine.
Prevention o f tetanus.— Tetanus (lockjaw) is caused by a germ
that is carried into the body through wounds. These germs are very
plentiful about barnyards and in manured fields. Scratches and sur­
face cuts are rarely the cause o f lockjaw, but deep wounds are al­
ways dangerous, especially those made by nails or splinters that
2 Inoculation against scarlet fever may be done, but at present this is not so generally
recommended as inoculation against the other diseases mentioned.
Children who have
been exposed to whooping cough may be inoculated w ith a vaccine, which though it will
probably not prevent the disease, may make it less severe when it develops.


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enter deeply into the flesh, or those made by firearms, firecrackers,
or cap pistols. Lockjaw can be prevented by the injection o f tet­
anus antitoxin. Any dirty or deep puncture should be seen by a
doctor, who will give tetanus antitoxin if it is needed.
Prevention can'd modification o f measles.—Measles is a serious dis­
ease in children under 3 and in chronically ill older children. I f
within a week after he has been exposed to measles a child is inocu­
lated with serum or blood from a person who has recovered from
measles, the disease will be modified. I f the inoculation is given
in the first four days after exposure, the disease may be prevented for
the time being. Your doctor may advise such treatment.
4. Prevention o f disease b y sanitary measures.

Typhoid fever, septic sore throat, undulant fever, tuberculosis, and
dysentery may be spread through contaminated water or milk or
foods that are eaten raw. They may be prevented to a large extent
by proper care o f water and food supplies. The public-health
authorities in any community should see that the sanitary measures
required for this care are carried out. Eaw milk should never be
used. In time o f epidemics all water should be boiled and no food
should be eaten raw except fruits, which should be peeled after
being washed carefully in boiled water. Typhoid vaccine (see p. 20)
may also be given.
Do hot buy food for children from street carts or from counters
where it has been exposed to dirt and dust and flies. In planning
vacations be sure that the house to which you are going is clean and
well screened and that the milk and water supplies are safe.
Prevention o f tuberculosis.—Tuberculosis is not rare in childhood.
It is commonly contracted in one o f two ways: Either the child has
come in contact with some person who has tuberculosis or he has been
given milk from tuberculous cows. D o not risk your children’s
health by allowing them to come in contact with any person with
tuberculosis, as such a person may infect a child (1) directly through
the germs in the droplets o f spray that he breathes out or coughs!
this is by far the most important way— or (2) indirectly by
germs which are still living on objects which the sick person has
handled or in the dust on rugs or floor.
Infants and little children are more susceptible to tuberculosis than
older children. They should not live in the same household with a
person who has tuberculosis. Keep your children away from any
person who is coughing, for a chronic cough may mean tuberculosis
at any age.
Use no raw milk. Properly pasteurized milk from cows which
have been tuberculin tested should be used when obtainable. I f raw
milk must be bought or i f there is any question as to whether the
milk has been properly pasteurized or not, it should be boiled. (O f
course, for children under 2, all milk, whether pasteiirized or not, is
to be boiled. See pp. 54-56.)
Prevention o f malaria.■—Malaria is carried to human beings by
mosquitoes. It can be prevented by wiping out the breeding places

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o f mosquitoes—swamps and stagnant ponds. Screening o f houses
and porches has done much to prevent this disease.
a
Prevention o f hookworm.— Hookworms are discharged from the x*'
body in the bowel movements o f persons who have the disease. The
hookworms then live and grow in the soil on the surface o f the
ground. When persons walk with bare feet on ground that has been
contaminated with the excretions o f infected persons, hookworms
make their way through the pores in the skin o f the feet into the body.
To prevent hookworm, human excretions must be disposed o f in such
a way as not to contaminate the surface soil. Children in infected
districts must not be allowed to walk out o f doors in their bare feet.
5. Prevention o f disease in child by treatm ent o f m other.

Prevention o f congenital syphilis.— Syphilis in childhood has
usually been contracted by the child from the mother before birth.
It could have been prevented in the child i f the mother had been
given adequate treatment before the baby was born. Every expect­
ant mother should be examined and her blood tested early in preg­
nancy, and treatment should be started at once and continued
throughout pregnancy i f there is evidence o f this disease. This is to
safeguard the health o f the baby. The late effects o f syphilis, such as
blindness, deafness, and nervous disorders, can usually be prevented
i f a child is given regular repeated treatment in infancy or early
childhood. The earlier such treatment is begun the better the outlook.
6. Prevention o f disease b y general health measures.

¥

Prevention o f other commwnicable diseases.— There are many other
communicable diseases for which no specific preventive treatment is
known. Much, however, can be done to prevent the spread o f such
illnesses as septic sore throat, pneumonia, influenza, meningitis, en­
cephalitis, and infantile paralysis, as well as chicken pox, mumps,
whooping cough, and measles, by keeping persons who have these
diseases entirely away from children.
Every intelligent person should feel it his personal responsibility
to prevent the spread o f disease. Not only should he uphold the
efforts o f his local health authorities in reporting infectious diseases
and enforcing sanitary laws and quarantines, but within his own
home he should keep well people from coming in unnecessary or inti­
mate contact with anyone sick with an infectious disease.
P R E V E N T IO N O F D E F IC IE N C Y D IS E A S E S

Certain diseases are caused by the lack o f some food element neces­
sary for the normal growth o f the child or by the lack o f sunlight.
(See Food and eating habits, p. 45, and Common disorders, p. 113.)
These diseases are chronic, and much damage may be done to a>4jr
child’s rapidly developing body before it is noticed that he is sick.
Prevention o f rickets.

Rickets is a very common nutritional disease o f infancy and early
childhood due to lack o f vitamin D (see p. 53) and o f sunlight. It

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may be prevented i f cod-liver oil is given in adequate amounts or if
the child gets plenty o f direct sunshine. (See p. 29.)
Prevention o f scurvy.

Scurvy is a nutritional disease caused by a lack o f vitamin C.
It may be prevented by the use of citrous fruits (oranges, lemons,
grapefruit) or raw or canned tomato juice or raw cabbage. Raw
carrots or turnips, carefully washed, peeled, and grated, may also be
used to supply vitamin C, but they are less desirable. (See pp.
53,57.)
Prevention o f beriberi.

Beriberi, which is caused by lack of vitamin B (see p. 53), is a
nutritional disease that may result in disease o f the nervous system
and paralysis. It can be prevented by giving the child enough
whole-grain cereals and bread and fresh green vegetables.
Prevention o f pellagra.

Pellagra is a nutritional disease showing itself in severe wasting
and in disorders o f the mouth, stomach, and bowels. It will not
develop if the child is given plenty o f milk, fresh green vegetables,
egg yolk, and fresh meat or canned salmon.
Prevention o f anemia.

Anemia is a condition in which a test by a doctor shows that the
child’s blood has less coloring matter than it has under normal con­
ditions. Anemia is often seen in children who receive during the
first two years a diet of milk and sugar only. Anemia o f this type
may be prevented by giving the young child enough green leafy vege­
tables, egg yolk, fruit, and meat, especially liver.
Prevention o f xerophthalmia.

Xerophthalmia is a disease o f the eyes due to lack o f vitamin A .
It will not develop if the child is given enough whole milk, butter,
egg yolk, or cod-liver oil.
Prevention o f goiter.

Goiter, an enlargement o f a gland in the neck (the thyroid gland),
occurs in children who live in certain inland parts o f the country
where the vegetables and drinking water do not have enough iodine
to supply the body’s needs. In places near the sea the vegetables and
drinking water have plenty o f iodine; sea food also contains it. The
body needs only a small amount of iodine, but it can not get along with6ut it, as it is necessary for the normal action o f the thyroid gland.
I f you live in a so-called “ goiter district,” ask your doctor whether
iodine should be given to your children to prevent goiter.
P R E V E N T IO N O F M A L N U T R IT IO N 3

Malnutrition (see p. 118) may be prevented in a child that has no
chronic infection by giving him a well-planned, adequate diet, by


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training liim in good, eating habits and good sleeping habits, and
by seeing that he gets proper rest and exercise and enough sunshine ^
and outdoor life. (For methods o f preventing infection see p.
19-22.)
PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS
P O IS O N IN G

People are often careless in leaving medicines containing powerful
drugs on a table or in a drawer within easy reach o f children.
Tincture o f iodine, mercurochrome, bichloride o f mercury, and many
other substances used as disinfectants are poisonous i f swallowed.
Children have been known to swallow fatal doses o f such drugs.
Perhaps even more common are accidents that happen with poisons
not used as medicines. Lye causes a type of burn in the mouth and
throat that may result fatally. It is shocking to find how fre­
quently a can o f lye is left on the floor in the bathroom or kitchen
and how frequently children try the experiment o f tasting it.
Wintergreen flavoring extract, alcohol (both grain and wood alco­
h ol), and kerosene have been swallowed by children in fatal quan­
tities. Children seem especially tempted to taste poisonous powders
such as insect powder or rat powder. They will chew matches
and bits o f fireworks which contain a dangerous amount o f phos­
phorus. Many children chew the paint on toys, play pens, and cribs,
and chronic lead poisoning may result from such habits.
Stearate o f zinc or powder containing it is often used in the
homes o f otherwise careful parents, who do not realize that i f a
child breathes this powder into his lungs he will probably develop
a very serious form o f pneumonia. I f such a powder is advised by
the doctor, buy it only in cans that have a self-closing cover and keep
it out o f the reach o f children.
Gas from leaky fixtures and from automobile exhausts causes many
unnecessary deaths. Never neglect a poorly fitting gas fixture.
Never let a motor run in a closed garage.
Avoid the use o f poisons if possible. Never leave poisons within
reach o f young children. Teach children not to put things into their
mouths.
O T H E R A C C ID E N T S

Choking is usually the result o f beginning to cough, to sneeze,
or to laugh when there is something in the mouth. Whatever is in
the mouth is carried into the larynx, or voice box, or may even be
drawn into the bronchial tubes. Children who put beads, buttons,
small toys, or other things into their mouths are likely to choke.
Bits o f nuts, especially o f peanuts, if thus drawn into the lung, may
cause serious results. Nuts should not be given to small children.
Many a bum could be prevented by screening an open fireplace,
by keeping matches on high shelves out o f reach o f little children,
and by great care in the use o f oil lamps and o f candles. Gates on
porches and at the tops o f staircases, and bars or screens in windows

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will prevent many serious falls. Keep razors and sharp knives out
of reach o f children. Give them blunt scissors only.
Many motor accidents could be prevented i f little children were
not trusted to play alone on streets or near roads where motor vehicles
are passing.
A young child can not be trusted to protect himself. Parents who
are careless about these preventive measures find it hard to forgive
themselves when a serious accident happens to the child. (See A cci­
dents, p. 122.) Send to-day to the TJ. S. Public Health Service,
Washington, D. C., for its bulletin, What to Do in Case o f Accident.
HEALTH HABITS
H E A L T H A S B A S E D O N H A B IT

Habit is the tendency to repeat what has been done before. It is
a way o f behaving, thinking, or feeling that, once established, is
easily followed. Habits are learned, not inherited. Once learned,
they are great time-savers.
A child learns to pull on a coat, to button and unbutton his clothes,
to use a fork and a spoon, by trying and trying again. A n adult
does^ hundreds o f complicated acts without thought or attention,
making use o f habits learned in childhood. Think o f the time saved
_ each day because adults can wash, eat, sew, write, read, and handle
tools almost automatically.
Many people think o f habits only as ways o f acting and forget the
even more important habits of thinking and feeling. Children not
only learn the habit o f getting into their clothes, but learn to like
certain colors and to dislike a dirty dress or a tom stocking. So
they develop the habits which are called “ good taste]’ or “ neatness ”
or “ daintiness.” Even attitudes toward life are partly a matter o f
habit. Children learn to be cheerful and happy, or sulky and cross,
according to the habits they form.
Teaching a child to do habitually and without conscious effort the
things that make for good health is one o f the first duties o f parents.
The health habits have to do with the fundamental daily activities
o f the child—eating, sleeping, playing, eliminating, and keeping the
body clean and suitably clothed. Most o f these habits should be
learned in the first three or four years of life. Once learned they
may last a lifetime.
Pleasant associations help to build habits.

A child may be forced into doing something once, but he will not
do it again o f his own accord unless he has found some pleasure or
satisfaction in it. Acts that are associated with or followed by
unpleasant feelings we all tend to avoid in the future, repeating only
-the ones associated with pleasant feelings. F or this reason rewards
may be useful at certain times when the child has done something
that you wish him to repeat, and punishments at other times when he
has done something that you do not wish him to repeat. Punishment
has disagreeable associations and is most effective in teaching chil­
dren not to do things.

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How dislikes arise.— As adults we often, realize that dislikes arise
through unpleasant associations. One person says, 441 love sweety
lavender— I never smell it without thinking o f my grandmother’s
linen chest” ; and another, 441 don’t know why I dislike the taste
o f clove except that I remember tasting it first when I had a tooth­
ache as a child.” Many other likes and dislikes have similar founda­
tions that have been forgotten. So at all ages habits are encouraged
when they are linked with something pleasant and discouraged when
linked with something unpleasant. A favorite dessert, coming as
soon as the dinner plate is empty, helps more in getting children
into the habit o f eating what is set before them than do threats of
punishment.
W hich habits to' encourage.— Praise given to a child because toys
are neatly put away or hands washed before dinner is likely to
encourage habits of order and cleanliness, since even very little
children get pleasure out o f words of praise or smiles o f approval.
Behavior that will become objectionable if persisted in, such as
throwing things on the floor or talking baby talk, should never meet
with signs o f approval, however amusing it may be. Such habits
as asking questions or touching things may be trying but should
not be discouraged too severely since in the end they lead to the
child’s acquiring much valuable information and skill.
Habits are form ed b y daily routine.

Most adults have found by experience that they are healthier,
happier, and less easily tired if their lives are regular. Need for
sleep and need for food recur at regular intervals, and also need
for elimination o f wastes. How often grown people complain be­
cause their hours for sleeping or for eating have been disturbed.
Irregularity makes for discomfort and a sense o f ill health. What
is true o f adults is very much more true o f children.
In planning a routine for the young child the family life should
be considered, for it is not desirable to upset the plans o f the family
more than is necessary for the health o f the children. Certain
things, however, are o f absolute importance, such as the daytimenap period, outdoor play, regular mealtimes, early bed hour, and
regular visits to the toilet. A regular schedule will benefit the
family in the end.
A definite daily plan or schedule, adjusted to individual needs
and followed conscientiously, will prove a great saver o f the
mother’s time. Children who live by such a plan are usually ready
for bath, meals, and bed when the time comes. They seldom fuss or
cry or argue about what they are expected to do.
D A IL Y P L A N S

The following plans are suggested. One of them will fit into
the routine o f most families. I f you can not make use o f one of
them for your child, work out for yourself a similar order o f the
day that you feel will be best for the child, and then follow carefully
the plan you have made.

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FO R T H E YO U N G ER C H IL D (1 TO 2 Y E A R S )
Schedule I
[A step between the schedule for the baby, with feeding every 4 hours, and the
schedule for the older child, with three meals a day]
6.00 a. m---------- Toilet. W ash hands and face. Brush teeth.
Cup o f milk, dried bread with butter.
Sleep or play in crib.
8.00 a. m---------- Toilet. Bath. Dress.
9.00 a. m---------- Breakfast and cod-liver oil.
Toilet for bowel movement. W ash hands.
Out o f doors as soon after breakfast as weather
permits. Play in sun when possible.
11.00 a. m ---------Toilet. W ash hands.
Nap— out o f doors if weather permits.
Sun bath before or after nap.
1.00 p. m---------- Toilet. W ash hands and face.
Dinner.
2.00 p. m---------- Toilet. W ash hands.
Out o f doors as long as weather permits.
when possible, playing or in gocart.
3.30 p. m---------- - Toilet. W ash hands.
Out o f doors.
5.00 p. m---------- Toilet. Undress for night. Wash.
5.15 p. m---------- Supper and cod-liver oil.

6.00

p. m-------- -

In sun

Toilet. W ash hands. Brush teeth.
Bed. Lights out, windows open, door shut.
Schedule I I

7.00 a. m--------

Toilet.
W ash hands
and
Dress.
7.30 a. m---------- Breakfast and cod-liver oil.

face.

Brush

teeth.

Toilet for bowel movement. W ash hands.
Out o f doors as soon after breakfast as weather
permits. Play in sun when possible.
9.30 a. m---------- Bath.
(Bath m ay be given before supper if more
convenient.)
10.00 a. m-------- Toilet.
W ash hands.
Nap— out o f doors
if
weather permits. Sun bath before or after nap.
12.00 noon---------Toilet.
W ash hands and face.
Dinner.
1.00 p. m---------- Toilet. Out of doors, playing or in gocart.
3.00 p. m— * —
Toilet. W ash hands.
Milk or fruit.
Out of doors as long as weather permits. In sun
when possible, playing or in gocart.
5.00 p. m---------- Undress for
night. Toilet. Bath.
(M ay
be
given in morning i f more convenient.)
5.15 p. m---------- Supper and cod-liver oil.
Toilet. W ash hands. Brush teeth.
6.00 p. m ---------- Bed. Lights out, windows open, door shut.
13405°— 31------ 3


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TH E CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX
FO R T H E O LD E R C H IL D (2 TO 6 Y E A R S )
Schedule I
[W hen morning nap seems desirable]
7.00 a. m________ Toilet.
Brush teeth.
W ash hands and face.
Dress.
7.30 a. m________ Breakfast.
Toilet for bowel movement. W ash hands.
Out of doors as soon after breakfast as weather
permits. Play in sun when possible.
11.00 a. m_____ Toilet.
W a sh hands.
Milk or fruit i f needed.
Undress fo r nap.
Nap.
12.45 p. m_______Toilet.
W ash hands and face. Dress.
1.00 p. m_______ Dinner.
Toilet.
W ash hands.
T.SO p. m________ Out of doors as long as weather permits. Play
sun when possible.
4.45 p .m ________ Toilet. Bath. (M ay be given in morning i f more
convenient.)
5.15 p. m______ Supper.
Toilet. W ash. Brush teeth.
6 .0 0 p .m ____ Bed. Lights out, windows open, door shut.

in

Schedule I I
[W hen afternoon nap seems desirable]
7.30 a. m _^_
Toilet. Bath. Brush teeth. Dress.
8.00 a. m ________ Breakfast.
Toilet for bowel movement. W ash hands.
Out of doors as soon after breakfast as weather permits.
Play in sun when possible.
11.45 a. m_______Toilet.
W ash hands and face.
12.00 n oo n _____ : Dinner.
12.30 p. m---------- Undress for nap. Toilet. W ash hands.
Nap.
2.30 p. m----------- Toilet.
W ash hands. Dress.
Milk or fruit i f needed.
Out o f doors as long as weather permits. Play in
sun when possible.
4.45 p. m_______ Toilet.
W ash hands.
5.00 p. m _______ Supper.
* Undress. Toilet. W ash. Brush teeth.
6.00 p. m------------ Bed. Lights out, windows open, door shut.
E A T IN G H A B I T S 4

Every little child should have—
1. Three (or four) meals a day at regular hours; the heaviest
meal in the middle o f the day.
See also Food and eating habits, p. 45.


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2. A well-planned and adequate diet. (See p. 51.)
3. No nibbles or tastes between meals.
4. Three or four glasses o f water daily, preferably between
meals.
A child who has been fed at regular intervals during babyhood
expects meals at regular intervals. B y the time a normal child is a
year old. he should no longer get a bottle, but should be on a diet of
milk, cereals, vegetables, fruit, eggs, and cod-liver oil. It is time
for him to grow used to the flavor o f many vegetables and fruits.
His mother will still have to hold the cup for him, but he should be
learning to hold it himself. In a few more months he will have
learned to handle a cup and spoon.
S L E E P IN G H A B IT S 8

Every little child should—
1. Sleep 11 to 13 hours every night.
2. Take a nap or rest in bed for 1 to 2 hours in the middle of
the day.
3. Always go to bed at a regular early hour— 6 p. m. during
early years and not later than 7 p. m. when 5 or 6 years
old.
4. Sleep in a bed by himself in a room with the windows open
and no light burning.
5. Expect no help in getting to sleep.
Children who have a regular bed hour usually get sleepy by that
time and want to go to bed. Every child up to the age of 6 should
have the habit o f resting in the middle o f the day.
H A B IT S O F P L A Y A N D E X E R C IS E

Fresh air and sunshine.

Every child should be outdoors part o f every day—three to four
hours in winter, five to six hours in summer-—except on very windy,
dry days, when much dust is flying, or on very cold and overcast
or stormy days. Even in the coldest weather, i f the day is sunny,
the sunny part o f the yard, i f protected from wind, may be com­
fortable for active play. In the hottest weather children should
stay in the shade during the middle part o f the day. On rainy
days« a porch may be used or a room with the heat turned off and
all the windows open.
Growing children need sunlight all the year round. Sunlight en­
ables the child’s body to grow properly by making the best use o f
the minerals in his food. Every child should get well tanned on
the face, neck, chest, arms, and legs, and, i f possible, on the rest of
the body as well. To tan the child the sun must shine on his skin
directly—not through clothing nor ordinary window glass.
5 See also Sleep and sleep habits, p. 65.


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In cold weather the best time for getting sunlight is the middle
o f the d a y ; in hot weather, between 8 and 11 a. m. and after 3 p. m.
Let your child get a good coat o f tan, but do not let him get burned
by the hot sun.
I f a child has not been used to exposure, let him get used to it by
playing in the sun with bare arms and legs and getting them tanned
before wearing only a sun suit. Dark-skinned children tan more
quickly than fair-skinned ones.
In spring, summer, and fall the child who plays outdoors every
sunny day wearing a sun suit part o f the time will get plenty o f
sunshine. In winter, when more o f the body must be covered and
the sun is less strong, every child should play in the sun as much as
possible; and the child under 2, who is at an age when he may still
have rickets, may need indoor sun baths every sunny day. (See also
Cod-liver oil, p.. 60.)
To give an indoor sun bath, open a window at the top or bottom
so that sunlight comes through the open space, put the child’s play
pen in the patch o f sunlight, and let him play there. The room
should be well heated and the doors closed, so that the child can
first have arms and legs exposed and later wear his sun suit without
being uncomfortable. Begin by giving the sun bath for a few
minutes, increasing the time gradually to an hour. Move the play
pen, i f necessary, so as to keep it in the patch o f sunlight. The
child should be protected from wind during the sun baths, and if
clouds cover the sun, a blanket or wrap should be thrown over him
until the sun shines again.
The child under 2 years who is not accustomed to sun baths and
the frail child need close supervision.
Learning to walk.

When a child first learns to walk, he is very unsteady; he places
his feet far apart to help steady himself. Do not expect him to take
his first steps on a slippery floor, as he may fall and lose confidence
so that he will be afraid to try again. As he will have to do most o f
his walking in shoes and on hard floors and pavements, he should
have suitable shoes as soon as he tries to walk. (See p. 78.) I f he
develops any peculiarity in gait, such as waddling, the doctor’s atten­
tion should be called to it and he will find out whether the child has
a deformity o f the hip.
Teach children to stand with their feet straight forward and knees
springy. Do not teach them to stand with toes turned out or with
knees “ locked” or held stiff. The child who toes out throws his
weight on the inside o f the foot instead o f on the ball and will
almost surely develop flatfoot. (See p. 32.) Walking on tiptoe
with the toes turned in strengthens the foot and helps to prevent
flatfoot. A tricycle suited to the child’s size, which he moves for­
ward by the use o f pedals, exercises the feet correctly, for the child
must keep his feet in good position in order to put the right pressure
on the pedals.

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“ Jumpers,” “ walkers,” and other types of apparatus should not
be used to teach a child to walk, nor should cars that are pushed
about by the feet but have no pedals be used too much even after a
child can walk.
Balancing.

A t an early age the child begins to delight in balancing himself.
Climbing on chairs or jumping from low steps may come first; then
climbing o f a more daring type, walking on a narrow board, walk­
ing along cracks, hopping, skipping, and jumping rope. Carrying a
glass o f water so that it will not spill is done by many muscles work­
ing together; and when little daughter (or little son) is able to
pass a glass o f iced tea to one o f mother’s friends without spilling it,
great skill has been attained.

The habit o f standing well.

When a child first learns to stand and walk, he must begin to use
new groups of muscles in order to maintain his balance in an upright
position. Many o f the large muscles o f his body will be strength­
ened as he learns to climb and run and jump; but i f he is to develop
the habit o f standing well, he must learn to use and strengthen the
special ones that keep him well balanced in good posture. The most
important o f these muscles are those o f the abdomen and the but­
tocks. The abdominal muscles pull in the abdomen. The big
muscles o f the buttocks help to keep the back from becoming too
hollow. Even a little child o f 3 or 4 can learn to use these muscles,

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and as he does it he will gradually learn to raise his chest and hold
his head up and his chin in.
Important, too, in standing or walking well, is the position o f the
feet. They should be parallel, pointing straight forward, and the
ankles should not roll in. The names flatfoot,” “ weak foot,” “ pronated foot,” “ broken arches,” and “ fallen arches ” are given to
conditions in which the foot is rolled outward and the ankle is bent
inward. The foot is not really flattened nor are the arches actually
broken down, but the muscles o f the leg have become weak so that
they are no longer able to hold the foot in the proper position. I f
a child’s feet turn outward and his ankles bend inward, a doctor
should be consulted, and he will give special exercises to strengthen
the muscles o f the feet and legs. The doctor will also advise about
the right kind o f shoes for a child with flatfoot to wear.
Muscles grow strong and work together better through use.
Everyone uses his muscles with more zest in play than in any for­
mal exercise, and little children who are old enough to run around
do not have to be urged to use their muscles. Many a child, how­
ever, works his legs overtime, while his arms and trunk get little
chance to grow strong by use. The parent’s job is to encourage
the children to use all their muscles and to provide apparatus and
toys that will give them the opportunity to do so. (See p. 89.) Do
not stop the baby’s creeping and try to get him to walk, for creeping
strengthens both trunk and arms; walking on all fours does it
even more.
The child strengthens many muscles by lying on his back and
kicking, reaching for dangling objects with his feet, pushing or
pulling toy wagons or heavier objects, and, when he is older, by climb­
ing ladders or trees or ropes or bars, shoveling, digging in the earth,
building houses, pounding, and throwing balls. (See Play, p. 84.)
Remember that shouting, singing, and even crying exercise the
muscles o f the chest.
Dancing, skipping, and walking on tiptoe bring into play muscles
not used in ordinary walking. They strengthen especially the mus­
cles that prevent flatfoot.
E xercise and rest.

Once a child has begun to walk steadily and to run, he spends
many hours a day in great activity. He is apt to be on the go
all the time, and he needs a daily nap or a period o f rest in bed,
even if he does not sleep at that time. Children seldom say that
they are tired. They show fatigue by becoming cross or restless
oftener than by wanting to sit down or to lie down. The child
under 3 years who is very active in his play is often better off i f
he spends at least part o f his outdoor time quietly. The child who
is pushed in a go-cart is getting outdoor rest, but it should not take
the place o f a nap.
How much exercise a child should have depends on his individual
needs. The thin, nervous child usually needs to be given toys that
will keep him quiet part of the time. The heavy, slow child often

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needs to be urged to do more. The little child in a large family
often overdoes greatly by trying to keep up with the older children
and^ should be given a chance to play less strenuously with com­
panions o f his own age. The irritable child who is spending much
time indoors may be much improved by getting more outdoor life.
The child who often comes in from violent outdoor play tired and
cross may need an occasional break in his activity by resting quietly
or having his mother read to him.
Harm can come o f too much exercise or the unwise use o f muscles.
A little child may easily become overtired i f he does the same thing
for some time, such as holding his hand up to take the hand o f an
adult. He may become very tired by walking for some distance,
where he would be less tired i f for the same length o f time he ran,
jumped, and walked.
Every mother wants her child to develop a well-balanced, healthy,
strong body, and this he can do only if he has both the exercise and
the rest to meet his own particular needs. Rest is as necessary for
strength as exercise.
Let the child use his big muscles as much as he will, but do not try
to train his smaller muscles until later, when the big ones have grown
strong and skillful. A child may be prepared to learn the finer
hand movements, by first learning the coarser ones. Let him first
learn to hold a cup, then to handle a spoon and a fork, then to
unbutton and button his clothes, to unlace and lace his shoes, then
to string buttons and beads.
H A B IT S O F E L IM IN A T IO N

Every little child should—
1. Move the bowels once or twice a day.
2. Seldom move the bowels accidentally after the age o f 1
year.
3. Seldom wet his clothes in the daytime after the age o f 18
months.
4. Seldom wet the bed after the age o f 2 years.
It is reasonable to expect that every healthy child before the end
o f the first year will have been ^rained by his mother to move the
bowels regularly. (See Infant Care, p. 57, H. S. Children’s Bureau
Publication No. 8, 1929.)
A t 1 year a baby normally urinates every one to three hours. By
the end o f 18 months a child should be able to control the passage o f
urine so that he will only rarely wet himself during the day i f he is
taken to the toilet often enough. A t 2 years or soon afterward he
should be able to ask to go to the toilet. But he should not be scolded
for an occasional accident.
Usually he is not able to control the passage o f urine at night
until between the second and the third birthday. I f at 3 years a
child still wets his bed at night, a doctor should be consulted.


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During the training period the child should meet with words o f
approval when he succeeds in doing what is expected o f him but
should not be scolded when he fails.
T oilet conveniences fo r the child.

The little child should not be expected to use a toilet built for
adults. Small seats that can be placed on top o f the ordinary
toilet are now on the market. Quite as important as a comfortable
seat is a firm support for the child’s feet while he is seated on either
the toilet or the nursery chair. A wooden box for this purpose and
for the little boy to stand on in front o f the toilet should be provided.
I f it is necessary to use an outdoor privy, a chamber or commode
should be provided indoors for the little children and should be used
during very cold weather and whenever else it is convenient.
Teaching the child to use the right words.

It is important for the child to associate with the toilet chair and
with elimination the correct words— “ toilet,” “ bowel movement,”
and “ passing urine ”— and not some special words understood only
by the family. Many a child who is old enough to be greatly dis­
tressed by the accident has wet his clothes because some adult has
failed to grasp the idea that “ wee wee ” or “ tinky ” or some other
special word means that he needs to go to the toilet. These functions
are normal, and should be treated in a perfectly matter-of-fact way.
However, the toilet chair should distinctly belong in the nursery or
the bathroom and should not be used in the living room or the kitchen.
The child should learn early that certain things are done and talked
o f publicly and others are not.
B ow el training.

A child who has been allowed to go beyond the first year without
learning to control his bowels must be taught in much the same
way that the baby is taught. The mother must make up her mind
to devote most o f her time to him for several days. She probably
knows at about what time his bowels usually move, and she should
put him on the toilet before this time and keep him there not longer
than T or 8 minutes. I f he does not learn within two or three days
to move his bowels at this time, a suppository or a soap stick may
be used to stimulate the movement, but this should not be done more
than a few times without a doctor’s advice. The suppository should
be inserted into the rectum and held there for 2 or 3 minutes by
pressing the buttocks together, and then the child should be put
upon the toilet chair to permit him to empty his bowels.
The bowel movement is most likely to take place within an hour
after a meal, as the taking o f food into the stomach starts move­
ments along the whole digestive tract. The best time for the daily
bowel movement is soon after breakfast. The older child should
be expected to go to the toilet before he goes out to play.


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Constipation.

Constipation is the passing o f very hard material from the bowels,
or the passing o f a very small amount, or failure to empty the
bowels daily. In young children it is much more often due to a
poorly chosen diet and poor training in regular toilet habits than
to any disease.
Castor oil or other cathartics should not be given except on the
order o f a doctor. Because o f their irritating action, they cause
the bowels to contract with greater violence than usual, so that the
wastes are hurried through, or they cause water to be drawn from
the rest of the body into the bowels and so flush out the wastes.
Either kind is harmful when used often. Constipation is more often
made worse by them than cured, for the diarrhea that they cause is
usually followed by further constipation.
The following method may be used in handling a mild case of
constipation:
J. Have a regular hour when the child is taught that his
bowels are expected to move, preferably soon after
breakfast.
2. Serve meals at regular hours and give a diet with a liberal
allowance o f the laxative foods as outlined on page 116.
3. Give 3 or 4 glasses o f water a day.
4. Encourage vigorous out-of-door play.
5. Do not let the child become too impressed with the im­
portance o f having a bowel movement. I f he occasion­
ally goes for a day without a movement, do not worry
unless he seems sick. Leave him alone at the toilet but
do not let him sit there more than T or 8 minutes. I f
his bowels do not move, do not become anxious and do
not urge nor coax him. Wait until the next day before
trying again. Coaxing and anxiety on the part o f the
mother may increase the child’s unwillingness to try to
make his bowels move.
Constipation that persists in spite of such treatment should be
reported to the doctor.
Teaching the dry habit.

Teaching the dry habit should be started by the time a child is 1
year o f age if it has not been already begun. I f he is to be kept dry,
he should be given frequent opportunities to urinate. It is necessary
to start by taking him to the toilet at regular intervals throughout
the day, say every hour. I f he is found sometimes to be wet at the
end o f an hour, shorten the interval to 40 minutes. I f at the end of
a few days the child remains dry all day, the interval may be in­
creased little by little. Throughout the second year some children
need to be taken to the toilet as often as every two hours; some


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gradually learn to wait three hours. Usually, if a child from 1 to 4
years o f age is taken to the toilet before and after each meal, before
and after sleeping, and on coming in from play it is enough. When
the outdoor play period is as long as three hours or more, most
children o f 2 or 3 years will need to be brought in to the toilet
once in the middle of it; older ones may not. Though a child by
the time he is 2 years old may learn to tell when he wants to go
to the toilet, still he must be reminded each time until he is at least
4 years old. The daily plans for children 1 to 2 years, and 2 to 6
(see pp. 27, 28) are given as suggestive schedules for these age
periods.
A t 3% or 4 years the child should be able to go to the toilet
without being taken. The mother should give as much help and
encouragement as he needs, but she should try to make him more
and more independent. Visits to the toilet should not be times for
petting.
• ,
B y the time a child is 5 or 6 years old he may not need to go to the
toilet so frequently. B y this time he will be able to decide for him­
self whether he needs to go, but he will need occasionally to be
reminded.
Diapers should -be discarded early. Usually by the time the child
is 12 months old he will do better to wear drawers in the daytime,
and as early as possible diapers should be discarded at night also.
Clothes should be used that are unfastened easily. The child
should be taught to unbutton his own .clothes and when he is a little
older to button them. I f he is given plenty o f time he usually can
manage this pretty well by about the age o f 3 years. Clothes made
with an elastic at the waist— not too tight— are easily managed by
a child o f 2 i/2 to 3 years. (See Clothing, p. 74.)
A child should never be left wet or soiled. The habit o f keeping
clothes dry will never be built up by leaving on wet ones. When a
child whose habits are fairly well established wets himself, he
should not be punished; he may well be made to feel, however, that
he is missing something in having to spend playtime in changing
his clothes, and should be made to take off the soiled ones and put
on the clean ones by his own efforts as far as possible. He should
not be disciplined, however, after an accident that occurs under
unusual or fatiguing circumstances; for instance, i f he has been taken
for a ride or on a visit to some strange place. The unfamiliar sur­
roundings and the increased nervous tension o f such occasions fre­
quently cause the breaking down o f well-established habits o f control.
N ight training.—Many children who have perfect control o f day­
time urination continue to wet the bed at night. Establishing the
dry habit at night calls for much the same routine as establishing it
during the day. Training should have been begun early. The
child should be given an opportunity to urinate on going to bed,
and again at 10 o’clock or whenever the mother goes to bed. I f this
is attended to, and still bed wetting continues beyond the third year,
consult the doctor. (See also Undesirable habits, p. 69.)

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During the night training period remember the follow ing:
1. Fluids should not be given in large amounts after 5 p. m.
2. Overexcitement or overfatigue in the late afternoon should
be avoided, as these are likely to cause bed wetting.
3. Irritating or tight night clothes, too warm night clothes,
and too heavy covers should be avoided— also chilling o f
the body by uncovering.
4. The bladder should be emptied at bedtime.
5. A t 9 or 10 o’clock, or whatever is the mother’s usual bedtime,
wake the child and have him walk to the toilet and empty
his bladder again. I f when you get him up to go to the
toilet he has already wet the bed, take him up earlier the
next night. I f necessary, set an alarm clock and wake
him up again at 1 or 2 o’clock and at 5.30 or 6 in the
morning.
6. A child should never be encouraged to urinate when asleep
or half asleep. Parents who let a child use the toilet
without waking him are teaching him the very habit that
should be overcome.
7. Be prepared to change the child’s night clothes and bedding.
Never leave him wet, since this keeps him accustomed to
the feeling o f wetness. Never let a wet bed be an excuse
fo r his getting into bed with some one else.
8. Praise for keeping the bed dry is always more effective than
punishment for wetting it.
C A R E O F T H E C H IL D ’S B O D Y

Every
1.
2.
3.
4.

child should—
Have a daily bath.
Brush his teeth morning and night.
Wash his hands before meals and after going to the toilet.
Have his hair washed once a week.

The hath.

The child who plays in the sand pile, on the floor, or in the yard
certainly needs a daily sponge bath or tub bath as much as does the
little baby. The temperature o f the bath water should be between
95° and 105° F. and that o f the bathroom about 75° F.
The tub bath, with a final spray, is the most convenient one to
give, as well as the one most enjoyed. W ith some bathtubs a board
can be placed across the foot o f the tub so that a child can stand on
it to be soaped or dried, and the mother w ill not have to lean over
so far to help him. When it is necessary to save hot water, a foot
tub placed on such a board can be used instead o f the bathtub itself.
I f the house has no bathtub, a washtub or foot tub may be used in
a warm room.
When using a washtub or foot tub for baths the mother can save
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to the faucet in the sink. The hose, with a spray attachment, may be
used for rinsing the soapy water off the child at the end o f the bath.
Teach the child to bathe him self.—The child should learn as early
as possible to bathe himself and dry himself well, though the mother
will have to supervise the bath throughout the preschool period. The
ordinary tub bath with a final spray gives the child the greatest
opportunity to learn to bathe himself.
Towels cmd wash cloths.— Each child should be taught to use his
own towels and Wash cloths and no one else’s. Ordinary wash cloths
o f soft turkish toweling are suitable for a child over 1 year. A
large, soft turkish towel is the best fo r drying the body, and a huck
hand towel or a small, soft, light-weight turkish towel for the face,
ears, and neck.
Soap.— Castile soap (made o f pure olive oil) is best for a young
child’s skin, though many o f the other mild toilet soaps are good. As
soap removes the natural oil from the skin, it should be thoroughly
rinsed off with fresh water.
Talcum pow der.—I f the skin is carefully dried after the bath,
there will be little need for powder. It should be used only after the
skin is dry. In summer it is useful to prevent chafing o f skin where
parts rub together. No powder containing stearate o f zinc should be
used unless ordered by the doctor. (See p. 24.)
O il.— I f a child’s skin is very dry or easily chapped, it may be
rubbed with mineral oil after the bath.
Genitals.

The boy who has not been circumcised should have the foreskin
pushed back several times a week until the whole glans (end o f the
penis) can be seen, and the depression at the base can be washed clean
and free from the white material that often collects there. I f the
parents do not know how to do this, the doctor will show them; and
if it has not been done regularly, he may have to help them release the
tissues that sometimes bind the foreskin to the glans.
The genitals o f little girls should be washed morning and night;
otherwise they are often found to be red and irritated. This rarely is
seen in a child who has a tub bath daily. I f powder is used to prevent
chafing, care must be taken that it does not get in between the labia
(folds o f the genitals), as this causes irritation.
Hands.

A child o f 18 to 24 months can begin to learn to wash his own
hands, standing on a box so that he can reach the washbasin. As he
grows older, he must learn to do it thoroughly. He should not be
allowed to turn the water on and off until he is 4 or 5 years o ld ; that
is, old enough not to burn himself with the hot water. He should use
soap and a wash cloth. I f his hands are not clean after he has
washed them, help him to get them clean. Hands should be washed
regularly before each meal and after going to the toilet.


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Finger nails and toe nails.

Teach children to use a nailbrush when washing the hands. Nails
should be cut short, so that there will be no temptation to bite them.
Cleaning the finger nails should be part o f the morning toilet. I f
you train children to notice their nails, they will take pride in clean,
well-kept ones.
Toe nails should be cut straight across so that ingrowing nails
will not develop.
E yes.

Normal healthy eyes need no special cleansing. I f eyes become red
and bloodshot, or i f any discharge comes from them, a doctor should
be consulted.
(See Eye
disorders, p. 115.) I f the
eyes are irritated from dust,
wind, or sunburn, cool, wet
compresses will usually re­
lieve the discomfort.
Ears.

The outer ear should be
washed daily with soap and
water and dried thoroughly.
No attempt should be made
to remove wax that is beyond
the reach o f the wash cloth.
Any odor or discharge from
the ear should be reported
at once to a doctor, as it is
a sign o f infection. (See
Ear disorders, p. 114.)
N ose.

A child should be taught
to blow his nose with a
handkerchief held in front
o f it, without pressing on
either side. Do not, how­
ever, let him try to blow his
nose i f it is so stopped up
that he can not breathe
through it, nor close one nos­
tril and blow i f the other
side is stopped up. Hard blowing o f the nose may carry infection
into the ears or sinuses.
I f crusts are present in a child’s nose, oil the inner lining o f the
nose with mineral oil by putting two or three drops o f the oil
up each nostril. The oil will soften and loosen the crusts and they
can then be blown out readily. No further cleansing is needed.

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Never squirt into a child’s nose a medicine dropper full o f oil; this
is too much.
Provide every child with handkerchiefs. He must learn to use his
own and never borrow anyone else’s, not even his mother’s.
Teeth.

The habit o f caring for the teeth regularly should be learned by
little children. They should learn also to expect a visit to the dentist
twice a year. (See also Teeth, p. 41.)
Hair.

Wash the hair o f a little child once a week, winter or summer,
and wash brushes and combs at the same time. In winter dry the
hair quickly with vigorous rubbing in a warm room. In summer, it
may well be dried in the direct sunshine. It is best to use liquid
soap, which can be prepared readily by heating soap shavings and
water until the soap is dissolved. It is often simpler to wash the
hair during the tub bath, first wetting the hair, then rubbing thor­
oughly both scalp and hair with soap, and then rinsing the hair
several times by means o f a spray or pitcher o f water until all soap
is removed. For the older child it may be more satisfactory to use
a basin. Care always must be taken not to get soap into the eyes,
and the rinsing water should be guided away from the face.
I f yellow crusts are seen on the scalp, the head should be well
rubbed with oil at night and washed in the morning at least twice
a week. Plenty o f warm water and soap should be rubbed in with
a wash cloth and the crusts soaked off. Rinse the hair thoroughly.
A fine-toothed comb should not be used.
Hair should be brushed daily.
C L O T H IN G H A B IT S

Habits o f cleanliness and neatness in clothing should be established
while the child is young. Get the child used to frequent changes of
underclothing. Teach him to want to have all his clothes in good
condition and well buttoned up. Getting clothes dirty by playing
in the yard is to be expected and not frowned upon. As far as pos­
sible have clothes washable, and change them often. Children
should never be allowed to cover soiled or torn underwear with fine
outer garments. The clothes that do not show are as important as
those that do.
Low hooks for coats, dresses, etc., low shelves for shoes and rub­
bers, and bureau drawers that the child can open and close without
help are all aids in the habit o f caring for clothing. (See also
Clothing, p. 74.)


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Nothing is o f more interest to the whole family than a baby’s first
teeth, but the interest is not very lasting. This is unfortunate, as
most o f the teeth come through after infancy. As a rule only 6 of
the 20 baby teeth have come through by the first birthday, and the
remaining 14 come in during the year and a half following— 10 dur­
ing the second year and 4 in the six months after that. The child
will then have all his temporary teeth, and no more teeth come in
until about the sixth year, when four permanent teeth, the sixth-year
molars, appear.
TEETHING
Children differ greatly in the matter o f teething. Many seem to
be no more disturbed by the coming o f their teeth than they are by
the growing o f their hair. Many are irritable and refuse their food.
A very few seem really sick at the coming o f each tooth and are
feverish. It is never safe to assume that illness is due to teething;
usually, if an examination is made by a doctor, some other cause for
the fever is found. During the teething period the child should be
given such hard, crisp foods as toast.
BUILDING AND SAVING THE TEETH
I f the child is to have good permanent teeth— straight, strong, and
regular, with the upper and lower sets meeting to form a good chew­
ing machine— his baby teeth must be kept in good condition until the
permanent ones are ready to come in. The permanent teeth come in
from the sixth to the tenth year, and until then the child needs his
baby teeth to chew his food and to hold the jaws in shape so that the
permanent teeth will have plenty of room. I f the baby teeth are
to be kept in good condition as long as they are needed, they must be
built o f good material and they must be taken care of properly at
home and by a dentist. Every effort should be made to save the baby
teeth.
B U IL D IN G S T R O N G T E E T H

The material o f which the teeth are built depends largely upon
the nourishment o f the body. As the temporary teeth are entirely
formed before birth, the mother is the child’s only source o f nourish­
ment while these teeth are being built; and, i f during this time she
does not receive enough outdoor sunshine and enough o f the foods
that supply the elements for tooth building, her own teeth may suffer
and the baby’s teeth may be built o f poor material. As the perma­
nent teeth are begun before birth and are forming all through early
41


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childhood, the material o f which they are built is influenced by the
mother’s nutrition during pregnancy and the nursing period and
by the child’s own nutrition. Foods that supply the elements needed
for tooth building are milk, cod-liver oil, fruit— especially oranges—
green leafy vegetables, raw vegetables, and egg yolk. These foods
not only should be part o f the diet o f the mother during pregnancy
and the nursing period but should be in the diet o f the child also.
In preventing decay of the teeth, diet is o f great importance. The
same foods that build strong teeth will help very greatly to prevent
decay. Too much sugar and other sweets in the diet bring about
conditions that may have a bad effect on the teeth. Eating too much
sugar usually makes the child neglect other important foods. (See
Sweets, p. 60.)
The structure o f the permanent teeth may be influenced by the
child’s health during the years in which they are forming, especially
the first three or four years; any serious disease may cause defects
in the permanent teeth. Thus rickets may damage the permanent
teeth that are in process o f formation at this time (the sixth-year
molars and a number o f the front teeth). Cod-liver oil and sun baths
are needed for tooth building, especially during the first two years,
the period o f greatest susceptibility to rickets.
B U IL D IN G S T R A IG H T , R E G U L A R T E E T H

Whether the child’s teeth are straight and regular or crooked
and crowded depends on the way the dental arches o f bone develop.
This depends on (1) whether the child is properly nourished; (2)
whether his jaws have received the proper exercise during the early
months o f life by sucking the breast rather than a rubber nipple,
and, later, throughout the preschool years, by biting on hard foods,
such as toast and raw apples, and on foods that must be well chewed,
such as meat and coarse bread; and (3) whether decay and loss of
teeth have been prevented by proper diet and adequate dental care.
Poorly shaped arches may be caused by adenoids, which result in
mouth breathing, or by the habit o f sucking on fingers, thumbs, or
“ pacifiers.”
As the preschool years pass, spaces appear between the baby teeth
showing that the jaws are growing to allow more room for the larger
permanent teeth.
HOM E CARE

Regular cleaning is necessary to free the teeth from soft, sticky
food, for if this is not removed, it causes tooth decay. Eating raw
fruits or vegetables at the end o f a meal helps to remove soft food
from the teeth. As soon as the first teeth have come through they
should be brushed with a small brush dipped in cool salt water (onehalf teaspoonful of salt to a glass o f water) or in plain water. The
toothbrush for the very little child should have only one row of

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TEETH

4 3

tufts, widely spaced and only moderately stiff, and for the older
child not more than two rows.
Brush downward when cleaning the upper teeth, upward when
cleaning the lower, brushing both the inside and the outside o f all
teeth and also the chewing surfaces. It is well to brush the teeth
two minutes by the clock morning and night and if possible after the
midday meal. The gums should be brushed to toughen them hut not
so hard as to injure them. Kinse the mouth thoroughly after each
brushing.
The mother should encourage the child to learn to brush his own
teeth, but until she is sure he can do it thoroughly—usually at about
school age—she should supervise all the brushings and be certain the
teeth are clean. -

Upper
Teeth

Lower
Teeth

#

—

Æ

&

m
4©
0

ftVwCG

Centra] Incisor
— Lateral Incisor
Cuspid
Fi r a t Molar
Second Molar
S ix th -y e a r Molar

w*-— S ix th -y e a r Molar
—Second Molar

<§b—

F ir s t M olar
------- Cuspid
— L a te ra l Incisor
______
Central Incisor

-t

Teeth o f the six-year-old child
D E N T IS T ’S C A R E

Every child at 2 years should be taken to the dentist for thorough
inspection and cleaning o f the teeth; he may be taken before he is 2.
I f the first visit to the dentist is for these purposes only, the child
will usually enjoy going.
Every six months the visit should be repeated. Then any small
cavity will be found by the dentist soon after it appears, and it can
be filled then with littled discomfort for the child.
I f a small cavity is not filled, the tooth will decay still more,
and the results o f this neglect are familiar to all— ugly, broken teeth,
toothaches, and gumboils. The child with a sore tooth tries not to
bite on it and is likely to avoid wholesome foods that need to be
chewed or else to chew on one side o f his mouth. I f the cavity be­
comes very large, the root o f the tooth is likely to become infected
and the tooth may have to be pulled out. The shape o f the jaw will
suffer, from either lack o f exercise or loss o f teeth, and the permanent
13405°— 31------ 4


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TH E CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX

teeth that are being built may not have room enough to com© in
straight. A child who has poor, decayed, or abscessed teeth is
likely to have a poor appetite. Any tooth that is devitalized, that
is, one in which decay has destroyed the nerve, should be watched
closely fo r abscess formation at its roots.
THE SIXTH-YEAR MOLARS
Perhaps the most important teeth in childhood— and certainly
the most neglected— are the sixth-year molars. These two pairs
o f permanent teeth, which come in between the fifth and seventh
birthdays, do not take the place o f any baby teeth, but come in
directly behind them. They are therefore often wrongly thought
to be baby teeth. The sixth-year molar is the sixth tooth from the
front on each side.
As the sixth-yeai molars are the first permanent ones to come
through, they act as anchors to which the others tie; and if they
are lost, the others are likely to come in crooked and the dental
arch to be poorly formed. A s soon as the chewing surface o f each
o f these teeth has appeared, it should be examined by a dentist.
Great care should be taken to brush these teeth thoroughly; they are
often overlooked.
THE GUMS
The gums should be firm and a clear, light pink in color, and they
should hold the teeth firmly in place. The gums should be inspected
for signs o f gumboils and for discharge o f pus around the top of
the tooth. A gumboil is not always painful, but it always means
that there is an abscess around the root o f the tooth.
The teeth are affected by whatever affects the body as a whole.
Factors that bring about poor general health are likely to affect the
teeth. The child whose general health is good, who has the super­
vision o f a doctor and a dentist, who gets proper food and enough
sunshine, sleep, and exercise, will probably have good teeth.


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Food and Eating Habits
GOOD EATING HABITS
Good eating habits have much to do with health, especially in
childhood, the period o f active growth. The child should learn early
in life to eat at regular intervals, to eat a simple, wholesome diet, and
to take what is set before him. Coaxing and urging will not teach
a child to eat, but most children with healthy appetites are ready to
eat almost anything that is offered them. A child should come to
his meals hungry i f he is to learn to eat everything served to him.
He should have nothing to eat between meals that will keep him
from being really hungry fo r his next meal.
It should be realized that some children naturally have better ap­
petites than others. I f a child shows the signs o f good health (see
p. 10) and gains weight steadily and i f he is eating a well-planned
diet (see p. 53) his mother should not worry because he does not
seem to want so much food as some other children. He may not
need so much.
H O W C H IL D R E N F O R M F O O D H A B IT S

Little children imitate grown-ups and older children. Eating
habits are not inherited. The child who as a baby has been fed at
regular intervals and who has received a variety o f vegetables, fruit,
and cereals during the latter part o f his first year usually presents
no special feeding problems unless he comes in contact with people
whose fussiness about food he learns to imitate.
Aunty, who “ simply can’t touch tomatoes,” Grandma, who “ hasn’t
been able to eat celery since she lost her teeth,” Father, who “ never
saw such a tough piece o f meat in his life,” the delicate friend who is
“ on a diet,” are serious problems to the mother who wants her
child to learn to eat without comment what is served him. Often
she needs to start the child’s training by persuading the adults (when
the child is not present) to eat whatever is offered, or, if refusal is
really necessary, to refuse without comment.
“ But daddy doesn’t eat his spinach ” is a difficult argument to meet,
for the child will not understand the reason for the father’s refusal.
A child’s dislike for a single food may often be traced to the
mother’s dislike for it. The odor and flavor o f cod-liver oil, for
example, are unpleasant to many adults and pleasant to almost all
children. Children will often ask for more or beg to lick the spoon.
I f a child hears adults talk about their dislike for it, he also will learn
to dislike it. I f the mother expects him to enjoy it, he usually does.
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Undesirable eating habits must not be allowed to develop in the
child even if they exist in the older members o f the family. Do not
let food become a topic o f conversation at the table. Meals should
be well cooked and attractively served for both adults and children,
but it is not wise to discuss food before children, whether to praise
it or complain o f it. Do not discuss a child’s eating habits before
him.
R EG U LAR H OURS FOR M E A L S

Meals should be served at regular intervals and no nibbles or sweets
allowed between times. Very young children may need four meals
a day. I f there seems to be too long a wait between the time they
wake and the breakfast hour, they should have milk and toast soon
after waking. I f they have an early breakfast, they may need food
between breakfast ana dinner, or if dinner is early, between dinner
and supper. Such a midmorning or midafternoon lunch should con­
sist o f a glass o f milk and a piece o f bread, or fruit—not a cake or a
doughnut— and it should be served at a regular hour. I f a child
does not eat his dinner or his supper well, these lunches must not be
given.
L E A R N IN G TO D R IN K M IL K FR O M A C U P

When a baby is about 9 months old, it is helpful to start giving him
part o f his milk in a cup. This will make it easier for him to learn
to like milk in a cup. When he has reached the age o f a year, how­
ever, he should drink all his milk from a cup. I f he is still drink­
ing from a bottle, it should be given up. I f he has been in the habit
o f drinking water from a cup, he will probably learn more quickly to
drink milk also from a cup. He may be very stubborn, however,
in his desire for his bottle, and even go without food for a day or two
rather than drink from a cup; but the parents, once they have under­
taken to stop the bottle habit, must not turn back. It is best to start
breaking the habit at a time when it will be possible to carry it
through—not, for example, when the child is ill. He must be offered
milk in a cup with each meal. I f he refuses it, do not offer him a
bottle nor coax him with sweetened milk or cocoa. He will not do
himself any harm by going without milk for a few days, and life will
be much simpler both for him and for his parents if this problem is
solved once for all. Before long he will take the milk from a cup.
It is a step backward to give in to him and let him have the bottle he
is crying for.
Parents need to be specially cautioned not to allow the child to
continue to have one bottle at naptime, bedtime, or during the night.
This will only prolong the bottle habit and keep him from learning
to drink from a cup.
Many times the mother’s efforts to get her child into a good habit
are made useless by the father’s lack o f understanding o f the situa­
tion or by the attitude of a well-meaning relative who thinks it
“ cruel to let that child cry.” This is another example o f the need


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for all the adults o f a family, especially the mother and father, to
work together.
Sometimes when a child is being taught to drink milk from a cup
he will dislike the cup so much that he will refuse to drink any milk
at all. He will then have to be taught in a different way. (See
below.)
v
W ATER

A ll children should be taught to drink cool unflavored water sev­
eral times a day, preferably between meals. The habit o f drinka glass o f water as soon as the table is reached should be dis­
couraged, since the water fills the stomach and takes away the
desire for nourishing food.
T E A C H IN G A C H IL D T O E A T A M IX E D D IE T

Most children receive a fairly varied diet after the tenth or
eleventh month; but a child who until he is !2 or 15 months old has
had a diet limited to milk, cereal, and perhaps one vegetable, must
be taught to accept a variety o f foods. This may not be easy, for a
food o f strange flavor or strange texture is often refused at first.
I f, however, a small amount, even a teaspoonful, o f the new food
is offered the next day and the next without any special urging,
the child will learn to take it. The example o f an older brother
or sister or an adult who is seen to enjoy the new food is helpful.
I f the child persistently refuses a food, it is often wise to stop serv­
ing it for a week or 10 days and then without any comment or
special emphasis start again. He will probably have forgotten his
objection and eat the food willingly.
New foods should be offered when the child is really hungry;
that is, at the beginning o f a meal.
T H E C H IL D W H O R E F U S E S TO E A T W H A T IS GOOD FO R H IM

Occasionally a child will show stubbornness in his refusal to drink
milk or to take a particular solid food or even all solid foods, and
it may become necessary to teach him to eat them by letting him
get really hungry. I f he is being taught to eat any solid food, a
small serving should be offered at the beginning o f the meal and
the child told very quietly that when he has eaten the food he can
have his milk and the rest o f his dinner; i f it is refused, do not
substitute any other food, not even milk, but remove the whole meal
without saying anything or even looking disturbed. Nothing but
water should be offered until the next regular meal hour, and then
again the same solid food should be offered. I f the child again
refuses it, again the food must be quietly removed without com ­
ment. Usually by the time the third meal is offered the child’s
hunger is sufficient to overcome his stubbornness and he will take
some solid food. The serving should be small, but it should be eaten
before milk or other food is given, not just nibbled at and pushed
aside.

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Sometimes a child likes solid foods best and therefore refuses to
drink milk. In teaching such a child to drink milk the same general
method must be used. A small cup o f milk should be offered at
the beginning o f the meal and the child told quietly that when he
has drunk it he can have the rest o f his meal; i f the milk is refused,
give no food o f any kind and remove the milk without saying any­
thing. Nothing but water should be given between meals, and just
before meal hour not even water should be given. A t the next
regular meal a cup o f milk should be offered as before. As when
the child is learning to eat solid food, hunger will usually make him
give in soon and drink the milk.
Most children will eat anything if they are really hungry. Some­
times they have to be very hungry before they will learn to eat
certain foods which they have grown to dislike or have persistently
refused. Children may go 24 or 48 hours or even longer without
food rather than take the special food offered, but i f plenty o f water
is given this will not hurt them and sooner or later hunger will win
out. The child’s healthy growth and development depend so much
on a properly planned diet that such measures are justifiable.
Consistency, calmness, and firmness must be the keynote of the
parents’ attitude. I f the mother becomes wrought up over the
situation, the child is quick to detect it and will make the most of
it. Excitement, anger, even impatience should play no part. A
casual attitude is essential, for the child who refuses food is probably
seeking attention.
I f a child wishes to eat one food, such as milk, potatoes, or bread,
to the exclusion o f others, you may have to withdraw this food en­
tirely from his diet or .give less o f it for a short time, while he
learns to eat other foods, even though he objects.
Ordinarily the wise mother will take the attitude o f expecting
the child to eat what is good for him, encouraging him without
coaxing or urging him to eat. She will not allow meals to assume
too important a place in the child’s mind.
G A IN IN G A T T E N T I O N B Y M IS B E H A V IN G A T M E A L T IM E

Mealtime is frequently used by a little child as an opportunity
to demand a great deal o f attention. The child should receive at­
tention only when he does the right thing. He must be encouraged
to feed himself. I f attention is not given in the form o f approval
o f his successful efforts to feed himself, he may try to get it by
refusing to eat, by tantrums, or occasionally by vomiting.
In the somewhat older child desire for attention is usually the
cause o f such misbehavior as throwing dishes on the floor and
spitting out food. The handling o f such situations must vary with
the child. Removing the older child from the family table is the
best way o f removing him from the family attention. Often it is
best to show disapproval by a few words and then forget the


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episode. It is never wise to keep bringing it up. It is better to
give the child attention when he folds his bib neatly, when he carries
his empty bowl to the kitchen, or when he drinks water without
spilling it, than to give him attention when he breaks a dish or
refuses food.
O C C A S IO N A L R E F U S A L O F FO O D

Although a well child whose food is served at regular hours usually
eats his meals without question, he may refuse a meal occasionally.
This need cause no anxiety. I f the main -part of the meal is not
eaten, sweets should be withheld and no food given until the next
meal hour. Never force a child to eat. Do not urge a tired or excited
child to eat. D o not expect a crying, unhappy child to enjoy a
meal. W ait a few minutes fo r the storm to pass. Mealtimes should
not be times for unhappiness. Such threats as u Your father will
attend to you after supper ” may take away the child’s desire for food
or even bring on a vomiting attack i f they fill his mind with fear
and anxiety. On the other hand, happiness aids digestion.
T H E C H IL D W H O V O M IT S H A B IT U A L L Y

Occasionally a child develops the habit o f vomiting directly after
he has eaten or during a meal, apparently without cause. This may
have started when he was sick, as with whooping cough, .and have
been continued as a habit, or it may have started because o f some
difficulty in managing the child.
Habitual vomiting often causes great anxiety to parents, because
it interferes with the child’s health. A ny child who vomits habit­
ually should be under a doctor’s care. He may find that a change
in the method o f managing the child will be o f great value in help­
ing to solve the problem. (See section on “ Some problems that
every family meets,” p. 103.)
L E A R N IN G TO F E E D H IM S E L F

While the child is learning to feed himself and getting used to a
variety of foods, it is well to let him eat by himself or with other
young children. The business o f eating is a serious one and demands
all his attention. He should not be distracted by interest in what
the adults are saying or doing. While he is still learning he will
surely spill the food or get his fingers into it. He will need to be
shown how to hold his spoon and cup and otherwise be helped.
He should be seated at a low, comfortable table. The table cover
should be oilcloth or other easily washed material. A cup with a
handle is easier for the young child to hold than a glass, and there
is less chance o f spilling food from a deep dish with rounded sides
than from a shallow one. He should have a spoon with a straight
handle, and at an early age should learn the correct way to hold it.
He should have a large, easily washed bib.


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Some one needs to stay near the little child and supervise his meal
until he has learned to manage for himself. It often takes less o f
the mother’s time to feed a child than to let him feed himself;
nevertheless, she must give him the opportunity to learn to manage
his own cup and spoon, and later his fork and knife. B y this means
he is learning a lesson not only in skill but in independence. A little
child who has learned to feed himself fairly well may need help
toward the end o f a meal, for he grows tired before his hunger is
satisfied. It is unwise to keep on helping him too long, for an older,
child quite able to feed himself may find it easier to let his mother
help him than to be independent.

Encourage your child to eat daintily and to chew his food well.
Teach him to take small mouthfuls and not to wash down solids with
water or milk. Serve his food attractively and in small helpings.
Pretty dishes, table covers, and bibs help to make mealtimes pleasant.
It is better for the child to have second helpings than to get into
the habit o f not eating all the first helping. The proper foods,
served in reasonable variety, simply prepared and served so that he
can handle them, will please him. B o not place the dessert on the
table until the child has eaten the rest o f his meal.
E A T IN G W I T H

THE

F A M IL Y

# Even after the child is feeding himself fairly well he should con­
tinue to eat alone or with the older children for a time, not at the

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family table. The greater confusion o f the grown-ups’ table is un­
desirable, and even more so are the comments made by them about
his not always successful efforts. Such remarks as “ Look out, that
child is going to spill,” “ Heavens, what a mouthful,” “ Do make that
child eat properly ” are not only bad for him but annoying and dis­
tracting to the whole family.
When the child has acquired sufficient skill in eating so that he may
take his place at the family table without too much disturbance to
him or to them, he should sit on an ordinary chair with a high
cushion that will enable him to reach his food comfortably, and a
tray should be put under his plate and cup so that i f he should spill
anything it would not matter. He should sit next to some grown
person who can give him what help he needs, and he should not get
attention from the others. A t first, coming to the family table should
be only an occasional treat. The morning or the midday meal should
be the first to be eaten with the family. The evening meal is best
eaten alone by the children throughout the preschool period. I f
the family regularly eats supper between 5 and 5.30 the child o f 5 or
6 may eat his supper with them.
It is best not to make the child’s first visits to the family table
special festive occasions such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. The
combined excitement o f the holiday and the new experience o f eating
with the family may easily upset his digestion and will almost cer­
tainly bring about some kind o f accident.
G R O W N -U P S ’

FOOD

NOT

FOR

C H IL D R E N

It is well to make children realize early that certain foods, such
as tea, coffee, pie, and rich cake, are grown-ups’ foods. D o not
give a child tastes o f food that you do not consider good' for him
to eat. H e will only want more o f it. Food that a child never tastes
he rarely desires. I f he does ask for it, it is usually easy to answer
“ No, that is for the grown-ups; you may have some when you are
older.” Begging and teasing for a bite should never be successful.
Parties and birthdays should not be times for foods not usually
considered wholesome. Let the child choose his birthday dinner,
if you like, from the foods that he is ordinarily allowed. (See
Christmas and parties, p. 93.)
THE FOOD THAT A CHILD N EED S 1
In order that a child may be healthy, well nourished, and vigorous,
he must eat the foods that meet his needs. The food requirements
o f a child are greater than those o f an adult: A n adult’s food must
keep him warm and supply him with energy, maintain his body proc­
esses, and repair his worn-out tissues. A child’s food must do all
these things and must also build new tissues constantly, as he grows
1 Recipes for preparing children’s food are given in Food for Young Children (Farmers’
Bulletin No. 717, U. S. Department of Agriculture, W ashington, 1920. New edition in
preparation).


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taller and gains in weight month by month. I f a child’s diet does
not supply all these needs, he may suffer from malnutrition. (See
p. 118.)
When a mother plans the day’s meals for her child, she should
know which foods supply the elements that he needs. The following
list shows the foods in. which the various elements are found most
plentifully and the purposes for which they are needed. The foods
are divided into two groups: (1) Those that keep the body warm and
supply it with energy; and (2) those that repair worn-out tissues,
maintain the body processes, and allow for growth.
FOOD ELE M EN TS T H A T A

Food elements

1.

C a r b o h y d r a te s
(starches and
sugars).

2.

F a ts_____________

C H IL D N E E D S TO S U P P L Y H E A T A N D
ENERGY

Found most plentifully in—

W hy needed

Cereals, bread, rice, maca­
roni, fruits, vegetables
(especially potatoes), su­
gar and other sweets.
Butter, cream, milk, vege­
table oils, cod-liver oil,
meat fats.

T o supply energy, to keep
the body warm, and to
build body fat.
T o supply energy, to keep
the body warm, and to
build body fat.

F O O D E L E M E N T S T H A T M A I N T A I N A C H IL D ’ S B O D Y P R O C E S S E S
R E P A IR A N D B U IL D B O D Y T IS S U E S , A N D A L L O W FO R G R O W T H
Food elements

Found most plentifully in—

1. Protein

M ilk, meat, fish, eggs__ _

2.

M ilk,
green
vegetables,
fruit, egg yolk, meat, fish,
whole-grain cereals.

Minerals_________

Calcium __

Milk (chiefly) ; also in vege­
tables and some fruits.
Phosphorus __ M ilk,
eggs, meat, fish,
whole-grain cereals.
Iron_______
Egg y °lk , dark-green leafy
vegetables and other veg­
etables, m eat (especially
liver), fruit, whole-grain
cereals.
Copper______ Liver, whole-grain cereals,
peas and beans, egg volk.
Iodine______
Sea food, vegetables, fruits,
cereals, drinking water,
milk.
(Iodine m ay be
absent in all food and
water in certain “ goiter
regions.”
See p. 116.)
3. Vitam ins:
Vitamin A ___ W hole milk, cream, butter,
egg yolk, cod-liver oil,
liver, dark - green leafy
vegetables. Vitamin A is
lacking in margarin, ex­
cept that made from beef
fat.


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Why needed

T o repair worn-out tissues;
to build new tissues.
T o maintain body processes;
to build bones, teeth,
blood, and other parts of
the body.
T o build teeth and bones.
T o build bones, teeth, and
nerve tissue.
T o build red blood cells and
thus to prevent anemia.

T o help in preventing ane­
mia.
T o bring about proper action
of thyroid gland and thus
to prevent certain forms
of goiter.

For growth; to increase re­
sistance to infections; to
prevent xerophthalmia (an
eye disease).

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H A B IT S

F O O D E L E M E N T S T H A T M A I N T A I N A C H IL D ’ S B O D Y P R O C E S S E S ,
E T C .— Continued

3. Vitamins— Con.
Vitamin B t
(or F ) . 1

Vegetables— especially leafy
vegetables — whole-grain
cereals (especially those
containing the germ of
the grain), fruit, and to a
slight extent milk.2
Vitam in C ___ Raw fruit (especially cit­
ro u s f r u i t — oranges,
grapefruit, lemons), raw
or canned tom atoes, raw
cabbage, raw carrots, raw
turnips (pulp or juice).
Vitamin D ___ Cod-liver oil, egg y o lk 8-------

4. Roughage________
5. W ater____________

W hy needed

Found most plentifully in—

Food elements

Fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, and bread.
Fruit, vegetables, milk, and
soups.
(In addition some
drinking water m ust be
taken every day.)

For growth; to stimulate ap­
petite; to prevent beriberi
(a disease of the nervous
system ).
For growth; to help build
good teeth; to prevent
.scurvy.

T o prevent rickets; to help
build good teeth.
T o regulate bowels and pre­
vent constipation.
T o help build and maintain
blood and tissues; to pro­
vide proper elimination by
kidneys and intestines; to
help regulate body heat.

1 It is generally believed that vitamin B is made up of at least two independent elements, Bi or F (de­
scribed above) and Ba or G, believed b y some to be the factor that prevents pellagra. Ba is more abun­
dantly present in milk and green leafy vegetables than is Bi.
2 See Milk, p. 54.
.
,t
...
2 Vitamin D is also present in viosterol (a medicine made b y treating a substance called ergosterol with
ultra-violet light) and in certain foods that have been so treated. Viosterol or irradiated foods should
not be used unless ordered by a physician.

A W E L L -P L A N N E D D IE T

A well-planned diet for an average child from 1 to 6 years
contains:
A pint and a half o f whole milk a day, but not more
than a quart. (See p. 54.)
Fruit once or twice a day, including at least one raw
fruit, such as orange, grapefruit, apple, or banana.
(See p. 57.)
One or more fresh vegetables a day, including a green
leafy vegetable such as lettuce, spinach, or beet
greens at least three or four times a week—prefer­
ably daily. (See p. 56.)
A “ starchy vegetable ” such as potato, rice, or macaroni
once a day. (See p. 61.)
An egg daily. ( See p. 59.)
A serving o f fresh meat or fish daily by the time the
child is 18 months o ld ; before that three or four times
a week. (See p. 59.)
Cereal once or twice a day. (See p. 58.)
Bread and butter two or three times a day. (See p. 58.)
Cod-liver oil daily (at least for children under 2
years). (See p. 60.)

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These foods are needed by the average child for his proper growth
and development, and it is desirable that a child’s daily diet should
include them all. It should be remembered, however, that no harm
will be done i f occasionally one food must be omitted or if some­
times a child does not drink all his milk. Appetite for different
foods varies from time to time and in different children, and it is
not wise to insist that each food be eaten in the same quantity every
day. A child will probably learn to like and eat well all these foods
i f they are given for the first time when he is hungry, if he sees
others eating them with pleasure, and if mealtimes are pleasant
occasions without discussion of food, coaxing, urging, or scolding.
A list o f foods suitable for children from 1 to 2 years will be
found on page 61, and a similar list for children from 2 to 6 years
on page 62.
The meals for the whole day should be planned on the basis o f
the children’s food needs for the day, and not meal by meal. I f
meals are planned separately, there is always danger that some of
the essential foods will be left out.
A regular schedule o f meal hours should be closely followed.
MILK

Milk is an essential part o f every child’s diet. The average child
should receive a pint and a half daily. Some «children grow best'
i f they receive a quart a day, some if they receive only a pint. As
a rule, not less than a pint and not more than a quart o f milk should
be given daily.
Milk contains proteins o f the quality most needed for grow th; it
contains fat and carbohydrate for energy. .It is the best source
o f calcium, a good source o f phosphorus, a poor source of iron, an
excellent source o f vitamin A , a fair source o f vitamins B and C,
and a poor source o f vitamin D. When milk is pasteurized or
boiled, a considerable amount o f vitamin C is destroyed.
I f the average child takes a pint and a half o f milk daily, he will
receive a sufficient amount o f calcium and o f vitamin A and also
a considerable amount o f proteins for growth and of fat and
carbohydrate for energy.
Milk is the best single food for a growing child, but it will not
supply all the food elements in sufficient amounts to provide for
normal growth. It must be supplemented with foods that supply
iron, vitamins B, C, and D, and energy. (See p. 52.)
Production and distribution o f milk.

Milk is perishable and is easily contaminated with disease germs
from cows and from human beings. It should be taken only from
healthy animals and should be chilled at once, kept clean, cold, and
covered, and handled carefully throughout by healthy persons. Per­
sons handling milk for distribution should have frequent medical
examinations, and cows should be examined and tested regularly for


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tuberculosis. A s much care should be taken with milk for use on
the premises or for distribution to neighbors as is taken in the larger
dairies.
All milk should be pasteurized, even “ certified milk ” (milk pro­
duced and handled under as nearly ideal conditions as possible and
certified by a medical milk commission). Proper pasteurization is
heating milk for at least 30 minutes at a temperature that kills dis­
ease germs (143°-145° F ). It does not make dirty milk a clean
food, but it adds an important factor o f safety. Even though milk
is to be pasteurized, it must be produced under conditions that are
sis clean as possible.
W hat milk to buy.

The cleanest and best milk obtainable should be bought. Certified
milk that has been pasteurized is the ideal milk, but it is available
to only a few people. A good grade o f milk, properly pasteurized,
should be bought wherever it is available, preferably that coming
from dairies where the cows have been tuberculin tested and the
standards o f cleanliness are high, such as Grade A pasteurized milk.
Pasteurized milk should be used within 36 hours o f pasteurization,
In districts where pasteurized milk can not be had, the best raw
milk available (from tuberculin-tested cows) should be bought, but
it must never be used raw ; it must be boiled at once.
Whole milk should be bought for children unless the doctor advises
otherwise. WTien good liquid milk is not available, either dried or
evaporated whole milk may be used.
Preparation o f milk fo r children.

Liquid milk.—Milk sold in cities rarely has more than the average
amount o f fat (3% to 4 per cent) and therefore can be used w hole;
that is, without skimming. Where especially -rich milk is used, as
that from Jersey or Guernsey cows, it may be necessary to remove
a small part o f the cream for the younger children. More children
are upset by milk that is too rich than by milk that is not rich enough.
Milk should never be given to children raw. I f raw milk must be
bought or if there is any question as to whether the milk has been
properly pasteurized or not, it should be boiled. For children over
2 years all milk should be pasteurized, even certified milk, and for
children under 2 years all milk should be boiled. Boiling milk not
only kills all disease germs in it but also makes it easier to digest.
Either o f the following methods may be used to boil milk for
children:
1. By direct heat.— Place milk in a deep saucepan and set it over a
flame. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring it constantly. Boil it one
to three minutes, remove it from the stove, and cool it rapidly.
2. In double boiler.—Place milk in the top of a double boiler and
cover it tightly. Put cold water in the bottom o f the double boiler
and put the double boiler on the flame and allow it to remain there
10 to 20 minutes after the water has begun to boil.


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When milk is to be boiled, the day’s allowance should be boiled
at one time, cooled rapidly, and put on ice or in some other cold
place. Before it is served to the child, the chill may be taken off it
by placing the cup of milk in hot water.
D ried m ilk.—Whole dried milk should be made liquid by adding
enough water, according to the directions on the package, to have
the value o f whole liquid milk. It should be used as fresh liquid
milk and kept on ice. It should be boiled as is liquid milk.
Evaporated m ilk.— Evaporated milk should be diluted with suffi­
cient boiled water, according to the directions on the can, to make
whole milk. It should be used as fresh liquid milk and kept on ice.
It has already been well cooked in preparation and need not be
boiled.
W ays o f using m ilk in the food.— Soups and puddings offer simple
ways o f using milk. Cereals may be cooked in milk instead o f in
water. Milk used in this way should be counted as part o f the child’s
daily allowance.
M ilk products.

Milk products are foods made from milk, such as butter, cheese,
and ice cream. Only milk products made from pasteurized or boiled
milk or cream should be used for children. Butter is a valuable
food and may be given to children over a year old. Cottage cheese
may be given to children if made at home from pasteurized milk.
Ice cream made from pasteurized or boiled milk may be used occa­
sionally as dessert. Never give children ice cream between meals, as
it spoils their appetite for the next meal.
VEGETABLES

Vegetables, especially fresh, green leafy ones, are valuable in the
child’s diet because they supply vitamins and minerals and also
roughage. (See p. 52.) It is advisable to give the child daily one
vegetable or more besides potatoes, which do not take the place o f a
green vegetable.
A variety o f vegetables should be served to children. As a rule,
dark-green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, chard, kale, beet greens,
and turnip greens, are the most valuable; and vegetables that vary
in color, such as cabbage and lettuce, are best when dark green.
Other vegetables, such as carrots, beets, turnips, onions, and parsnips,
may be used when it is difficult to get green leafy vegetables, but
green leafy ones should be used whenever possible.


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water is left after cooking to serve it in soup or otherwise. Baking
requires no addition o f water and is therefore a good method of
cooking vegetables that are very juicy or that have a thick skin to
keep in the moisture. Greens, such as spinach, can be cooked without
adding any water; the water that remains on the leaves after washing
is enough if the saucepan is tightly covered.
Such vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower, and turnips can be pre­
pared without developing strong flavors if they are cooked for a very
short time and if the saucepan is left uncovered during the cooking.
O f course, plenty o f water is then needed to keep the vegetables from
burning. I f these vegetables are cut into small pieces, less time is
needed for cooking them.
Vegetables for children should not be cooked with fat meat, nor
should any vegetables be fried, even potatoes.
Canned vegetables.

Canned tomatoes may be given frequently to children o f any age.
Other canned vegetables may be substituted for fresh ones several
times a week when the fresh can not be had or are very expensive.
Never use canned vegetables that seem to be spoiled. Homecanned vegetables are more likely to be dangerous than those canned
commercially, and in order to eliminate any danger of disease-pro­
ducing bacteria all home-canned vegetables should be boiled five
minutes before being used.
Dried peas and beans.

Dried peas and beans do not take the place of fresh green vege­
tables, but if soaked, boiled, mashed through a strainer, and served
with milk, they may be given occasionally to children over 2. Baked
beans are not suitable for children below school age.
Raw vegetables.

Certain raw vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes
may be used in the diet o f a child over 2 years o f age if they are
carefully washed in water known to be safe. Lettuce and cabbage
should be shredded or chopped. Tomatoes should be peeled and then
quartered or sliced or put through a sieve for juice.
To supply vitamin C (see p. 53), i f citrous fruits (oranges, lemons,
grapefruit) or raw or canned tomatoes or raw cabbage can not be
had, raw carrots or turnips, carefully washed, peeled, and grated,
may be used, but they aré less desirable than citrous fruits or
tomatoes.
FRUIT

Fruit, raw or cooked, is valuable in a child’s diet because it sup­
plies vitamins, minerals, and roughage. It should be given once
a day or oftener. Raw fruit is especially valuable because it sup­
plies vitamin C (see p. 53), which is not supplied by most foods.
One raw fruit should be given daily to all children, especially
to children under 2. Citrous fruits— oranges, grapefruit, lemons—
and tomatoes (sometimes considered fruit) contain the most vitamin

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C and should be given often. Commercially canned tomatoes, i f not
cooked after the can is opened as well as raw ones, contain plenty
o f vitamin C, though other cooked or canned fruits as a rule do
not. Either pulp or juice o f oranges, grapefruit, and tomatoes may
be given. Lemons may be given in the form o f lemonade. Ripe
apples, cut small, or very ripe bananas may be given.
Cooked fresh fruit, such as apple sauce and baked apples, may
be given to children frequently. Dried or canned fruits, such as
apricots, peaches, pears, or prunes, may be used for variety two or
three times a week, especially in winter. Stewed rhubarb may be
given to a child over 2. It must be remembered that as a rule cooked
fruit can not take the place o f raw fruit.
Besides these fruits children from 4 to 6 years may have other
fruits either raw or cooked: Berries, grapes, plums, and well-chopped
pineapple. These should be given in small portions.
When fruit is to be served raw, it should be thoroughly washed,
and skins, cores, and seeds removed, except that apples with the
skins on may be given to children over 5. For the younger children
most fruits should be mashed or scraped; for the older ones they
should be cut up.
Fruits to be used for children must be in perfect condition, thor­
oughly ripe yet not decayed. Bananas are wholesome when the
skin is turning brown. Only berries fresh from the garden should
be used, and they should be picked over carefully and then washed.
Fruits may. be used in desserts such as whips or gelatin puddings
or combined with a custard sauce. Raisins, dates, and figs may be
ground together for a sandwich filling or cooked in cereal.
CEREALS AND BREAD

Cereals and breads made either from whole grains (dark colored)
or refined grains (light colored) are good foods, but the whole-grain
ones are more valuable because they contain more minerals, vitamin
B, and roughage. Light-colored cereals and breads can be used if
the child’s diet contains plenty o f fresh vegetables and fruit.
A child’s breakfast is not complete without a dish o f cooked
cereal, and it is a suitable supper dish. Cereals that are cooked
at home are as a rule best for children, and they are also economical.
They need not be given up during the summer months. Cereals
should be cooked thoroughly, for half-cooked starch is not digested
easily. Milk may be substituted for part o f the water used in cooking.
Cold,,ready-to-serve cereals are not suitable for the younger child.
The child over 4 may have a ready-to-serve cereal for supper,
especially a whole-grain one with plenty of milk.
Fresh bread, muffins, biscuit, and pancakes should not be given
to children, as these are less easily digested than bread that is at
least 36 hours old. Fresh bread should be toasted until dry. Dry
toast should be given frequently to encourage chewing. Crackers
should be given only occasionally to supplement dessert— not between
meals.

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EGGS

_ Rggs &re rich in iron, protein, and vitamins, A fresh egg should
be given to the child every day, soft-boiled or hard-boiled, poached,
or scrambled, or used in custard or other food. Even in winter
when eggs are expensive, they should be given to children under
6 years old i f possible. Eggs put down in water glass in the spring
when they are plentiful and cheap are quite safe to use when cooked.
Eggs are most digestible when cooked slowly in water that is
not quite boiling. I f they are cooked until hard, the white should
be chopped fine and the yolk thoroughly mashed. Eg<rS cooked in
grease are not suitable for children.
dEgg puddings other than custard need not be planned for children
o f 1 to 2 years, but if prepared for the family they can be given
to the children occasionally. A ll egg and milk desserts, including
frozen custard, may be given to the older children.
I f a child has never tasted egg, a small amount o f yolk should
be tried the first time and the amount increased rather rapidly until
the child eats the whole yolk, and later the whole egg. Occasionally
a child is found who can not eat eggs because he is sensitive to'the
protein contained in them. Such a child may vomit repeatedly
after eating only a small amount o f egg or he may break out with
hives. Such a child should not be given egg a second time until
the doctor has been consulted. (See p. 117.)
MEAT AND FISH

Meat and fish supply valuable proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
A t the beginning o f the second year small servings o f tender méat__
beef, chicken, lamb, or liver, boiled, broiled, or roasted, and finely
minced should be given at least three times a week. B y the time
the child is 18 months old he may have meat or fish every day. As
the child’s ability to chew increases, he may be given larger pieces
o f meat, but it must always be tender. Veal, ham, or pork properly
cooked, may be given to the child over 4.
Once or twice a week steamed, baked, or boiled fresh fish may be
substituted for meat. Cod, haddock, and halibut are best for the
child under 4 years, as they contain little fat; a child over 4 may
have any fresh fish. Care must always be taken to get rid o f bones.
It is important that the fish should be perfectly fresh.
Bacon may be served at breakfast or dinner during the second
year and afterwards. It should be sliced very thin and cooked until
crisp but not dark brown nor hard.
: Rich, “ m ade” gravies, fried meats, or fried fish have no place
m tlle child s diet. The only gravy used should be meat iuice with­
out fat.
Meat is usually well liked by children, but it must not be eaten in
place o f vegetables or milk. Occasionally an egg may be substituted
for meat at dinner.
13405°—31---- -5


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SOUPS

A milk soup or a thick vegetable soup made with meat stock may
be given to children. In preparing thick vegetable soup a number
o f vegetables and some starchy food such as potato, barley, or rice
are added to the stock. These should not be strained out. Such
clear soups as consomme, bouillon, or broth, which contain no vege­
tables, are largely water and should not be given to a child under .6,
as they tend to satisfy the child without contributing essential food
materials.
SWEETS

Yery little sugar should be used. There is no need o f putting any
sugar on cereal, and the child may acquire an undesirable appetite for
sweets if much is used. Cake with icing and other very sweet des­
serts should be given only occasionally to the child under 6. Simple
puddings— custard and junket—stewed fruit, raw fruit, fruit whips,
and, occasionally, pure ice cream are suitable desserts.
Never give sweets between meals. Children over 2 may have a
piece o f candy as part o f the dessert occasionally.
COD-LIVER OIL

Cod-liver oil is a food very rich in vitamins A and D. To prevent rickets children up to 2 years o f age should be given cod-liver
oil daily, except when they are getting plenty o f summer sun. For
the child from 2 to 6 years it is often advisable to continue giving
cod-liver oil in winter, especially i f he is living in a climate with
little sunshine. Most children take the oil best after meals. Viosterol or irradiated foods should not be substituted for cod-liver oil
except on the advice of a physician.
FORBIDDEN FOODS

Tea, coffee, and some bottled drinks contain a stimulant which
young children should not have. Do not give a child foods highly
seasoned or spiced, such as mustard, pickles, catsup, or highly flavored
cheese. Nuts, because they are very difficult to chew, slow to digest,
arid likely to be sucked into the larynx, should not be given to chil­
dren less than 6 years old. Foods that are greasy or cooked in fat
should not be given.
FOODS FOR DIFFERENT AGES

Children o f the same age vary in size and activity, and therefore,
individual children vary in the amount o f food that they need. The
amounts o f food that average children o f given ages eat at a
serving are given on pages 61-64. The smallest amounts given should
be considered as the minimum necessary fo r any child o f that age.
I f a child is well and gaining weight regularly (see height and
weight tables, pp. 16-17), is vigorous and sleeps well, his appetite may
be considered a fair guide as to how much more than this minimum
quantity of foods he should eat,, Many children are eager for sec-


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ond helpings. These helpings should be small, so that the child will
eat all that is given to him, even i f it is necessary to give a third
small helping. Sometimes a child wants to eat large quantities of
bread and butter, milk, or potatoes, and to slight the rest o f the
meal. Overeating o f any one food is to be avoided. A well-rounded
diet makes for the development o f a healthy child.
F O O D S F O R T H E C H IL D D U R IN G T H E SECOND Y E A R
Amounts 1 in one serving

Foods

M ilk (boiled),

l}i

pints to

quart-

How often served

6 to 8 o u n c e s _______

3 or 4 times a day.

Butter on stale bread, crisp toast,
and baked potatoes.

iy%

3 times a day.

Vegetables _ _ _ _ _ _
Dark-green leafy vegetables

3 to

1

to
fuls.
6

2

teaspoon-

tablespoonfuls _

1 or 2 times a day.
A t least 3 or 4 times
a week.

Spinach.
Lettuce.
Swiss chard.
Kale.
Collards.
Beet tops.
Turnip tops.
Dandelion greens.
Asparagus.
Cabbage.
Other vegetables—
Peas.
Carrots.
Strained tomatoes— raw,
stewed, or canned.
String beans.
Lim a beans, green.
Squash.
Cauliflower.
Celery.
“ Starchy vegetables” .
___
Potatoes.
Plain boiled macaroni,
rice, or hominy.

_ _ ___________
Fruit_______ _
Raw fruit (skins removed)—
Oranges, grapefruit, or
tom atoes.
Scraped
apple,
ripe.
Banana, very ripe _ ______

2 to 3 tablespoonfuls _ Once a day.
M ay be substituted
for potatoes occasionally.
Twice a day.

Yi to

i_ _________

Vi to Vz eup_ _

_ _

Y%-------------------------------

Cooked fruit____________ __ _ 3 to 4 tablespoonfuls.
Prunes.
Apple sauce.
Baked-apple pulp.
Stewed pears, peaches,
apricots.
Cereals (especially whole-grain
cereals), well cooked.
1All measures level.


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Yi to Y

cup____ __

Once a day.
Occasionally.
Occasionally.
Once a day.

Twice a day.

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How often served

Amounts i in one serving

Foods

slice________________

Bread, toasted crisp, or zwieback.
M eat or fish------------------------------------

to

1

2

tablespoonfuls.

Beef, scraped or ground.
Lam b, minced.
Chicken, minced.
Liver, scraped or ground.
Fish: C od, haddock, or hali­
but, minced.

Continued

2 to 3 times a day.
to 4 times a week
for very young chil­
dren; once a day
for children over 18
months.

3

M ay be substituted
for meat once or
twice a week.
Occasionally.

Bacon.

Once a day.

E g g --------------------------------------------------Desserts (stewed fruits m ay be
used as dessert also).
Cup custard or soft custard.
Cornstarch pudding.
Tapioca pudding.
Rice pudding.

Yi cup-

Cod-liver oil.

2

Once a day.

Twice a day.

teaspoonfuls.

1 A ll measures level.

FOODS FOR THE CHILD 2 TO 6 YEARS

M ilk (pasteurized),
1 quart daily.

How often served

Amounts 1 in one serving

Foods

V/i

pints to

M ilk products—
Butter on bread, sandwiches,
and vegetables.

Dark-green leafy vegetables. _
Spinach.
Swiss chard.
Kale.
Collards.
Beet greens.
Turnip greens.
Dandelion greens.
Lettuce.
Asparagus.
Cabbage.
Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli.
l All measures level.


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fi f,n X m in c e s

2

to

3

___

teaspoonfuls. _

2 to 3 tablespoonfuls.

3

to

6

tablespoonfuls.

3 or 4 times a day.

3

times-a day.

Occasionally.
Once or twice a day.
A t least 3 or 4 times
a week, preferably
daily.

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FOODS FOR THE CHILD 2 to 6 YEARS— Continued
Foods

Vegetables— Continued.
Other vegetables___ ________
Peas.
Carrots.
Tomatoes.
String beans.
Lima beans, green.
Squash.
Cauliflower.
Celery.
Onions.
Parsnips.
Turnips.
Corn, strained.
Artichokes.

Amounts in one serving

3 to

tablespoonfuls.

6

Vegetables, raw_______ ____________
Tomatoes.
Lettuce, chopped, shredded,
or in leaves.
Carrots, grated.
Turnips, grated.
Cabbage, chopped or shred­
ded.

1

‘ ‘ Starchy vegetables ” _______ - - - - Potatoes.
Plain boiled macaroni, rice,
or hominy, or sweet pota­
toes, boiled or baked.

Yi to % cup.

Fruit.
Raw fruit (skins should be
rem oved).
Oranges, grapefruit, to­
matoes.
Pear___ ____ _______ _______
Peach______ _____________
Apple, ripe, cut into
small pieces.
Banana, very rip e.
___
Cooked fruit_________ ________
Prunes,
stewed
or
steamed.
Apple sauce.
Baked apple.
Peaches (fresh or dried),
stewed.
Apricots, stewed.
Rhubarb, stewed.
Pears, stewed.
Apricots (dried), stewed.
Canned pears.
Canned apricots.
Canned peaches.
Cereals, especially whole-grain
cereals (only cooked cereals for
children under 4 years).


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to

How often served

tablespoonfuls. 2 or 3 times a week.

2

Once a day.
M ay be substituted
occasionally.
Twice a day.
Once a day.

1 _____

1____

%to

1

Vi to

1.

.

Ù
72 CUp_

to

% cup.

Once a day.

Once or twice a day.

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Foods

0

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to 6 YEARS— Continued

Amounts in one serving

How often served

Bread, stale or toasted— -or zwie­
back— served with each meal.

Y to

M eat and fish, cut up.
Beef.
Lamb.
Chicken.
Liver.
Cod.
Haddock.
Halibut.
Bacon____________

2 to 4 tablespoonfuls.

E gg.

1 _ _______

Once a day.

73

Once a day.

Desserts (stewed fruits m ay be
used as dessert also).
M ilk puddings—
Cup custard.
Cornstarch pudding.
Tapioca pudding.
Rice pudding.
Junket.
Gelatin.

1

2

slice.

to Y

Fruit puddings.
Tapioca.
Gelatin.
Whips.

slices________ _

Once a day.

Occasionally.

cup.

Cakes and cookies____________
Sponge cake.
Oatmeal cookies.
Molasses cookies.
Whole-wheat cookies.
Arrowroot cookies.
Vanilla ice cream, made from
pasteurized milk.

Three times a day.

Occasionally.

}i

to

Yi cup.

Occasionally.

FOODS THAT MAY BE GIVEN OCCASIONALLY TO CHILDREN OVER 4 YEARS

Fruit:
Dates, raisins, figs, dried,
chopped in cereal.
Grapes____ __ _
_______
Berries
(freshly
picked),
stewed or raw.
Pineapple, c h o p p e d ___
Plum s___________ __

K cup
1

small bunch _ __

Yi to Y* cup------- —
YitoY*

cup____

____

_ _

M eat and fis h ._ _
_ _ _ 2 to 4 tablespoonfuls.
Veal, ham, or pork, thorough­
ly cooked.
Salmon and other fish.


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Little children should have 11 to 13 hours o f sleep every night and
1 to 2 hours during the day; they should be in bed regularly by
6 o’clock every night up to the age o f 5 years— after that by 7 o’clock.
WHERE SHALL A CHILD SLEEP?
Each child should sleep in a bed alone, and, if space permits, in a
room alone. Where this is not possible, the children should have
their rooms apart from the grown-ups, so that the sleep o f a child
will not be disturbed by the grown-ups’ later bed hour. No child
older than a year and a half should share a grown person’s room.
Parents will provide a bed for each child when they realize the
value to the child’s health o f the more restful sleep that it insures.
Two small cots take up about the same space that a double bed does,
and the separate cots are much better for the children.
For the young child a crib is best, with sides so high that he can
not fall out. In selecting a crib, it is wise to buy a good-sized one
so that the child may use it for several years. A child should always
be given ample room to stretch out at full length. Large rollers on
the crib are useful when it is to be pulled from one room to ¡another
or out on a porch. The springs and the mattress should be firm and
flat, as a sagging bed throws the body into a poor position during
sleep. The mattress may be o f hair or felt, and it should be at
least 3 inches thick. A flat, hair pillow may be used, but it is better
to teach the child to sleep without a pillow.
BEDCLOTHES AND NIGHTCLOTHES
In summer, cotton sheets and one or two layers o f wool blanketing
are suitable bedclothes. In winter, canton-flannel sheets may be
used and extra blankets or wool comforters.
Children between 1 and 4 are likely to throw the covers off without
waking and become chilled. A sleeping bag made of wool blanketing
keeps the child covered all night. Sleeping bags should be warm
and yet light in weight.
Enough bedding must be provided to allow changes if the child
wets the bed. Bedclothes must be kept clean and dry.
A piece o f rubber sheeting is needed to protect the mattress, but
it is well to put a cover o f canton flannel or wool blanketing over
the rubber.
D o not weigh a child down with heavy bedclothes. More children
suffer from too much covering than from too little. I f a healthy
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child is perspiring, he is probably too warmly covered. A normal
child sleeps better in a cold room i f he has warm coverings; i f he is
found with his head under the covers and his body in a cramped
position, his coverings are probably not warm enough.
Night clothing should be regulated according to the room tempera­
ture. In summer, i f the nights are very warm, children should wear
light clothes— a thin nightgown or other sleeping garment made of
light cotton material with short sleeves and legs; in winter, night
drawers with feet o f canton flannel or cotton jersey. Cotton and
wool mixtures may be used i f the climate is very cold, or a shirt can
be put on under the sleeping garment.
A child should never wear a sleeping garment that is too small.
Many children get into bad sleeping habits because their clothes are
uncomfortably tight. Diapers for night wear should be discarded
as early as possible— at least by the end o f the second year— and
rubber “ baby pants ”■
— never used at night. (See Clothing, p. 74.)
Keep the windows open in a child’s bedroom. It is well to pro­
tect him from wind in winter by fastening a sheet or blanket to the
side o f the crib next the open window through which the wind is
blowing. In the coldest weather a window board (see p. 8), a cloth
screen, or a board put below the lower sash allows air to enter be­
tween the sashes but prevents too great a flow o f cold air into the
room. The room should be cool, but care must be taken not to let
it get too cold; the child should be protected against extreme cold.
On very hot nights an electric fan, sending the air above but not
directly on the child, greatly increases his comfort.
D o not leave a light burning in the room in which a child sleeps,
nor make too much effort to darken the room when bedtime comes
before dark. The young baby sleeps equally well in the day and in
the night, and may even take a sound nap in the direct sunshine.
The older child can be taught to expect to go to sleep when he is put
to bed, whether it is light or dark.
The house does not need to be kept unusually quiet because children
are asleep. It is better for them to learn to sleep through ordinary
sounds, but the bedroom door should be kept shut.
RESTLESSNESS
Restlessness and gritting o f the teeth are often signs that the
child has gone to bed too tired, not that he has worms, as is com­
monly thought. The best treatment for such fatigue is a longer day­
time rest than the child has been having and less excitement at the
end o f the day. Enlarged adenoids, improper food for supper, too
many or too few bedclothes, tight nightclothes, or too hot a room
may make a child restless.
Make bedtime a quiet, happy time, without romping or boisterous
play. By the end o f the day the children are tired, and i f romping
or teasing is permitted they easily become overexcited and tense,
near to giggling laughter and to tears. In many households the hour

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before bedtime is the only hour when the father can be with his
children, and this often means that he plays vigorously with them,
stimulates them to laughter and excitement, tosses them, and jumps
them about, for he wants to see them have a good time. Their shrill
voices crying, “ Me next, daddy, me next ” show how excited they
are. Rough-and-tumble play has its place, but it does not belong in
the late afternoon or the evening. The best amusement for bedtime
is singing, a quiet game, or a story either read or told the children—
never a story likely to excite them or inspire fear.
Little children should be in bed before the grown people have their
evening meal. The older child may be allowed to eat with the
family and undress afterwards if supper is at 5 or half past 5.

PUTTING THE CHILD TO BED
Many mothers like to bathe the children in the late afternoon.
This is often a wise plan, especially i f they have been playing outof-doors and come in with dirty hands and faces and warm, perspiring
bodies. A fter a comfortable bath and before the grown-ups’ meal,
the children, dressed in their night clothes and slippers, with wrap­
pers to keep them warm in cold weather, can eat their supper and
then have their story or song time before they go to bed. Bedtime
then comes naturally and happily and not as an interruption in a
vigorous game.
I f the child has had his bath before supper, he needs only to go
to the toilet and have his face and hands washed and his teeth

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brushed before he goes to bed. I f the bath has been given in the
morning, it is usually necessary to wash the feet as well as the hands
and face, and often a quick sponge bath will make a hot, tired child
sleep well. In any case, the day clothes should all be taken off and
night clothes put on.
Bedtime should be expected to follow shortly after supper. The
child who has never been allowed to stay up beyond his regular bed
hour and has never been kept up for the convenience o f others will
not fuss over bedtime, nor coax to be allowed to stay up. He will
usually be sleepy at that time and want to go to bed.
The mother’s desire to get through the day’s work should not make
her so impatient that she hurries the children in getting ready for
bed. Do not let them dawdle, but give them time enough to learn
to help themselves in undressing.
Gentle hands and a low, quiet voice make a child willing to go to
bed and ready to go to sleep. Try to avoid scenes and scoldings at
bedtime. Never postpone punishment till father gets home, nor make
the evening a time o f reckoning for the day’s misdeeds. A child
should go to bed happy.
The child should not be encouraged to depend on some special toy
or treasure to help him to sleep; nor should he expect his mother to
lie down beside him or hold his hand. Undesirable habits o f this
kind have to be broken sooner or later and should be discouraged
from the start. When the child is ready for bed, he should get in
and lie down without coaxing or fussing. W ith covers suitable to
the temperature o f his room, with windows open, light out, and door
shut, he should be left alone, knowing that he is expected to sleep
and that calling for a drink or for other imaginary needs will not get
him attention.
A little child will need to be taken to the toilet once at night, when
the mother goes to bed. Many children do not wet their beds after
they are 2 or 2,y2 years old. I f a child wets his bed after he is 3,
the doctor’s advice should be sought. (See Teaching the dry habit,
p. 35, and Undesirable habits, p. 69.)
NAPS
Every child under 6 years o f age needs a midday rest, with one
to two hours o f sleep, if possible. A little child’s waking hours are
spent in amazing activity, and if he goes for a whole day without a
rest period he becomes unwholesomely tired. Such fatigue often
shows itself in naughtiness, contrariness, and irritability.
The nap hour may be before or after the midday meal. Two
things need to be considered: The nap should not prevent the child
from getting his out-of-door play during the sunny part o f the day,
especially in winter, and it should not be so late in the afternoon as
to keep him from going to sleep at his usual bedtime at night. A
child who wakes early in the morning will usually be ready for a
rest by 11 or 12, and may need a nap then. It is not wise to let a

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child over 3 years old sleep for more than two hours in the daytime
unless he is underweight and unless he sleeps 11 to 12 hours at night
besides.
The nap should be taken with absolute regularity. Until the
child is 4 or 5 he should be undressed for his nap. The older child
should have at least his outer clothes removed, if he is not entirely
undressed, and a wrapper put on over his underclothes.
Every child should take his nap in his own bed, where he is.
accustomed to sleep, not on a couch in the living room, in a rocking
chair, a hammock, or other place. He should be alone in his room
with the door shut and the windows open. I f he does not sleep, he
should rest on his bed quietly for the naptime. I f he keeps calling
out, do not answer him ; and i f he gets up put him back to bed at
once. Wake him at the end o f the naptime so that the night sleep
will not be spoiled and so that he will net lose his outdoor playtime.
I f the mother takes a rest at the child’s naptime, she should take it
in another room.
UNDESIRABLE HABITS USUALLY CONNECTED WITH
SLEEP
Several undesirable habits may be connected with going to sleep
or waking up, such as thumb or finger sucking, masturbation, and
fussiness at bedtime. Some habits are associated with sleeping, such
as bed wetting and mouth breathing. Thumb sucking and mastur­
bation may occur during the day, but they are more commonly
associated with sleep. The manner o f dealing with these habits
is in general the same no matter when they occur.
When an undesirable habit has been formed, the parents need not
become unduly disturbed by it. A ll these habits start naturally
and can be got rid o f by patient and consistent treatment.
The following suggestions will help in the management o f the
child with undesirable habits. (See also pp. 103-108.)
1. In helping a child to get rid o f a bad habit, be
patient, gentle, and low voiced. Do not get angry nor
excited ; do not let yourself g e t u. nervous ” ; do not scold
nor raise your voice, as all these things defeat their own '
end.
2. The best way to get rid o f an undesirable habit is
to replace it with a desirable habit. Pay as little atten­
tion as possible to the action you do not like, and focus
the child’s attention on doing something else, which
you wish to grow into a new and desirable habit. Pun­
ishment for doing the undesirable thing may only fix
the child’s attention on doing it. Quiet approval for
doing the desirable thing will soon fix the child’s atten­
tion on the new habit.
3. Whatever action is determined upon must be
agreed to by all those caring for the child. I f mother

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or nurse refuses to pick Junior up when he cries and
father or grandmother takes him up, the habit o f crying
in bed will not be broken.
4. Never begin to discipline a child unless you are
prepared to carry it through.
5. Undesirable habits often develop in children who
are overtired either from too little rest or from too
much excitement. They are often a sign that the gen­
eral plan o f management o f the child needs to be looked
into.
WAKEFULNESS AND FUSSING AT BEDTIME OR DURING THE NIGHT

I f wakefulness at night is due to pain or illness, it is almost always
accompanied by some signs o f disease that the mother can recognize—
fever, vomiting, diarrhea, cold in the head, or complaint o f pain; it
is an unusual occurrence. Such wakefulness usually is a signal for
calling the doctor.
Habitual wakefulness is a different matter and is almost always
due to the child’s desire for attention. Such a habit may start when
a child cries in the night and is given a cracker or a drink or a toy,
or is taken into the mother’s bed in order to quiet him and to keep the
household from being awakened; or it may start as the aftermath o f
an illness during which the child has needed attention at night.
In any case, when a child is put to bed, the mother should see
that he is not too cold nor too warm and has no other causes o f dis­
comfort, and then i f he is not ill, should leave him whether he cries
or not. Crying is not dangerous, and a loud, lusty cry is evidence o f
a child’s vigor. But if the mother lets him cry for 10 minutes and
then gives in by going to him again, the efforts o f that night will have
been wasted. It is much wiser to let him have his cry out, even
though the rest o f the family be disturbed for that one night.
ENURESIS, OR BED WETTING

I f a child as old as 3 years has the habit o f wetting the bed, consult
the doctor and have him give the child a careful examination. I f no
physical cause is found, training should be started at once. In help­
ing an older child to overcome the bed-wetting habit the same prin­
ciples should be followed as for training the young child. (See
Teaching the dry habit, p. 35, of this bulletin; also pp. 11-17 of
Child Management, U. S. Children’s Bureau Publication No. 143,
revised September, 1927.)
T ry always to make the child more and more independent. A
reward, such as a colored star pasted on a chart each morning that
the bed is dry, is often helpful. Encourage the child if he wakes to
go to the toilet himself. Do not give him the impression that he has
a weak bladder or has inherited a tendency to wet his bed. Bed
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a sign o f disease or weakness in a child. Never say before a child
that you think he will never get over wetting his bed. Do not shame
him nor mention his bed wetting in the presence o f others. Do not
punish him. Encouragement and helpful training are what he needs.
Do not talk about his habit, for overemphasis is often what tends to
prolong it.
SUCKING

Thumb sucking is the commonest form o f the sucking habit, but
sometimes a child o f 2 or even 3 years will not go to sleep without
a nursing bottle to suck on, or a piece o f blanket, or some other
object. Many times the sucking habit can be traced directly to the
baby’s early training. A baby is often allowed to go to sleep at
the breast or while taking his bottle, or, if he is restless, is given
something else to suck in the hope o f putting him to sleep. During
the teething period the baby may again begin to suck and chew his
fingers, and this may lead to the habit o f finger sucking. In an older
child the habit may start in imitation o f a parent or another child
who sucks or bites his fingers.
Habitual thumb or finger sucking, or sucking on a nipple or pacifier
often brings about changes in the shape o f the jaws which not only
are permanently disfiguring, but also interfere with the proper
development o f the teeth and o f the air passages in the nose. I f
the jaws are gradually pushed or pulled out o f shape, the teeth
no longer meet properly, and this interferes, often greatly, with the
child’s chewing. (See Teeth, p. 41.)
Overcoming thumb or finger sucking is not always easy. Though
it is important to prevent it or to overcome it i f it does start, parents
should not be unduly excited by it but should be consistent and
patient in their efforts to get rid o f it. When a baby or little child
first begins to suck his thumb or finger, the mother should quietly
remove it from his mouth and put a toy in his hand to divert his
attention. Little should be said about the habit, but enough other
occupation provided to keep his interest away from his hands.
Punishment for sucking will only emphasize the habit.
Finger and thumb sucking in a little child may often be cured by
putting the child’s arm in a wide, stiff cardboard cuff which will not
permit the elbow to bend. This should not be worn all the time, but
should be left off at intervals so that the child may exercise his arm.
I f he sucks chiefly at night, the cuff need be worn only at night.
Covering the hands with mittens or bedclothes seldom helps, for the
child is likely to suck the fingers through the cover. Metal finger
cages are occasionally helpful.
When a child o f 2 or 3 still clings to one o f these sucking habits
overcoming it is more difficult. I f the mother has been allowing him
to take a bottle to bed, the bottle should be taken away from him once
and for all. The same should be done with other objects, such as a
special blanket. The child will almost surely cry and fuss and refuse


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to go to sleep, but the parents must not give in. A night’s sleep, or
perhaps two or three, will usually have to be sacrificed, but seldom
more i f the parents are firm and consistent.
I f a child o f 5 or 6 years still sucks his thumb or bites his nails,
an effort must be made to get him to want to overcome the habit.
A series o f small rewards, such as gold stars pasted on a card each
morning when he has not sucked his thumb during the previous day
or night, may be helpful, followed by a more real reward for a whole
week; o f gold stars. Punishment will not help. The habit will be
overcome when the child himself wants to overcome it. Teaching
a child to take pride in caring for his finger nails may help him to

S tiff cu ff to preven t thumb sucking

overcome the habit o f nail biting. I f one o f the older members o f
the household bites his nails, it will be hard for the child to overcome
the habit. The older person must stop the habit first.
MOUTH BREATHING

Many children breathe through their mouths at night. This is
most often due to an obstruction in the nose. I f the obstruction is
due to adenoids, they may need to be removed even if they have been
removed previously, as they may have grown in again. Mouth
breathing is particularly likely to occur in a child who has had the
thumb-sucking habit and who as a result of this has a high palate
and small breathing spaces in the nose. A doctor’s advice should be
asked i f a child breathes through his mouth constantly.
MASTURBATION

Masturbation is the medical name for the habit o f getting pleasure
out o f handling or rubbing the genital organs. It is an undesirable
habit, which should be gotten rid of, but it need not cause undue


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worry. Most babies find all parts o f their bodies interesting,
and they discover the genital regions just as they discover their
fingers and toes and play with them. Most babies stop playing with
their bodies when they play with toys, and the best thing to do when
a child shows undue interest in his body is to give him something
else to play with. The habit of masturbation may start accidentally
from the sensations that a child gets when riding on some one’s foot
or on a cane or when wearing drawers that are tight enough to rub.
Such things should be avoided. Children almost invariably outgrow
this habit if too much attention is not paid to it. It should not be
treated with any more emphasis than the habit o f picking the nose or
sucking the thumb. (See Child Management, pp. 29-32.)
The child whose genital organs are not kept clean may form the
habit o f masturbation, just as a child whose nose contains crusts o f
mucus and pus may form the habit o f picking the nose. Thus keep­
ing the genitals clean will discourage the habit o f masturbation just
as keeping the nose well oiled with mineral oil will discour­
age the habit o f picking the nose. I f there are adhesions between
the foreskin and the glans, a doctor’s advice should be sought regard­
ing treatment.
It is a good plan to encourage children to go to sleep with hands
folded together. I f a child is found to be masturbating, it usually
is well to see that he keeps his arms outside the covers and, for a few
weeks, contrary to the general rule, to let him have one toy or another
to hold in his hands when he goes to bed. In cold weather, he will
need to have mittens or a warm jacket with sleeves coming below the
hands to keep his hands warm outside the covers. Allowing a child
to sleep on his abdomen may discourage the habit.
Do not scold nor punish the child for this kind o f habit. A
matter-of-fact remark, “ I wouldn’t do that if I were you ” is
all that is wise. Be very careful not to let the child feel that you are
shocked or greatly worried by his habit. D o not try to shame him
out of it. More harm is often done by making the child feel that
he has done something “ nasty ” or “ wicked,” which he will then
perhaps try to do in secret, than by treating the whole matter with
indifference.


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Clothing:
Clothing should be chosen for the health, comfort, convenience,
and pleasure o f the child who is to wear it, and for his training, and
not merely for the pleasure o f an adult who enjoys dressing up the
child like a doll.
PLANNING THE CLOTHING
A child’s clothes should be so planned that he is unconscious o f
them; that is, they should be simple, easily cleaned, warm enough
for the weather, light in weight, not bulky, just roomy enough for
comfort, and without any tight bands.
In planning clothes for a child ask yourself the following ques­
tions : Can he play freely in them ? Are they warm enough but not
too warm ? D o they allow freedom for his body— for growth, circu­
lation of the blood, and muscle activity? Do they allow him to
stand well? Are they put on and taken off easily and managed
easily at the toilet ? W ill they wash well and wear well ? Does the
child like them?
WARMTH

The need for warm clothing varies, chiefly according to the climate
but also according to the season, the child’s physical condition, the
exercise he takes, and the temperature, indoors or outdoors. A frail
child needs warmer clothing than a robust one, and an 18-month-old
child who sits in a gocart needs warmer clothing than a 4-year-old
who plays vigorously. Clothing that is too warm makes a child
perspire too much and may make him take cold easily. Remember
that several light garments may be warmer than one heavy one.
In warm weather a child is more comfortable i f he wears very
little, indoors or outdoors. F or a large part o f the day all he will
need is a sun suit and shoes or sandals. In cooler summer weather
he will need cotton underwear— a union suit, or waist and drawers,
or shirt and drawers, a cotton dress, suit, or rompers, short socks,
shoes, and perhaps a sweater or a light wool coat when he is not in
the sun.
In winter, in a well-heated house (68° to 70° F .), a child should
wear practically the same clothes as on cool days in summer. I f the
house gets cool, he may need a sweater. I f the house is poorly heated
or the floors are drafty, warmer clothes will be necessary, but more
children are dressed too warmly indoors than too lightly. When
the child goes out, leggings, wraps, and cap should be put on accord­
ing to the temperature outdoors. These should be taken off as soon
as he comes into the house, and as soon as he is old enough he should
be taught to take them off himself.
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FREEDOM

Proper clothing will keep the child warm and at the same time
will not interfere with his normal growth and development. W rong
clothing may interfere with this development, for his body is easily
pushed or pulled into unnatural positions. For instance, narrow
straps hanging from the tips o f the shoulders or hose supporters
fastened in front may pull his shoulders forward and make him
round shouldered ; poorly
fitting shoes may deform
his feet.
F or comfort, fdr proper
circulation o f the blood,
and for growth, all cloth­
ing should be roomy—just
loose enough so that it will
not bind at the knee, waist­
m
line, armhole, crotch, or
any other part. Espe­
cially must the crotch be
roomy enough, for irrita­
tion caused by tightness
there may lead to irrita­
tion o f the genitals. When
buying or making new
garments, plan them so
that they will fit after
a . /«
shrinking and so that they
can be made larger as the
child grows. Stockings es­
pecially must have allow­
ance for shrinking. Buy
patterns and clothing ac­
cording to the child’s meas­
urements, not merely ac­
cording to his age; other­
wise they may be too small.
No garment should be worn
H elping to dress herself
after it is outgrown.
The child should be able to play freely and actively without being
weighed down by a heavy, stiff coat or being afraid o f dirtying or
tearing some delicate garment. His clothing should be made of
material that is light in weight, soft, easily cleansed, and strong.
Clothes that are spoiled easily may prevent a child from joining
actively in play and make him an unhappy looker-on.

ms.

4

SELF-HELP

As the child grows older he wants to help himself, and his clothes
should give him the opportunity to do so. The age at which a child
13405°—31---- 6

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can manage his clothes depends upon the individual, on the training
he has had, and on the way the clothes are made.
Clothes that are easily taken off and put on and easily managed
at the toilet give the child a chance to help himself, and this gives
him a sense o f independence.
Simple clothes and few o f them— opening in front whenever pos­
sible, with deep openings and a few large buttons and buttonholes
placed where the child can reach them—are likely to be easy to
manage. A mark made with colored stitching showing the front
and the outside o f underwear helps the child to dress himself.
I f the buttons have a long shank, the child can manage them more
easily.
The child’s clothing should fit him and not look as i f it belonged
to an older brother or sister. A garment that is too large or too small
or that the child particularly dislikes may make him shy and selfconscious. The child’s clothing should be similar in general to that
worn by the other children in the neighborhood, for no child likes
to feel that he is different from the others. It should be clean and
whole or well mended when it is put on the child, whatever happens
to it during play.
B y the time a child is 4 years old he may develop certain likes
and dislikes in clothing because he hears older people or other chil­
dren comment on what he or someone else is wearing. B y sugges- i
tion a child may be taught to like simple garments best. B y the J
time he is 5 or 6 he may help to choose his clothes.
ARTICLES OF CLOTHING
UNDERWEAR

Knitted cotton is good material for underwear, as it keeps the child
warm, absorbs perspiration easily, dries quickly, lets air reach the
skin, stands frequent washing and boiling, needs no ironing, is elastic
and gives as the child exercises, and wears well. Smooth cotton
material, such as muslin, is cooler for summer. W ool and cotton or
wool and silk may be used in the coldest climates. Rayon, alone or
combined with cotton or wool, is being used more and more.
The seams in all underwear, especially at the armholes and crotch,
should be flat, as ridges irritate the skin. The crotch seam should be
especially strong also, for it gets much strain.
A waist and drawers or a union suit may be worn. During the
second and third years, the toilet-training period, separate waists and
drawers are almost a necessity. Whether drawers or union suits are
worn, the garments must be roomy, so that they will not bind nor cut
in the crotch. When waist and drawers are worn, the buttons on
the waist can be lowered as the child grows, thus giving more room,.
Union suits should be especially roomy in the crotch, and when they
are new the child’s growth should be allowed for by a tuck at the


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waistline, the tuck to be let out when the child grows taller. In
summer, i f side garters are not worn, no underwaist is needed; a
light-weight union suit may be worn as the only underwear, or
drawers or bloomers made with a wide, flat, elastic band—not too
tight— at the waist may be worn with a sleeveless shirt.
In winter a shirt will be needed with the waist and drawers; i f
a union suit is worn, it should be made o f a heavier knitted material.
I f an underwaist is worn, care must be taken to select one that is
made correctly. Whether knitted or made o f muslin, the under­
waist should be made with a a built-up ” neck, which distributes
the pull o f hose supporters and puts the strain near the neck, where
it can be borne well. Shoulder straps tend to put the strain near
the points o f the shoulders and are not satisfactory unless they are
at least 2 inches wide and cross high in the back.
The underwaist should button in front. The buttons by which
drawers or bloomers are to be fastened should be placed low so that
the child can reach them. The waist should be about 4 or 5 inches
larger at the waistline than the child’s waist measure. Armholes
should be large, and there should be a little fullness over the chest to
allow for growth and for free breathing.
Long garters may be attached to reinforced pieces on the sides o f
the waists (whether knitted or muslin) or on the sides o f winterweight union suits that have crosspieces in the back. They should
not be fastened in front nor toward the front, as this position pulls
the shoulders forward and down, nor so tightly as to cause strain
at waistline or shoulders. A supporter for side garters is desirable;
this hangs from the shoulders with shoulder straps crossed high
in the back, so as to bring the pull close to the neck, and a loose belt
to which the garters are attached on the sides. When garters begin
to lose their elasticity, new ones should be bought. Round garters
are satisfactory i f great care is taken that they are not too tight.
Drawers, bloomers, or shorts should be ample in the seat, should
have a deep, wide crotch, and should not be too tight at the knee.
They may be buttoned to a waist, sewed to a bodice, or held up by a
wide, flat elastic band, not too tight. ( Any elastic that leaves a deep
mark is too tight.) I f an elastic band is used, new elastic must be
put in often; otherwise the garment will slip down while the child
is playing. I f buttons are used, they should be large— at least threefourths inch across-—with buttonholes large enough to be easily
managed. Four buttons in the back are better than three, as it is
hard for a child to reach a button in the middle o f the back.
In cold weather, drawers should be long enough at least to be
tucked into the stocking, which covers the knee. Drawers that are
short and loose in the leg are not warm enough for cold winter
weather but are very good in summer. In milder climates leggings
may provide sufficient warmth for outdoors in winter, even i f short
drawers and socks are worn.


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STOCKINGS

Stockings should be bought large enough for free toe action and
should be well shaped to fit the foot. A fter being washed, the foot
o f the stocking should be at least one-half to three-fourths inch
longer than the child’s foot (1 inch longer when new to allow for
shrinking). Stockings that are too short may deform a child’s feet.
When they are outgrown they must be discarded at once.
Cotton stockings are generally preferable to woolen ones, but in
very cold climates woolen ones may be used.
In cold weather stockings should be long enough to cover the knee
well. Socks may be worn in warm weather. The tops o f socks
should be tightly knitted, so as to fold back and make garters un­
necessary.
I f a child has been out in the snow or rain, feel his stockings when
he comes in ; if wet, they should be changed at once.
SHOES

Take care that the soft bones o f the child’s foot are not injured by
poorly fitting and badly shaped shoes. The shoes should follow the
natural shape o f the feet. Before buying shoes for a child make a
tracing o f his foot on paper, with the child standing. Select shoes
one-fourth inch wider than the tracing and at least one-half to
three-fourths inch longer.
High, laced shoes o f the “ blucher” type (having thé tongue and
the toe o f the same piece o f leather), straight along the inner side,
are best. Shoes with the moccasin type o f upper are satisfactory if
they have soles and are laced. Soles should he firm, flat, moderately
flexible, and not slippery. Although heels are not advisable, the
sole should be somewhat thicker at the heel and under the arch; a
perfectly flat shoe is undesirable. The shank o f the shoe should be
narrow, the heel close fitting, the upper full and soft over the child s
toes, and the toe o f the shoe broad enough for his toes to move easily.
Slippers, should not be worn instead o f shoes. Low shoes, laced
and well fitted at the heels, may be worn, and sandals that are well cut
and well fitted are permissible—they are better than going barefoot
on the ground—but it is better that high, laced shoes be worn by the
little child, even in summer.
Elkskin and light-weight calfskin are both excellent leathers.
Patent leather is poor, as it prevents evaporation of perspiration.
Sneakers are not desirable, as they are slippery and poorly ventilated.
W h e n the child outgrows a pair o f shoes, they should be discarded.
“ H and-m e-dow n ” shoes must not be used unless they really fit.

In these early years shoes are usually outgrown before they are
worn out. I f the soles become worn and the shoes are still at least
one-half inch longer and one-fourth inch wider than the child’s foot,
it will be worth while to have them repaired. Great care must be
taken that when, shoes are repaired they are not made shorter or
narrower or the shape changed.

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Careful watch should be kept to see where the wear comes on the
■^ shoe. A child who wears his shoes down very unevenly should have
y
his feet examined by a physician.
I f a child has flatfoot— that is, if his ankles are bent inwards and
his feet turned or rolled outwards— he must have his shoes specially
adjusted. Ask your doctor about this. (See p. 32.)
ROMPERS, DRESSES, AND SUITS

Rompers, dresses, and suits should give the child plenty o f free­
dom, should be becoming, and should all have patch pockets for
handkerchiefs and whatever else the child wants to put into them.
They should be o f sturdy, washable, color-fast material, such as cot­
ton broadcloth, fast-color gingham, chambray, cotton crepe, and
English print. For warmth, light-weight wools are good. Figured
ones do not show soil and wrinkle so much as plain-colored goods.
The neck and sleeves should be simply finished and loose. Collar­
less necklines are easy to launder and stay clean longer. “ Raglan ”
sleeves (those with seams running from the sleeve to the neck) are the
most comfortable ones. Kimono sleeves are comfortable i f they
are cut large enough and are short; they fit best when they have a
seam on the shoulder. A strip o f tape may be stitched in with the
underarm seam o f each kimono sleeve to keep it from tearing out.
Short sleeves are best except in cold weather. In hot weather sleeve­
less garments are desirable.
Turned-back cuffs that are loose may be turned down later to
lengthen sleeves when the child grows. Armholes should be large
from the start, as these can not be enlarged easily.
Rompers or play suits.

Rompers or 1-piece play suits made with a drop seat may be worn
by both boys and girls during the second year. The legs may be
straight or held in at the knee with a knitted band like a sweater
cuff, or with a band o f the material o f which rompers are made.
To get the right size o f the knee band, measure the child’s legs about
5 inches above the knee. Knee bands should be made so that they
can be let out as soon as they seem too tight. Tight elastics must
not be used.
A fter the second year, 2-piece play suits or dresses aré better, as
the child is then beginning to learn to dress and undress himself.
In winter, a 2-piece jersey suit makes a good play suit for both boys
and girls. In summer, or even in winter if the house is warm, a
cotton suit o f strong material or a cotton dress and bloomers or
shorts ” may be worn.
Overalls o f denim or galatea are very useful to put on over a
.dress or suit, or may be used in place o f a play suit. They bring
about a great saving in laundry and, being made o f strong materia?,
are economical. They also allow children to play freely without fear
o f injuring their clothes.


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Sun suits.

A sun suit for either boys or girls may have a sleeveless top o f
coarse fish net and short trousers attached to it. A 1-piece bathing
suit cut low in the neck or a pair o f bloomers supported by shoulder
straps that cross in the back will do for a sun suit. (See p. 29.)
Little girls* dresses.

D resses for little girls should be made simply and have bloomers
or shorts to match. A dress that hangs loose from a yoke or is
gathered in at a yoke line and hangs straight is the most comfortable.
It should not be so full as to get in the child’s way when she is
playing. It may have long or short sleeves or be sleeveless, depend­
ing on the weather. I f a deep hem is put in with chain stitch or
hand hemming, the dress can be let down easily. A facing may be
used to lengthen a dress that has not a deep hem. Bloomers or
shorts to match the dress may button on the underwaist and have a
drop seat, or they may be made with an elastic at the waist. In hot
weather these may take the place o f drawers.
Little boys* suits.

The boy’s waist or blouse may be a free-hanging pne or one that
has the trousers buttoned to it. I f the bottom o f the waist is left
extra long so that the buttons can be lowered as the boy grows,
then the crotch in the trousers will not get too high.
Trousers may be buttoned to the waist or may have a wide elastic
at the waist. F or the boy between 2 and 3 years old who is being
trained to go to the toilet by himself, trousers made with an elastic
at the waist are easier to handle. I f buttons are used, fix them so
that he can drop the front without unbuttoning the back. Four
buttonholes in the back and three in the front are desirable. But­
tons should be placed low so that the boy can reach them easily.
When first teaching a little boy to dress and undress himself, it is
a good plan to make all his trousers exactly alike so that he will
always find the buttons and buttonholes in the same positions.
Trousers should not be made o f very heavy material. They may
be bought extra long and turned up with a double hem so that they
can be lengthened later.
OUTER CLOTHING

Coats or other outside garments must be large enough to allow
plenty o f freedom at play but not so large as to be bulky. They
must be adapted to the climate and be as light in weight as possible
but still provide the necessary warmth. In spring and fall a light
coat is needed; in winter, either a warm coat and leggings or a com­
bination 1-piece suit. The warmth o f such garments should be
regulated by the actual weather, not just by season. When a warnv
day comes along in the middle o f winter, be careful that the chil­
dren are not wrapped up too much. I f they are perspiring very
freely when they come indoors, they have been wrapped too warmly


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for the type o f exercise they have been taking.
outside garments should have pockets.

81
A ll coats or other

Coats.

.
mos^ desirable materials for coats are woolen, closely woven,
light in weight, soft, pliable, and moisture proof. Closely woven
material is warmer than loosely knit material, since it keeps out
the wind. For this reason coats or suits made of woolen cloth are
warmer than knitted suits. Closely woven woolen cloth also sheds
water more easily than knitted material, and it may be waterproofed
to make it a still greater protection from rain. For added warmth
a coat may be lined with light-weight wool material or with an
interlining o f “ lamb’s w o o l” (wool wadding).
Leather coats are windproof and are good for riding, but not for
play, as they are apt to be heavy and bulky.
Combination 1-piece suits 1 made o f closely woven waterproofed
wool material make very satisfactory outdoor garments for winter.
They should be loose, so as to allow freedom and comfort at play.
They may be fastened with buttons or sliding fasteners up the front
and at the ankles or down the front o f the legs, and may be made
with a drop seat fastened either with buttons or with sliding
fasteners.
&
Knitted wool 2-piece suits are less satisfactory for play in snow
or wind, as they are less warm and are not waterproof. They may
do for the child who is wheeled in a gocart but not for the child
playing around, for they will not protect him from wind. A coat
may be worn over such a knit suit to keep out the wind.
Sweaters are very useful to provide extra warmth, either in the
house i f the temperature falls below 68°, or under a coat or outdoor
play suit i f the weather is exceptionally cold. They should never
be worn under the dress or house suit. I f possible, each child should
have a light sweater for summer and a heavier one for winter.
Leggings.

In cold weather, leggings must be worn outdoors throughout the
early years; that is, until the child is sufficiently active to keep his
legs warm, wearing only wool stockings or long underdrawers. Leg­
gings should reach well up to the waist, whether under or over
the coat. They may be made o f closely woven waterproofed wool
material or o f very close knit material. Loosely knit leggings are
less satisfactory for really cold weather, since they do not keep out
the wind and get wet through in the snow more easily. For less
severe weather they may be satisfactory. I f leggings are closed with
buttons or sliding fasteners at each side o f the waist and up the front
o f each leg, and if the fastenings are within reach, children can learn
to put such leggings on by themselves.
im S

1929).SUitS f0r W inter (Leaflet N o* 54’ U - S- Department o f Agriculture, W ash-


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Hats and caps,

A close-fitting, woven wool cap is best for very cold weather, as it may be pulled down over the ears. The band should not be tight. A
knitted cap is also good but will not keep out the wind. In summer,
a head covering is not needed except in the middle o f the day, when
a shade hat o f straw or cotton goods should be worn. Large, heavy,
or tight hats should not be worn.
Storm garments.

Little children enjoy playing in the snow, but they must be so
dressed that they will not get wet. They should not play in the
rain, but it is sometimes necessary for them to go out when it is
raining, and suitable clothes should be provided. ^A warm coat
with waterproof leggings, or a warm waterproof suit, a warm cap,
mittens, and galoshes are necessary for snow. A raincoat or water­
proof suit, a waterproof hat, and storm rubbers are needed for rain.
A child of 5 or 6 may wear rubber boots if he must go out in very
wet weather, provided he does not wear them too long. When the
child is wearing rubber boots, woolen stockings help to keep the
feet from getting cold and also absorb perspiration.
Gloves.

Mittens or warm, closely woven woolen gloves are needed in cold
weather. They should be comfortably larger but not awkwardly so.
They may be fastened to a tape, which is run through the child’s
sleeves. Mittens are easier than gloves for a child to put on and
take off and are warmer.
NIGHTCLOTHES

Children spend half their time in sleeping garments. Be sure the
garments are big enough and not uncomfortable in any way. Cotton
knitted fabric is ¿specially suitable for them because o f its elasticity.
Be sure that 1-piece pajamas and night drawers are long enough
from the neck to the crotch and roomy through the seat. Buy or
make them several sizes too large. They should open down the front
and have a drop seat. For winter wear, suits with feet are warmest.
Night clothes should be hung up to air in the morning. Never let
a child wear the same garment day and night. (See also Sleep and
sleep habits, p. 65.)
WRAPPERS

A washable wrapper is needed for the child to wear at supper over
his night clothes. It may be o f cotton crêpe or heavier cotton mate­
rial or o f flannel, according to the need for warmth.
CARE OF CLOTHING
Teach children to hang up their clothes when they take them off,
and provide low hooks and shelves or drawers so that they can do so
easily. I f the little child needs help to remember which hook is his,
paste a colored picture over it.

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CLOTHING

Have enough clothes for the child to change them often. Wash
clothes frequently, especially underclothes. Put the clothes to soak
for several hours in cold water, rubbing soap on all spots, then wash
them in warm suds and rinse them in plenty o f water. Do not use
strong washing powders, as they are likely to injure the clothes.
Boil white cotton clothes often and dry them in the sun.
Wash woolen stockings and sweaters carefully with soapsuds o f
bland white soap in order to keep their size, shape, and softness.
D ry woolen stockings on a stocking mold or stretcher at least one-half
inch longer than the child’s foot.
When a ready-made garment is bought, look it over before putting
it into use to see that it is well finished and that buttons are well
sewed on.


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Play
P L A Y A W A Y OF LEARNING
Play is the child’s way o f learning, o f experimenting, o f trying
himself out, o f finding out about everything in the world around
him. I t is full o f pleasure for him, for it is full o f new experiences
and new combinations o f past ones. Play is, at the same time, a
serious thing to him and should be planned for seriously by his
parents.
Every mother can learn a great deal about play i f she will watch
her child and not interfere with him. By the time he is a year old
he bangs with his toys to make a noise and piles blocks one on the
other. He fills his pails with sand and empties them again; he
points out figures or colors in his picture books, trying to repeat the
word he heard when some one else pointed them out.
Gradually, as the child grows older, he becomes more skillful in his
movements and can pile his blocks higher and even tries to catch
a ball and later to string large beads. Things that he could not
do a few months before are becoming easy. He wants toys with
which he can do something.' He learns to walk, and with this new
accomplishment he starts the pulling and pushing kinds o f play.
He drags along the floor a toy dog or a box tied to a string, and
shoves a chair across the room. Perhaps you have shown him
how to throw a ball, and he suddenly begins to throw everything
he can reach. Then perhaps, he finds a crayon and scribbles with
it on paper, on the walls, on the floor.
A t 2 or 3 years he begins to play with other children o f his age.
I f he has older brothers and sisters, they may try to make him share
their games, though at first he will not know what they are driving
at. To play his part, to wait his turn, to follow the rules o f the
game, to pay a penalty if he plays out o f turn, are ideas that are as
yet over his head. A fter a while he will have grasped them and
with them some o f the fundamental lessons of happy living.
When a mother has thus stopped and looked at her child’s play,
she realizes that play is his way o f learning. Through it he becomes
skillful in the use o f his muscles. The little child who can put the
last block on top o f his tall tower without upsetting it may well
dance up and down with pleasure at his accomplishment. He has
learned something quite as important for his age as how to add 2
and 2 will be later. Encourage this training o f senses and muscles.
Give the child toys that call upon him to use new combinations o f
movements. Playing with a bean bag or a game of ring-toss teaches
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PLAY

him. to throw accurately, stringing beads teaches another kind o f
skill, drawing on a blackboard another. The big muscles o f the
back and abdomen are made strong by climbing, swinging, walking
on all fours, and turning somersaults. (See Exercise and rest, p. 32.)
D o not try to teach a little child to use the small muscles firsts
Stringing large beads, drawing on large sheets o f paper, cutting out
large figures are much better for the young child from 2 to 5 than
trying to do anything fine with the hands like sewing cards and
weaving.

Perhaps the most important lesson learned through play is that
o f coordination, or the working together o f muscles and senses.
When you watch a 6-year-old girl jumping rope to the sound o f her
own singing, or that o f her playmates, you perhaps do not realize
that the working together o f eye, ear, and muscles in perfect rhythm
is the result o f the lessons learned through play during the preschool
years. Childhood is the right time to learn this type of skill; the
child who has played with vigor and freedom attains it without
conscious effort.

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th e child from one to six

PLA YIN G ALONE
It is worth while for every mother to teach her child to enjoy being
alone. The mother who hurries to pick up the baby as soon as she
hears him cooing or talking to himself is making trouble for herself.
Any child who is used to being left alone will play very happily by
himself and amuse himself with a tin pan and a spoon, clothespins,
blocks o f wood, or other toys with which he can make or do some­
thing.

LEARNING TO DO BY DOING

B y playing alone without adult interference or help the child
learns to make his own choices, his own decisions; he learns to con­
centrate his attention on what he is doing; he learns some o f his first
lessons in independence. B o not interfere with the child’s play. I f
he seems to you to be doing something awkwardly, do not try to do
it for him. Let him learn by doing it himself. Even if the result
is not up to your standards, it may be very good for one o f his
experience.


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87

A little child will do the same thing over and over without tiring.
He needs much practice i f he is going to learn to do things well.
Give him ample opportunity to practice climbing, balancing, pushing,
talking, singing, sweeping, dusting, shoveling, hammering. D o not
interfere in these activities. Let him learn that success comes only
through trying and failing and trying again.
THE PLAY PEN

A play pen or a fenced-in part o f the yard is a great help to the
busy mother. In the pen the child who has not yet learned to climb
is safe; and i f it is built with a floor, which is covered with a blanket
or quilt (except in hot weather), he will escape the cold and the
drafts that make play on the floor uncomfortable. The pen should
be large enough to allow him considerable freedom o f movement,
and he should have things to play with so that he will not stand
hanging to the side o f the pen too long.
THE SAND BOX

A sand box may keep a child playing happily in the sunshine if he
has such simple things as spoons, pails, cans, and small wagons. A
small sand box or sand tray may well be used on a porch or even in
the playroom i f no yard is available for this purpose.
NEED OF ACTIVE PLAY

It should be remembered that a child needs to walk and to run, to
climb, to swing, to ride, to pull, to push, to dig, to throw, and to have
his interests always widening, and these things he can scarcely do in
either a play pen or a sand box. A t least part o f his play should be
free and active. (See Toys and back-yard play apparatus, p. 89 and
p. 90.)
It is best now to have the room in which he plays indoors so ar­
ranged that he can play freely all over it (or in a fenced-off portion)
and handle and touch everything within his reach. A play house or
porch that is fenced and screened but open to the sun is useful.
PLAYIN G W ITH OTHER CHILDREN
A little child also needs other children to play with. Adults or
older children can not take the place of companions o f the child’s
own age. A little child needs to play and develop with other chil­
dren who are in the same stage o f learning as himself, who are his
equals, as well as with those who are a little older or a little younger.
The parents o f an only child especially must bear this in mind.
Through group play a little child learns by following the example of
others, by having to consider what others want, by finding out that
he can set an example which others will follow.
He learns many valuable lessons in adjusting himself to the de­
mands and ideals o f his group as he will later have to adjust himself

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THE CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX

to the demands and ideals o f his community. Self-reliance, initia­
tive, and leadership develop through group play.
Parents should know who are the companions o f their child; he
may be learning from them to play fair or to cheat. Be careful
about letting a little child play out o f your sight with children o f
whom you know nothing. Listen to their talk as they play, and
see that no one teaches your child wnot to tell your mother ” or to
“ hide it, your father might see.” There are plenty o f playmates
who will help you teach your child fair play, honesty, and courage.

It is well for children to learn early that certain rules o f the game
must be observed, that no one can always win or always have his
way, that a good sport can lose without sulking, and that crying
is unpopular.
When children are playing together, interfere as little as possible.
It is usually better to let them settle their own disputes. Do not
encourage tale-bearing; but i f you are asked to settle a disagreement,
hear both sides and help the children to make their own decision
fairly. A t times interference is necessary; no one should permit
cruelty or dishonesty among children.


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IM ITATIVE P L A Y
Much o f a child’s play, whether he is alone or in a group, is imi­
tation o f what he has seen and heard about him. He learns to do
the ordinary things o f life by practicing them in his play. A child
will act out the events o f the household, going over and over what
ho sees and hears, and he sees and hears just about everything, that
goes on.
PRETENDING
The little child enjoys his toys because o f what he can do with
them; as he grows older he enjoys them also because o f what he can
pretend they are. He will often play in an elaborate world o f makebelieve, perhaps with dolls or boxes, blocks, flowers, stones, or bits
o f wood and china. A ll these things take on an importance to him
that the grown-up outsider sometimes finds it hard to see. The
flowers may be people, and the blocks, boats or engines. In his
imagination he may turn his playroom into a wood full o f wild
animals, or a lake, with each chair a boat. He is happy so long as
he is allowed to play in this way, but he may be made most unhappy
by the misunderstanding adult who destroys his fairy castles. Play
o f this kind is used most often by a child who plays alone; less often
children playing together will build up a make-believe world.
It is well for the parents to respect and enter into the spirit o f
such play. “ Let’s pretend ” is a part o f every life, and the imagi­
nation o f the child should be helped to grow in a healthy direction^;
however, this make-believe life should not occupy a child’s whole
time. Play with real toys and real children should be a larger part
o f his life.
Dressing up to play parts, especially with costumes, is usually
enjoyed by children playing together. This kind o f play cultivates
the imagination and at the same time encourages a social spirit.
TOYS
There are two kinds o f toys—those that the child can do something
with and those that he can only watch. Children enjoy for years
their sand boxes, blocks, balls, tools, wagons, dolls dolls’ furniture,
and the many other toys out o f which they can make something or
with which they can do something new ; but they soon tire of the toys
that they ony watch—the ordinary mechanical toys. Many a child
takes more pleasure in a dozen clothespins and a few pieces o f cloth to
wrap around them than in an elaborate ready-made doll whose clothes
will not come off. Certain mechanical toys are o f interest to a child,
such as a toy phonograph that can be handled readily by a child o f 3
and an automobile that he can wind up and steer. The little child
is interested in making, in building, in doing— not in looking on.
Encourage him in this, for if he does not develop this" interest early
in life, he may grow into the kind o f person who is always a looker-on
and not a doer.

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Blocks should be part o f the equipment o f every playroom. Plain
blocks, colored blocks, large ones and small— all blocks are worth­
while toys. They are used in many ways— to build houses, barns,
fences, or roads. They become trucks and railroad trains. The col­
ored ones that offer a chance to experiment with patterns, shapes,
and matching o f colors delight children. Wooden blocks in the shape
o f a train o f cars, which can be taken apart or hitched together easily,
are good. Blocks may be made at home by cutting a piece o f lumber
known as a t w o - b y - f o u r i n t o 2-inch lengths and sandpapering the
pieces until they are smooth. So as not to be too heavy, large blocks
may be made like boxes with covers nailed on.
Balls are always satisfactory toys for young children. Very large
balls to be rolled on the floor, smaller balls to throw, rubber balls to
bounce, colored balls, balloons on a string, are all good.
Large sheets o f paper and crayons for drawing, clay or moist sand
for modeling, blunt scissors and large pictures to cut out, brightcolored pieces o f paper in different chapes that can be used for fold­
ing, cutting, or pasting, a peg board with large colored pegs and
holes, large colored beads to string— all are toys in which the 3 to 5
year old child will take much interest if he is allowed to use them
himself.
Toys that can be pulled by a string, such as a horse and wagon, or
a truck, or a train o f cars, are o f special interest to the 2 to 4 year old
if they are large enough to be loaded with blocks or sand and un­
loaded again. Electric trains are not suitable for children under
school age.
Bolls made o f cloth and painted so that they will wash, soft rag
dolls, soft woolly animals and other toy animals, housekeeping toys
o f all sorts—small tables, chairs, dolls’ beds, bureaus, carriages,
kitchen stoves and pots—gardening and carpentry toys that are really
useful and durable are needed for the 4 to 6 year old child.
Shelves o f the right height for the little child are better than boxes
for toys, for the child can keep the toys in better order on shelves.
Toys that are kept in a box are more apt to be broken.
Avoid toys that are easily broken. Through them the child learns
careless and extravagant ways. Toys should encourage constructive,
not destructive, habits.
Toys that encourage outdoor vigorous play are valuable. A tri­
cycle, a wagon big enough to ride in, a wheelbarrow, and a sled give
opportunity for much activity.
B A C K -Y A R D P L A Y A P P A R A T U S 1

Certain pieces of homemade play apparatus, such as a sand box
and a low swing hung securely with a firmly fastened seat, are needed
in every back yard where little children play. A plain, smooth
board may be placed across a low wooden horse as a seesaw; such a
plain board inay be used also as a slide or placed across two low
* For material needed for making play apparatus, see Backyard, Playgrounds (U . S.
Children’s Bureau Folder ito. 2, W ashington, 1 9 2 3 ).


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supports (large blocks o f wood or low horses) and used by the small­
est children to walk along while learning to balance themselves. A
horizontal bar fastened securely to uprights and placed at the proper
height, or a set o f climbing bars with cross pieces at various heights,

___- >Y., V

*

- V' . y. .

.

R .w c ..^

Three ways o f using a hoard fo r play

H orizontal bars fo r play

gives children the opportunity to use their arm and shoulder
muscles. A small, movable ladder can be used for climbing when
there is some adult supervision, or it can be supported in a horizontal
position on uprights just high enough for children to grasp the rungs
with their hands over their heads and swing from rung to rung.
13405°—31---- 7


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Two or three wooden packing boxes o f different sizes, with nails
safely driven into the wood, provide material for playing house
or store or for other imaginative games. A few separate boards, not
too large nor too heavy for a little child to carry about, provide ma­
terial for building. So, also, large blocks made like hollow boxes, or
even a collection o f small wooden packing boxes, are useful for
building.
A slide not too high, built with a ladder leading up to the plat­
form at the top, gives opportunity to learn sureness o f step, balance,
fearlessness.
A ll back yards may not be large enough to have climbing bars or
slides, but simple apparatus like the seesaw, packing boxes, swing, or
horizontal bars can be used in small yards or even on a porch.

^

STORIES AN D PICTURES
The best books for the very little child are picture-books made o f
cloth, for he can handle them without tearing the pages. Large,
gaily colored pictures are his chief delight. Pictures o f things that
he knows about are o f more interest to him than pictures o f things
he has never seen. Children very early enjoy rhymes like the favor­
ite, Mother Goose. The first stories children like to hear are simple
ones with much rhythm and repetition. “ This little pig went to ^
market,” “ The house that Jack built,” “ Three little kittens ” delight
the child. Probably they care less for the story than for the sounds. \
Interest in the story itself comes later, but the pleasure in sound and
rhythm remains. Most children enjoy having simple stories read
or told to them. They like to hear the same story told over and
over again or to look at the same picture again and again. The
parents may weary o f a story long before the child is satisfied.
Choose pleasant, happy stories, whether you tell them or read them
to the children. Do not give children pictures or books that may
fill them with fears. Do not buy a book merely because it is cheap or
has a pretty cover. Find out first whether it is the kind o f book
that the child will enjoy.
Pictures o f familiar animals or groups of children playing, or
those illustrating the nursery rhymes or stories, preferably colored
pictures, may be placed on the wall where the children can see
them easily, not too high. I f the walls are painted, pictures may be
pasted on them and later washed off and new ones put up.
TRAINING THE EYE, THE EAR, AN D THE FINGERS
Teach the child to enjoy form and color, to draw, however crudely,
and to make patterns out o f colored blocks. Help him to develop
the sense o f touch seen in the child who is letting sand run through
his fingers, shaping a mud pie, or tenderly smoothing a piece o f satin
or velvet dropped from his mother’s sewing box. Even the very
young child may get great pleasure out o f beautiful sounds and

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shapes and colors. Musical interest is keenly developed in some
young children, and a piano, a phonograph, or a radio is a great
source o f pleasure and instruction.
RHYTHMIC P L A Y AN D APPRECIATION OF MUSIC
Rhythmic movements to music are a great pleasure to most chil­
dren— singing, marching, keeping time to music with hands or feet
or bodies. Thus they learn to appreciate and respond to rhythm, to
recognize and reproduce musical sounds. Such activities help to
develop love o f music as well as skillful use o f the body. In schools
it is called “ training the ear ” or “ music training,” but every child
who plays the singing, dancing games o f childhood is getting his
ear as well as his muscles trained. Ball-bouncing games and hopping
games also are o f the rhythmic type.
CHRISTMAS AN D PARTIES
How can we make Christmas a truly happy time for the children?
By avoiding confusion, fatigue, too many things at once, too much
excitement, upsetting of the daily routine, and unusual food. One
mother lessened the confusion by having the little children get
their presents at a different time from the adults and by putting
away all but a few toys after a short time. She also insisted on an
out-of-door play time and a long midday rest for all. The children
had their dinner alone, and she made it a simple meal o f the things
they liked; she knew that digestions are upset very easily by excite­
ment, and she gave them no rich and unusual food at dinner and no
candy between meals.
D o not overdo the Christmas festivities for children. A tree hung
with apples and a few shining ornaments and festooned with strings
o f cranberries and popcorn and colored papers gives just as much
pleasure as one elaborately trimmed. Simple toys are often those
most loved by children. It is often the parents who can not afford
to spend much money at Christmas who succeed in making it the
happiest time.
Parties for children under 6 years o f age should be very simple
and occur very seldom. Above all they should be small, not more
than three or four children, especially for the child who is not accus­
tomed to playing in a group. Parties should not interfere with the
regular nap and meal times. Unusual foods should not be served,
nor should any food be served at unusual times. Foods that would
usually be served for dinner or supper may be served in special
dishes or in a special manner, such as fancy shapes for cookies or
oranges, or sandwiches instead o f bread. The child for whom the
party is being given may be allowed to choose which o f the usual
dishes he would like to have.
Simple table decorations may add a little extra color. The chil­
dren should not be dressed up in fancy clothes that may be spoiled

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by play. The getting together o f a few children for play is in itself
sufficiently exciting and unusual to the average little child to warrant
the name o f a party. Simple games without undue excitement,
played out o f doors in a group, followed by a simple supper at the
usual time, make the best kind o f party for little chidren.
PUBLIC GATHERINGS
D o not take a little child to public gatherings, such as fairs or cir­
cuses, or into crowded stores. These are always overexciting and
overfatiguing, and offer great risk o f infection. Unless you suggest
to the child that he is missing something by not going to such places,
he will feel no disappointment. A child should not be expected to
sit through movies or other entertainments suitable only for
grown-ups.


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THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOME
The child is dependent on his parents for the kind o f body and
the kind o f mind he is born with. This is what is called heredity.
The fact o f heredity, however, does not mean that at birth he is
fixed in all ways and for all time. Each child has in him capacities
that may or may not develop, depending on the surroundings in
which he grows up. This makes it worth while for parents to strug­
gle to give their children opportunities for the development o f the
best that is in them. Nothing can change the child’s heritage; how
the young child will develop his particular gifts will depend upon
the opportunity and training offered him in his home environment.
It is really the older people who make the home. They choose
its location and its furnishings, its books, newspapers, and music.
One person may be always talking o f radio and another o f baseball,
one may talk of things he has read in books or seen in his travels,
another o f clothes or o f sickness or o f crime. A ll these things make
up the atmosphere in which the children are developing and which
will determine their habits o f thought and behavior and mold their
characters and their ideals. No amount o f teaching will influence
young children so much as the daily behavior and conversation o f
the older members of the family.
W H AT MUST A LITTLE CHILD L E A R N ?
The child has many necessary things to learn during his early
years. He must learn to walk, talk, and begin to understand his
world. He must learn to feed himself, dress himself, go to the toilet
alone, wash himself, put away his toys and his clothes. It is desir­
able to answer a child’s questions and give him information as he
seeks it, but it is not wise to force his mental development by teach­
ing him to memorize verses or to recite the alphabet in order that he
may “ show off.”
HOW DOES A LITTLE CHILD LE A R N ?
L E A R N IN G T H R O U G H S A T IS F A C T IO N

The feeling o f satisfaction is of the greatest importance in learn­
ing. A child who gets this feeling out of doing anything will
want to do it again. The one who cries after he is put to bed and
is allowed to get up again will almost surely cry the next night.
I f , however, no pleasant result follows, probably the crying will not
be repeated.
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A little child gets great satisfaction out o f the attention o f others.
He soon begins to desire this attention in one form or another and
he soon finds out how he can get it. Smiles and nods o f approval
or a simple “ That’s a good boy ” or “ That’s fine ” are usually all
that is needed to satisfy the child. But if he does not get a little
attention in the form o f praise when he is “ good,” he will surely
try to get it by being “ naughty.” He may even prefer punishment
to no attention at all. This desire for attention is o f the greatest
importance and help to the mother when she is trying to teach the
child good habits.
L E A R N IN G T H R O U G H E X P E R IE N C E

Whatever a child sees or hears or feels is an experience through
which he is enlarging his world and by which he is developing. By
the time he is running about, his experience is enlarging very
rapidly. He is curious about everything. He wants to look and to
feel, and parents must remember that this is his way of learning.
He needs to be allowed to use his eyes and ears and hands freely,
and when he has learned to talk, he needs to ask many questions.
Let the child learn so far as possible by doing. Guide him away
from harm by encouraging useful activity. It is surprising how
early children can be taught by doing. A little boy o f 2% years was
given a very beautifully illustrated book of Mother Goose Rhymes.
His mother and father did not put it away till he was older, but they
showed him how carefully the pages should be turned and how gently
he must treat them. Two months later, though the book had been
used almost daily, not a page was torn.
It is unfortunate when a child’s home contains many things that
he is not permitted to handle because they break easily or are costly.
“ Don’t touch” is frequently necessary, but most o f a child’s time
should be spent where he can touch. W e would not think o f splint­
ing a child’s legs so that he could not move, but too many “ don’ts ”
are splints for his mind. Curiosity is the best o f teachers and should
not be carelessly discouraged. Before you say “ don’t ” to a child,
always stop to think: “ Am I saying ‘ don’t ’ because Johnny is doing
something that I really must teach him not to do or just because
I have the ‘ don’t ’ habit ? ”
L E A R N IN G B Y A S K IN G

Children should be encouraged to ask questions. It is well to teach
a child not to interrupt, but his question should not be left unan­
swered. “ W ait till mother gets through talking to Mrs. Brown, and
then she’ll tell you.”
The child who seeks attention by continuous questioning requires
careful handling. He must be urged to answer his own questions.
“ Stop and think, son, perhaps you can tell me what daddy is going
to do with the hammer,” or “ Go and see what daddy is going to do,”
encourages the child to think out his own problems and teaches him

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a new way o f getting questions answered. It is a much better way
o f handling the child than telling him to keep quiet.
L E A R N IN G T H R O U G H IM IT A T IO N

Imitation is as important a factor in a little child’s development
as curiosity. Nearly everything a child does he has seen some one
else do. He may refuse a certain food if he sees some one else refuse
it or he will eat it eagerly i f the rest o f the family are doing so. He
learns to slap by being slapped. He learns to be untruthful by
hearing untruthfulness. He delights in sweeping with a toy carpet
sweeper or in ironing with a tiny iron or shoveling with a snow shovel
because he has seen adults do similar things.
Habits and manners o f speech are acquired by imitation. “ Thank
you ” and “ please ” are used most by the child who hears them used.
Listen to the small child’s conversation and you will hear in it a
reflection o f your own. Listen to the child talking over his toy
telephone. He uses the very intonation and phrase he has heard
used, whether it is one o f courtesy or one o f rudeness and ill temper.
So, too, fears and likes and dislikes begin as imitations o f the
feelings o f others. They are not inherited, though mothers some­
times think they are. A child will be afraid o f a spider or a worm
if he has seen his mother afraid o f it. Whether his mother knows it
or not she has shown her fear, if only in her manner.
A child does not pick up bad habits any more quickly than he
picks up good ones, but any habit once started is difficult to break.
The emphasis placed on the “ bad ” one by the distressed parent
often fastens it the more firmly in the child’s mind. A child imitates
all kinds o f behavior. See that he has the right kind to imitate.
L E A R N IN G T H R O U G H S U G G E S T IO N

When a little child shrinks away from caterpillars or spiders
because his mother does, or dislikes cereal or spinach because his
father does, the grown-up has “ suggested ” this dislike to him, and
he imitates the grown-up’s feeling. Most children are very easily
influenced by suggestion or imitation o f another’s feeling. Sugges­
tion is thus an important way in which a child learns. Take for
granted— suggest to him— that he will not cry when he tumbles, that
he will do as he is told, eat what is set before him, take his bath
without a fuss.
A mother who expects trouble usually gets it. When W illie is
told, “ Come in this minute; you’ve got to get- your bath, and there’s
no use arguing,” he feels tension in the air and disobedience is sug­
gested to him. But “ Willie, as soon as you’ve run your train around
once more we are going in to get all cleaned up before supper ” sug­
gests something pleasant and is much more likely to bring obedience.
Children will often follow such suggestions willingly, when a com­
mand might be disobeyed. (See Obedience, p. 99.)


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Suggestions as to beHavior are being given to children constantly.
I f we realized this fully, perhaps we would not say some o f the things
we do before the children. Perhaps when a vegetable is being given
to Johnnie for the first time, his mother says, “ I wonder whether
Johnnie will like this; I never did.” Or perhaps Mary hears her
mother say, “ I hope Mary won’t cry when I take her to the doctor.”
And then she is surprised when Johnnie refuses the vegetable or Mary
cries at the doctor’s office.
GIVE A CHILD TIME TO LEARN
One o f the hardest things for the parents is to let a child do things
for himself at his own pace, neither holding him back nor pushing
him too fast. It takes time and patience to sit by and let the 3-yearold try to lace his own shoes, but he is learning a new and complicated
act, and he needs plenty o f time to do it correctly. Do not hurry a
little child when he is learning; do not force him into prolonged
effort when he is tired. “ You lace that shoe and I ’ll lace this one ”
may be a good plan for the beginner. Do not call a child slow nor
speak to him sharply about his mistakes. Let him see how it should
be done, and if unsuccessful to-day, let him try again to-morrow.
BRINGING UP CHILDREN
AGREEM ENT BETW EEN PARENTS

Parents must think and plan i f they wish to give their children the
best possible opportunity for growth and development.
It is worth while for parents to make every effort to adjust their
own difficulties for the sake o f their children. A home in which there
is bickering and- disagreement or sulky acquiescence is a sad one
indeed. Just as bad is the home in which actions are frequently
hidden or disguised, as when a mother or grandmother or nurse says
to a child: “ I ’ll give it to you, but don’t you tell your father.”
Parents may have different opinions on certain points, but let them
be sure to reach an agreement in private. It is hard in any case to
be always just to children, who often do not understand adult values,
but it is impossible where the parents disagree.
It is a fatal mistake for those in authority to criticize each other’s
decisions before the children. The mother who says to her husband
in a tone o f irritation, “ W hat made you let sonny go out? I told
him he wasn’t to go. Don’t you know he’ll catch more cold? ” is
making such a mistake. Much wiser it would be to say : “ Sonny,
did you forget that mother said you weren’t to go out? You mustn’t
ask daddy to let you do things when mother has said 1no’.”
C O N S IS T E N C Y A N D T R U T H F U L N E S S

“ It’s not fa ir ” was the cry that was forever being heard in the
L. family. “ Yesterday mother didn’t say anything when she saw
us jumping on the sofa and to-day she’s mad.” And the worst o f it

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was that Mrs. L. was not fair. Some days she was in a good temper
and everything was all right; other days everything was wrong.
The L. children were always fighting, always crying, always being
punished.
Most children are not quite so badly off as the L.’s, but many wellmeaning parents complain about their children, calling them naughty
and hard to manage, not realizing that the fault lies in their own
inconsistencies.
O f course parents can be neither all wise nor all powerful, but
fair and honest and consistent they should be. The child who hears
or sees or feels untruthfulness or dishonesty in his home, even in
little ways, is being taught slowly but surely to be untruthful or
dishonest.
The child’s parents are not the only ones who influence him to be
truthful or untruthful. Everyone with whom the child comes in
contact— other relatives, nurses, boarders, friends— is his teacher, and
anyone by being deceitful or dishonest may teach him to be deceitful
or dishonest.
O B E D IE N C E

Obedience should be the natural result o f the child’s trust in his
parents and not the result o f fear. Teach your children to trust you
and they will obey, but remember that more important than obedience
is the teaching o f such standards that your child will know what to do
when you are not there to direct him.
When parents are absolutely consistent in their treatment o f chil­
dren, the children know that when a command is given there is no
use in questioning it. Certain things must be required o f every child.
Under no circumstances must he run out into a road where cars are
passing; he must not touch lamps, or stoves, or matches; he must not
hurt his baby sister, and so forth. Every effort should be made to
teach the child to obey absolutely in these important things, and
punishment (see p. 105) may be necessary in the process o f teaching.
It is better not to make issues of less important matters.
I f the parents expect the child to do what he is told, he will usually
do it, but it is well to give him a little time to finish what he is doing
and not interrupt him unnecessarily. A warning five minutes ahead
o f time that dinner is almost ready or that bedtime is at hand will
give him time to finish his play and pick up before he must go. Sat­
isfaction from obeying helps to form the habit o f obedience. It is
better to lead a child to obedience than to drive him to it.
Obedience or disobedience often depends upon how a command is
worded. Make it easy for the child to obey, never give commands
that are not worth giving, and never give commands that are not
worth insisting upon. A constant “ do this ” and “ don’t do that ”
in matters of no importance should be avoided. Many things are
unnecessarily forbidden or required o f a child, and these unimportant
commands lead to many unnecessary punishments.


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Many parents do not make clear to the children the difference in
value and importance o f such commands as “ Take off your hat
when you come into the house,” “ Don’t pull the kitten’s tail,” “ Don’t
put things in your mouth,” “ Don’t take things that aren’t yours,”
“ Don’t lean out o f the window.” Some of these things are matters
o f courtesy, others o f health or o f cleanliness, others o f physical
safety, and others o f “ morals.” It is not always a matter o f “ good ”
or “ bad,” yet those two words are constantly used. “ What a bad
boy not to shake hands with the lady. Mother feels so ashamed ! ”
and “ What a bad boy to tell mother a lie ! ” and “ What a bad boy
to leave his toys around ! ” It would be easier for the child to under­
stand i f he were taught that certain things are polite and are done
by the older people whom he admires, that untruthfulness is wrong,
that it is untidy and careless not to pick up one’s toys. (See p. 33,
Child Management, U. S. Children’s Bureau Publication No. 143,
Washington, 1928.)
C O N S ID E R A T E N E S S

Children must respect the rights o f their elders, but the elders
must also respect the rights o f the children. Parents should try to
understand their children and give them every chance to grow and
develop. It is unfair to permit a child to make a nuisance of himself
by disturbing everyone, but the- child who is shown off to guests and
laughed at when he turns somersaults in the parlor at the age o f 2
finds it hard to understand why the same behavior is punished
later on.
It is reasonable and fair that the children’s treasures should receive
consideration from the elders. What a sense o f helpless indignation
fills the child whose elaborately built block castle is knocked down by
some adult who says it is time to clean up ! To the child his castle is
just as beautiful as the vase about which so much fuss was made when
he knocked it over by accident, and it was not by accident that his
castle went tumbling. How easy to see the injustice of this common­
place occurrence and yet how often children are scolded for the fuss
they make when it is time to clean up. W ould it not be wiser to set
aside a room or at least a corner o f a room where such treasures
would be safe and where the child himself would be undisturbed?
Everyone knows the satisfaction o f possession. The child enjoys
having his own spoon, cup, doll, blocks, but parents who try to give a
child everything he wants are doing him a great unkindness. He
must learn also to share things with others and help to take care of
them. He can learn that other people, like himself, enjoy having
things o f their own and he can be taught the pleasure of giving things
to other people.
D IF F E R E N C E B E T W E E N Y O U R S A N D M IN E

A child who is one o f a large family where possessions have been
common property and who has never had things o f his very own, may
find it hard to realize that he must not take the clothes and toys of

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other children. Or he may have had so many things that he believes
everything belongs to him and does not understand why he can not
take anything he wants. He needs to be taught the meaning o f
ownership, o f the difference between yours and mine. Such very
simple lessons as “ This is your toothbrush and that is sister’s. You
mustn’t use sister’s, and she won’t use yours ” will lay the foundation
for an understanding o f what ownership means.
M ONEY

Children should learn something about money and its use while
quite little. A 5-year-old child is quite capable o f telling the differ­
ence between a penny and a dime, and it is well to let him learn that
a penny will buy this marble and that a dime will buy that ball.
Although it is not wise to take children on shopping expeditions, it is
worth while occasionally to let the 5-year-old child buy something
so that he may begin to learn by experience how to use money.
F E E L IN G S OR E M O T IO N S

W e are constantly appealing to the child through his likes or dis­
likes, through his fears, or through his fondness for people. His
feelings about things and people around him make up his emotions,
and his happiness depends to a large extent on what kind o f emo­
tions he has. The person who feels kindly toward others, who is
neither suspicious nor afraid, and who can control his temper is cer­
tainly happier than the person who sees in everything about him a
reason for complaint and bitterness.
Many people forget that their feelings are conveyed to the child
by the tone o f voice, by gestures, looks, slight changes o f expression,
or even by tension of the muscles. A child realizes and imitates the
fear, the anxiety, or the contentment o f the people he lives with.
Encourage children in kindly feelings toward others. Welcome
the children’s'.friends in your home. Just as a child should be taught
affection for his brothers and sisters, so he should be guided to feel­
ings o f loyalty and kindliness toward his little friends.FEARS

Some homes seem to be full o f fears— fear o f “ what people will
say,” fear o f burglars, fear o f disease, fear “ that something awful
is going to happen.” These are not taught the children consciously,
but children are all too aware o f these feelings in their elders. Even
very young children who may not understand all that they hear are
made fearful by stories o f illness, death, misfortune, and disaster.
Parents should teach a child enough about danger to enable him to
safeguard himself, without filling his mind with unnecessary fears
and anxieties. He should know that he must not go near the fire
and that a moving motor vehicle will harm him if he gets in its
path, but he should not be afraid o f the dark or the doctor or the


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policeman. Never use threats. Never. frighten a child. The un­
founded fears or superstitions o f grown people are often passed
on to children. Do not teach children to be afraid to walk under a ^
ladder or to sit down 13 at the table or to expect misfortune after a
mirror has been broken.
Fear is contagious, but, fortunately, so, too, is courage. Although
children feel a natural fear o f loud noises such as thunder, they m a y,,
by the example o f their elders, learn to enjoy the grandeur and beauty
o f a thunderstorm and no longer be afraid.
S E X E D U C A T IO N

Many older people feel ashamed when matters relating to their
bodies or to sex are brought up. Children have no original sense
that one part of the body is different from another or one subject
o f conversation unlike another. The small child handles his toes,
his knees, or his ears and nothing is said; then he handles his genital
organs and is scolded and told to take his hands away. He is puzzled
and made uncomfortable because o f the shame that his parents feel.
He is taught the names for other parts o f his body, but is given
no words with which to satisfy his normal curiosity by asking ques­
tions about these parts. It is well for a child to learn the names1 of
all the parts o f the body that he can see and to use them without
embarrassment in talking to his parents. I f he is taught to feel
that certain parts are not nice and must not be mentioned, he is apt
to carry out further investigations secretly and, perhaps, shame­
facedly as he grows older. The feelings that a child builds up about
sex may have far-reaching effects, and it is of vital importance that
his early associations should not be those o f shame and fear.
The very fact that in early childhood there is no self-consciousness
about matters o f sex makes the whole problem simple i f the parents
can enter into the child’s unemotional state o f mind. In simple
words he can be told the facts about reproduction whenever he shows
curiosity about them—that babies grow inside their mothers; that
they get their food through the navel cord, which comes off after
birth; that babies come from a tiny egg that is inside the mother
and that starts to grow after the father sends a little seed to the
egg to help it turn into a baby. Further details are seldom required
until the child grows older, but they should be given truthfully and
simply when the child asks. The child asks where babies come from
quite as casually as he asks where eggs come from, and to let his
question be a cause for embarrassment is to place upon it a false
emphasis and give this matter o f babies the u shame association ”
that is most to be avoided. I f the question comes at an inconvenient
moment, the answer may 'be postponed till “ mother isn’t so busy
talking to her friends,” but it should not be hushed up or evaded.
1 H e should know the words scrotum, penis, testicle, vulva, navel, hreast.


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Without making children feel ashamed, it is easy to teach them
that taking off one’s clothes, going to the toilet, and talking o f
bodily functions and matters o f sex are not suitably done in company.
“ We will talk about that later ” may be needed a few times, but
children are quick to understand these differences.
It is well for young children to see one another undressed. They
can thus learn without emphasis the difference between the sexes and
will not develop an undesirable curiosity later. In a matter-of-fact
way the child will take it for granted as he grows older that he
should dress in his own room and will then readily adjust himself
to the adult conventions.
JEALOUSY

Feelings o f jealousy in a little child are most often aroused by the
arrival o f a new baby in the family, who seems to the child to be
getting all the attention that used to be his. Some adults realize so
little the seriousness o f this matter that they encourage this feeling
o f jealousy. Feelings o f love, of tenderness, o f protection, should
come to a child when he sees the new baby, not those o f hatred,
jealousy, and resentment. The parents need to teach him to love the
new baby. He should be told that the baby is coming and should be
shown the preparations for its arrival and made to feel that he is to
take part in its welcome. Parents should take great pains to divide
their affection and interest equally among the children. When the
new baby arrives, do not let the older children feel that he is getting
all your attention. Make a special point of giving affection to the
older children, too.
SO M E P R O B L E M S T H A T E V E R Y F A M I L Y M E E T S

2

In every family where there are little children behavior problems
will arise in spite o f every effort to avoid them. Some difficulties the
child will outgrow if too much attention is not paid to them. Others
become more persistent and troublesome as he grows older. Some­
times problems o f this sort appear one after another or several at the
same time. Often the difficulty is removed by learning and removing
its cause. Until the cause is discovered, it is often best to ignore the
difficulty. Anxiety and nagging and repeated punishment rarely
help. When a child is difficult to manage, his tantrums, shows jeal­
ousy toward his little sister, is timed and afraid or says “ n o ” to
everything, there is always some cause for his behavior, which needs
special study. Every problem is a little different from every other
problem. The cause is often a matter o f poor management. The
parents must try to find out what the underlying cause is and in what
way they are dealing with the child unwisely. I f they hope to help
the child, they must be willing to make changes in their own attitude.
2 For discussion of how habits arise and o f undesirable habits connected with sleep see
p. 25 and p. 69 of this bulletin. For detailed discussion o f behavior problems in children
see Child Management (U . S. Children’s Bureau Publication No. 143, W ashington, 1 9 2 8 ).


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I f possible, they should seek the advice and help o f a physician who
is experienced in children’s problems.
A child who has frequent bursts of misbehavior should be consid­
ered carefully from the standpoint o f health and hygiene. Is he
underweight ? Is he getting inadequate sleep, food, exercise ? Is he
leading too exciting a life with too much attention? Is he receiving
too little attention when he is good ? In what way is he being han­
dled unwisely? Is he spending too many hours with overanxious
adults and too few with other children? Many a child who is fre­
quently “ naughty ” is a tired child.
The child who is difficult to handle.

A ll children desire attention. The troublesome child is often one
who wants attention so much that he is willing to be punished
rather than to be ignored. It is better for him to be noticed for
hanging his clothes up neatly or remembering to wash his hands
before dinner, than for having on a new suit or making some
“ smart ” remark or being naughty. The child who is ignored when
he is well behaved may find himself the center o f attention when he
spits out his oatmeal, or uses a swear word, or pinches the baby.
Perhaps the first time he used a swear word the surprised adults
laughed and. made a great fuss about it; and now, though the laugh­
ing has changed to scolding, the fuss continues. Perhaps it is wisest
to ignore a single outburst o f this type. I f it can not be ignored
because it is repeated, a child will often be influenced more by a
quiet word or two than by excited reproofs and scoldings.
The child who has tem per tantrums.

The child who has temper tantrums is another child who is trying
to get attention. Perhaps he is not getting attention for doing de­
sirable things, or perhaps the family attention is not evenly divided
among-the children. Is there a new baby o f whom he is jealous?
The management of such a child may be difficult, and always requires
patience and self-control on the part o f the adult and absolute firm­
ness. He should get no attention when he has a tantrum. Scolding
is o f little value, as it gives the attention the child wants. Rarely
does it help to slap or spank. It is best to leave the child by him­
self until he is quiet, then without comment to let him come back to
the family group. Be sure that he does not get what he wants by
having a tantrum. Do not let him know that you are in any way
upset about it. When it is all over, do not demand apologies o f
which he does not understand the meaning. “ I ’m sorry ” is a formula
without much meaning to a little child.
In all dealings with children, gentleness o f voice and o f action
produces the best results, Children quickly feel the tension o f adults
and respond by imitating them. Anger and excitement breed anger
and excitement. Particularly is this true with the irritable, excit­
able child.


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The child who always says ** no.**

In handling young children do not pay too much attention to a
child who says “ no ” to everything. Many little children go through
this negative period. It may be partly imitation o f parents who
frequently say “ no ” to the child, or it may represent his first feelings
o f independence o f action. Little is gained by punishment or by
arguing. Ignore the habit as much as possible and give the child
very few chances to say “ no.” In most children this negative phase
will pass when they discover that it is not gaining them attention.
The child who does not tell the truth.

The best way to teach children to be truthful is to set them an
example o f truthfulness. Many falsehoods are imitations of those o f
adults. The mother who says, “ I don’t want to go to the Browns’
for dinner. 1 11 say I have a headache,” or “ Don’t let the minister
know I ’m sewing on Sunday. Tell him I had to tend to baby,” will
soon find that her child is making up the same kind o f excuses.
Little children may not always know the difference between fact
and fancy, and their imaginings are not to be treated like intentional
falsehoods. A child who is acting a game or story may tell some
fanciful tale and insist that it is true. Barents who answer “ yes ”
to the child’s question, “ Is there really a Santa Claus? ” are doing
the same thing.
Children who are frequently punished may become untruthful
because they are afraid.
Punishment.

Punishment is at times necessary, and when it is used it should be
immediate and appropriate. It should never be given in anger, nor
should it be delayed. There should be close connection between the
act that the child should not repeat and the unpleasant sensation
called punishment. A child punishes himself when he burns his
fingers by touching the stove. The pain in this case is the direct and
immediate result of the deed. Most little children after such an
experience will cry and draw away if forced too near the stove again.
Unfortunately, all misdeeds do not thus hold their “ natural punish­
ment within themselves; but punishment, whenever possible, should
have some relation to what the child has done.
A child who is fighting with his playmates may well be punished by
being removed from the group; a child who refuses to eat what is set
before him, by having the part o f the meal that he likes, such as the
dessert, withheld; a child who smashes a toy, by learning that he will
not get something to take its place.
I f a child is punished by being left alone in a room, be sure that
there is a light. Do not punish him by putting him in a dark closet.
Physical punishment such as slapping and spanking should be used
rarely and never in anger. It is most appropriate when a child has
done something the repetition o f which will endanger his life such


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as running out into the street or playing with matches. The punish­
ment for such misdeeds should be prompt.
Punishment should never be prolonged nor delayed. To take away
a toy for a week, or to take away some future pleasure because o f a
naughtiness o f to-day, is a useless treatment o f a child, for his mem­
ory is so short-lived that he would be unable to connect the hardship
with the misdeed.
The value o f punishment is often exaggerated. When used, it
should always be consistent. (See p. 98.) Corporal punishment is
rarely justified. Never tell a child you will punish him unless you
intend to do so. Neyer threaten him. Never try to make him afraid
by saying that if he is not good you will leave him in the dark or
call the policeman or the doctor.
Consistency in discipline.—Discipline should always be fair and
consistent. It is worth while for parents to think out their policies
about punishment carefully and at leisure, and to talk them over.
I f the whole matter has been conscientiously thought out, the han­
dling o f each individual case tends to fit into the general plan
adopted. Do not allow a child to do a thing to-day and, perhaps,
laugh at it, and then punish him for the same thing to-morrow. Do
not punish a child unless you have considered what good you think
it is going to do.
Howi can the need o f pwdshment be avoided?—Whatever one may
think about the value o f punishment, no one wishes to punish a child
unnecessarily or unjustly.
How often do we find that the need for punishment arises because
we expect too much from a child when the fault is really ours for
not having taught him to do things for himself, to be independent
and responsible, or for not being consistent in our commands or
attitude. The mother who says, perhaps with a certain satisfaction,
that the baby “ won’t let any one else do anything for him,” or that
the older child a can’t bear to have her out o f his sight,” is certain
to have trouble later, especially when it becomes necessary for others
to care for her children. No mistake is made more often than that
o f prolonging a child’s period o f baby dependence on the parent.
Disregard o f a child’s need for regularity o f rest and food, such as
keeping him up late, taking him to the movies, dragging him about
shops until he is tired and irritable and “ naughty,” and then punish­
ing him for his naughtiness, is another cause o f avoidable punishment.
Again, many parents punish children unjustly for perfectly harm­
less behavior because they themselves are tired and irritable and the
children “ get on their nerves.” It is in the stress o f such irritability
that parents make issues or threaten punishment for trivial things
that are really not worthy o f such attention, and then find them­
selves forced into carrying out the threat.
Children are often naughty when they have not adequate oppor­
tunity for “ letting off steam,” or again when they have done one
thing too long without rest. Change of occupation may often save


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the day. Many a punishment has been avoided by the mother who
feels trouble in the air and sends the small boys out to let off their
surplus energy in racing around the yard, instead o f letting them
go on teasing little sister to the point of tears.
D oes purdshment always help?—Again, we would all agree that
no one wishes to punish a child if the punishment does not prevent
him from repeating the act for which he was punished. For many
children punishment is one way o f becoming the center o f the stage,
o f attracting attention. I f your chijd has to be punished often,
perhaps this is the reason. See whetliyl lie is getting attention only
when he is^ naughty and being igttpiej>when he is good. Some
children enjoy their reputation fo it^ u | ^ k ie ss. They need to be
ignored instead o f punished.
Praise and rewards.

The use o f praise and rewards is often mo£e, il^^artant than pun­
ishment. A child who had been a persisted bed^vptter and had
been punished and shamed and scolded for years^veroa^ae the habit
in a few weeks with encouragement and a few simple rffijp&rds. His
successes were made much o f; his failures ignored.
x /k
Praise and rewards, however, must not be dealt out pnthmkkigly.
I f every trivial thing is praised, praise loses its value, just as punish­
ment does when carelessly used. Rewards, especially, Tnust be
guarded. In some families in which the reward system is carried
to an extreme the children expect to be paid for everything. Chil­
dren should not be paid for doing the everyday things that they
should do anyway. The use o f rewards to help a child establish a
habit or to overcome some difficulty is quite a different matter.
Bribes.

Bribing should never be resorted to. The mother who meets her
little problems in this way is sure to have more serious ones to meet
later. How futile and weak it seems when we hear Mrs. Jones say­
ing to Willie as he struggles with the barber, “ Hold still, Willie,
I ’ll buy you an ice-cream cone if you let him cut your hair.” Yet
how many parents do this very thing. “ I f you let the doctor look
in your throat, I ’ll buy you a new boat.” “ I don’t want to— I don’t
want a new boat,” replies Johnnie. And then what? Bribes seldom
work.
Threats.

Threats are usually made by adults to frighten children into doing
something. “ I f you aren’t good, I ’ll call the policeman,” “ I f you
don’t stop crying, I ’ll go away and leave you,” “ I f you say that
naughty word again, the doctor will have to cut your tongue out,”
are threats o f the worst type. None o f these things would a mother
really think o f doing. She is not only frightening her child but
lying to him.
It is right that a child should be warned that if he does something
which has been forbidden he will be punished, but it is a fair warn13405°—31— -8

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ing and not a threat to say quite calmly and with every intention of
doing it, “ Johnnie, the next time I hear you use that word I shall
have to wash your mouth out with soap and water.” The intention
o f the parent here is not to frighten but to warn, just as he might
say, “ I f you touch that hot stove, it will burn your hand,” and the
child usually recognizes the difference.
THE MEANING OF EDUCATION FOR A YOUNG CHILD
The object in dealing with a child should not be to suppress (push
down) but to educate (lead out). In this sense, education is more
than mere book learning; it begins long before the child learns to
read— in fact, soon after he is born, when he gets^his first lessons
in what the world is like. His parents and others in the household
are his teachers; the home is his school, and as far as possible he
should feel free and happy there.
*.
’
In these early years the importance o f educating his body and Jus
emotions should not be overlooked. Educating his body means
teaching him to use his muscles and senses in the complicated move­
ments that make up such important daily activities as feeding him­
self, dressing himself, washing his face and hands, walking, and
talking— movements that will soon become routine and automatic,
as he gains skill in them. Educating his emotions means teaching
him to become independent and self-reliant, to control his temper,
not to be afraid o f harmless things, to feel friendly toward people,
to treat animals kindly, to enjoy music and other beautiful things.
It means, also, setting an example so that the child learns from the
parents’ attitude to be happy and contented rather than sulky and
discontented, to be truthful instead of untruthful, energetic instead
o f lazy, thorough instead o f careless.
In order to find out what the world is like, the child must have
opportunity to experiment with all sorts o f things, to have a thousand
questions answered. Parents who provide these opportunities and
thus “ lead o u t” a child are giving him the best education.
A t the same time it is wise to guard against forcing his develop­
ment and tiring him too much. It is no kindness to cram into the
first years o f a child’s life every possible experience. For many chil­
dren the radio, the phonograph, the motor car, the movies are con­
stant sources o f stimulation; and the tired, overstimulated, over­
amused child o f to-day will become the nervous, irritable, discontented
adult o f to-morrow.
T o find a perfect balance between understimulation and overstimulation, to encourage mental development without forcing it, to
offer opportunity for expansion and for independence just as soon as
the child is ready for it, but no sooner— this is the great task that
every father and mother must undertake.
A H APPY HOME WORTH W ORKING FOR
A happy home and a happy childhood is certainly an aim worth
working for. To make a child happy, the parents must give him
affection, security, and freedom. There are few parents who do

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not give to their children a full quota of affection, but security and
freedom are not so easily given. Security means to the child a sense
o f safety, o f restfulness, a feeling that some firm foundation under­
lies his life. Security is given only by the home where justice, truth­
fulness, regularity, order, and serenity are found. Here the grown­
ups act reasonably and consistently, and angry voices and quar­
reling are not heard. Freedom can be given to the child only by
parents who want to see him grow and give him every chance to
develop his own powers. The child who is carried when he can
walk, or fed from a bottle when he should be drinking from a cup,
or kept in baby dresses when he should be wearing overalls is not
getting freedom. It is right that babyhood should be short. The
mother who likes to “ keep her child a baby as long as she ca n ” is
stunting his growth. He should not be forced into grown-up ways,
but he should be given a chance to increase in skill and independence
just as fast as he is able.


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THE MOTHER’S RESPONSIBILITY
Every mother has the responsibility o f deciding whether her child is sick
or well and whether she must call the doctor. She needs to be able to recog­
nize signs of ill health. Overanxiety concerning children’s health, however, is
to be avoided. It is not wise to let complaints be the means o f obtaining
unusual attention, or to discuss them before the child, or in any w ay to exag­
gerate their importance, but the child who is below par should not be neglected.
Signs of temporary fatigue, such as refusal o f a single meal, vomiting, fussi­
ness, or irritability should disappear after a good night’s sleep.
A chronically ill child often goes unnoticed. H e is pale and tired looking,
often “ nervous ” or cranky, usually underweight, and has a poor appetite. H e
m ay be overactive or again very inactive. Often he is scolded for not eating
or called cross and lazy when he should be put to bed because he is ill. This
child needs a doctor’s supervision quite as much as the child who is taken ill
suddenly.
The acutely ill child is seldom neglected. W hen a usually active and happy
child becomes drowsy or listless or irritable, wants to lie down, and refuses
food, everyone knows he is sick, though it is often hard to know just what is
the matter. H e may seem feverish, he m ay vomit, he may feel sick all over,
but these are the early common signs o f many illnesses.

SIGNS OF ACUTE ILLNESS
The mother who watches her child from day to day is quick to notice the
sudden development of any signs o f illness, but she should not assume the
responsibility o f trying to decide what is the matter with her child or how
to treat him without the help of her doctor.
Certain signs of illness it is important for the mother to notice:
Fever.— If, because o f flushing o f his face or hot skin, it is suspected that a
child has fever, his temperature should be taken. (See p. 112 for method of
taking temperature.)
Drowsiness or irritability.— A child who suddenly becomes drowsy or listless
or irritable and restless and wants to lie down is probably sick.
Refusal of food.— Sudden refusal of food may be the first sign o f illness,
such as sore throat, or it may be a sign o f temporary fatigue.
Sneezing, running nose, rapid breathing, and cough suggest infection o f the
nose, throat, or lungs. They may occur with a simple cold or with the onset
of a communicable disease, such as measles, whooping cough, influenza, or
pneumonia.
Sore throat m ay be associated with a cold or with a communicable disease,
such as diphtheria or scarlet fever.
Hoarseness is due to inflammation of the larynx and may be the first sign
o f croup, diphtheria, or any other form o f laryngitis.
Vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or pain in the abdomen usually indicates a
disturbance o f digestion but m ay be the first sign o f some general infection.

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Frequent desire to urinate or very scanty urine or pain on urination

suggests

infection o f kidneys or bladder.

Severe headache, stiffness of the neck or hack, twitching, or convulsions

point

to irritation or infection o f the nervous system.

Pam or tenderness, redness, or swelling

o f any part o f the body points to an

infection or an injury o f this part.
A discharge points to an infection or irritation.
Rashes or eruptions on the skin are seen in such

diseases as chicken pox and

measles, and in many skin diseases.

W H AT TO DO W H EN YOU FIND YOUR CHILD IS SICK
The wise mother, as soon as her child is sick, will put him to bed and call
the doctor. I f it is possible to reach the doctor by telephone, do so. Give him
what accurate information you can, and he will advise concerning the treatment
o f the child until he comes. The first 24 hours are often the most important in
illness.
I f he isn’t better to-morrow I ’ll call a doctor ” m ay be safe in one
case, but not in the next. Many very serious illnesses have mild beginnings.

W H A T TO DO FOR THE CHILD BEFORE THE DOCTOR
COMES
Until the doctor can be reached there are a few things that it is wise to do
for almost any sick child.
Put him in bed in a quiet, cool place where he can easily, fa ll asleep.
Keep other children away from him.
Never force a sick child to eat. Offer him water frequently. I f he is neither
vomiting nor having diarrhea, he may have liquid food such as fruit juice or
boiled milk. I f he is vomiting or has diarrhea, withhold all food, but give
him water. I f vomiting is continued, it may be necessary to withhold even
water for two or three hours.
I f the child s bowels have not moved freely, he may be given an enema
(See p. 113.)
I f he has a high fever and is restless, he may be given a cool sponge bath
to make him more comfortable.
I f he has a convulsion, give him a warm, wet pack. (See p. 112.)
Save a sample o f the child’s urine and stool for the doctor.

CARING FOR A SICK CHILD
Treat a sick child with gentleness but with firmness. Do not overindulge
him ju st because he is sick. D o not talk about his condition in his presence
nor let him know you are worried. I f you are to take the place o f a trained
nurse, you must imitate her low voice, skillful unhurried movements, and raim
and restful attitude.
A sick child should be kept in a cool (about 65° F .), quiet, well-ventilated
room, which should not be a gathering place for the fam ily or the neighbors.
Whether or not contagious disease is suspected, a sick child should be kept
away from other children.
Protect others from possible infection. W a sh your hands thoroughly after
caring for the sick child. Until the doctor is sure that the child has no com­
municable disease, keep his handkerchiefs, towels, wash cloths, dishes, and
toilet utensils separate and sterilize them with boiling water before allowing
other members o f the fam ily to use them. Especially boil his handkerchiefs.
One sick child is enough. Avoid spreading disease.
The doctor’s orders should be carried out carefully and exactly.


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The following are general directions for nursing care, which should be ob­
served unless the doctor orders otherwise:

BED CARE
A sick child, even one who has a simple cold, should be kept in bed, as quiet
as possible. Fatigue prolongs illness. Bed is the place where it is easiest to
keep the child’s temperature even. A sick child should not walk to and from
the bathroom through chilly halls.
I f a child has been properly taught, he will stay in bed, and it will not occur
to him to get up unless he is told to. Training in regular health habits (see
p. 25) when the child is well makes it much easier to care for him when he
is sick.
A sick child should not sleep in the bed with any other person. I t m ay be
necessary for the mother to sleep in the room with the child, but it is much
more restful and wholesome for him to sleep in a bed alone.
The child should have a long nap in the middle of the day. The room should
be darkened, the windows opened, and the child should be expected to sleep.
The child should wear ordinary nightclothes while he is sick, with an extra
sweater or bathrobe over them when he sits up in bed in a cool room. D o not
put such heavy clothes on a sick child that he is uncomfortably warm and
restless. A sick child needs plenty of fresh air. I f the weather is warm, he
may be more comfortable on a screened porch than indoors.
Be sure that the bed is well made, with the lower sheet tightly drawn and
the bedcovers suited to the temperature o f the room. A t night his bed should
be remade and he should be bathed and made comfortable.
Do not urge a sick child to play. A few toys m ay be put within his reach,
but an acutely ill child needs rest, not amusement.
A child who has had fever should be kept in bed at least 24 hours after
his temperature has become normal (98.6° to 99.5° I . ) . I f he has had fever
for more than two or three days, he should remain in bed for three days to a
week after his temperature has become normal.
Keep the child’s body very clean. A sick child needs a warm sponge bath
once or even twice a day. I f he has a high fever and is restless, give him a
sponge bath with cool water (about 90° F .).

How to give a warm w et pack.
To give a warm wet pack, cover the bed with a large rubber sheet or piece
o f oilcloth and wrap the child in a small blanket wrung out in warm water
(105° to 110° F .) . I f a bath thermometer is not at hand, test the water with
your bare elbow to be certain that it is not hot enough to burn the child. Take
plenty o f time to test the water carefully, wring the blanket out as dry as
possible, wrap it quickly about the child, and then wrap him in another blanket,
which is dry. Place an ice cap or cool wet cloth on his head. Allow him to
remain in the warm pack 15 to 30 minutes. Then remove him from the pack
and cover him in a dry blanket. I f his fever is high, do not wrap him too
warmly.

Temperature.
Hot, dry skin is usually a sign o f fever, but the only sure way o f testing for
fever is by a thermometer. A rectal thermometer is best for children. It
should be shaken until the mercury is well below the normal line (9 8 .6 °) and
the bulb greased.
Place the child on his side in bed, and put the bulb end o f the thermometer
into the rectum (the lower part o f the bow el). H old it there for five minutes.


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Keep the child quiet and hold his legs firmly so that the thermometer will not
be broken. Do not leave the child nor even let go o f the thermometer while
it is in the rectum. A temperature higher than 100° is abnormal.

Respiration and pulse.
A child’s respiration and pulse vary greatly with fever, crying, and activity.
Rapid, irregular, or noisy breathing should be reported to the doctor. I f neces­
sary, the doctor will show the mother how to count the pulse and respiration.

DRINKING WATER
Give water frequently. A child with a fever should drink, if possible, 2
quarts o f water or other fluid daily. Children are glad to drink water when
they have fever.
Children with diarrhea should be given water at very frequent intervals,
for they need a great deal to make up for that which they are losing.

DIET
When a child is taken sick, it is best to withhold all solid food until the
doctor comes. I f the child is not vomiting or having diarrhea, he may be given
fruit juice or boiled milk. I f he is vomiting or has diarrhea stop all food.
I f a child is sick several days and it is known that there is no disturbance
of digestion, a simple diet is usually permitted, such as milk, cereal, vegetables
mashed through a strainer, egg, simple desserts, and fruit juices at regular
intervals. W ater may be given frequently. I f he is not hungry do not be dis­
turbed. Never force food except on definite orders from the doctor.

ELIMINATION
Daily movement o f the bowels is as desirable for a sick as for a well child.
A small soap-and-water enema, or injection, or a small suppository may be
needed to help the child move his bowels. D o not give any medicine unless
the doctor orders it.
Ask the doctor whether the child is able to get up to go to the bathroom.

H ow to give an enema or injection.
For an enema, or injection, use a fountain or bulb syringe. Prepare warm,
soapy water, using a mild Castile soap or other white soap. Cover the mattress
with a rubber or oilcloth sheet. Let the child lie on his back in bed with a bedpan under his buttocks. Grease the tip o f the syringe with petroleum jelly,
introduce the tip into the rectum, and allow 1 to 2 cupfuls of water to run into
the rectum ; the amount used depends on the size o f the child. I f done slowly,
this causes the child little or no discomfort. Do n ot' hang a fountain-syringe
bag more than 2 feet higher than the child’s body. I f the first injection does
not bring about a bowel movement, give another.

COMMON DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD
COLDS
A child who is coughing or sneezing or who has a discharge from the nose
should be kept away from other people and put to bed, as these symptoms may
be the beginning not only of a cold but of some more serious communicable
v disease. Give him plenty o f water to drink and see that his bowels move
daily. Nasal sprays, drops, or irrigations should be used only when ordered
by a doctor. Twenty-four hours in bed at the beginning will often shorten the
duration o f a cold and is an important precautionary measure both in the care
o f the sick and in the protection of the well.


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A ll colds are infectious. A cold spreads from one person to another by the
particles of moisture that are coughed or sneezed from the nose and mouth in
talking, also by the common use o f handkerchiefs, pencils, eating or drinking
utensils, or any other articles that come in contact with the nose and mouth.
Teach children to coyer the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and
never to use another’s handkerchief.
W hen a eold involves the air passages to the lungs it is called bronchitis.

ENLARGED OR DISEASED TONSILS AND ADENOIDS
The tonsils are small, soft masses lying on each side of the throat. Adenoids
are similar but smaller masses lying in the back o f the nasal passage. Tonsils
may be so large that they interfere with breathing and may even make swallow­
ing difficult at times. Enlarged adenoids prevent free breathing through the
nose and thus bring about mouth breathing.
Chronic infection in the tonsils and adenoids is often the cause of colds,
sore throats, earaches, or discharging ears, chronic discharge from the nose,
and enlarged glands o f the neck. A child who has any of these symptoms
may need to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. The doctor, o f course,
will decide this matter.

SORE THROAT
A young child seldom complains of a sore throat even when his throat is
inflam ed; but i f a child has an inflamed throat he may vomit or refuse food
or have fever. The fever that is thought by the mother to be due to teething
or “ stomach trouble ” is often due to an inflamed throat. W hen a throat is
inflamed it is usually red and may be swollen. W h ite spots or patches in the
throat are serious and may mean tonsillitis or diphtheria.
Whenever the child has fever, or vomits, or suddenly refuses food put him
to bed and send for the doctor. Give him the general care described on pages
111-113.

SWOLLEN GLANDS
Any swollen glands should be reported at once to a physician. They are
usually due to near-by infection or to some general disease and they should not
be neglected.

EAR DISORDERS
An earache or a running ear usually develops during a cold or some other
illness. Never try to treat a painful or discharging ear without a doctor’s
advice. W arm , wet compresses or a well-wrapped hot-water bag may relieve
the pain.
Deafness, mastoiditis (inflammation o f the mastoid bone), or even menin­
gitis (see p. 125) may result from neglected ear infections.

CROUP
There are two kinds o f croup, the simple spasmodic type and the severe
type which is really laryngitis. Both kinds o f croup must be taken very seri­
ously, for it is often impossible at the beginning to distinguish one form from
another. Simple spasmodic croup is not dangerous, but the other type is very
dangerous and requires a doctor’s immediate care. Whenever a child’s cry
or voice becomes hoarse or weak and husky a doctor should be called at once
so that he may treat him and give diphtheria antitoxin if he thinks that the
laryngitis may be due to diphtheria.

Sim ple spasmodic croup.
An attack of simple spasmodic croup usually comes on suddenly between
bedtime and midnight, when a child who went to bed apparently well wakes


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up with harsh, noisy breathing or a dry, barking cough and some difficulty in
breathing. The ery and voice are usually strong but hoarse. The child may
be frightened, and his fright increases the symptoms. The symptoms o f croup
frequently recur for two or three nights, and a child who has one attaek of
croup is likely to have others.
Before the doctor comes, an attempt may be made to relieve the spasm by
making the child vomit, keeping him in a warm room filled with steam, such
as a bathroom or other small room, or by putting warm applications on the
chest. The doctor will advise with regard to treatment.
The day after the
even temperature, i f
the child should not
should be kept warm

attack the child should be kept quiet in a warm room at
necessary in bed. For two or three da vs after an attack
breathe very cold a ir ; even the air in M s sleeping room
and moist.

Laryngitis.
I f a child who has had an attack of croup in the night is still hoarse the
next morning, he probably has laryngitis. This is a serious condition some­
times due to diphtheria and sometimes to other infections. It often follows
or accompanies a sore throat. A child with this serious form o f croup usually
has hoarseness, loss o f voice, and noisy, labored breathing, and seems increas­
ingly sick. He often becomes worse during the night. Exhaustion and weak­
ness are signs of great seriousness. The child should be seen by a doctor at
once, since every hour’s delay in treatment may involve a risk to his life.
E Y E D IS O R D E R S
Red or inflamed eyes with watery discharge m ay be due to irritation, to a
cinder or dust, or to hay fever. (See p. 117.)
It is a safe temporary measure for the mother to apply either warm or cold
wet compresses in order to relieve swelling and discomfort.
Any speck o f dirt which is not washed out soon by the watering o f the eye
should be removed by a doctor. Any injury o f the delicate membranes o f the
eye is a serious matter.
Discharge of pus from the eyes is a sign o f infection, which may be very
contagious. Eye infections, i f neglected^^ may lead to permanent injury and
blindness. Painful or discharging eyes should be treated by a doctor.
I f the child has a squint or is cross-eyed or wall-eyed, a doctor should be
consulted with regard to exercise for the eye muscles or other treatment.
Eye strain m ay show itself by redness of the eyelids, by blinking, or by
general irritability. Even very young children occasionally need to be fitted
wi h glasses. Poor sight is often unnoticed by parents, and some children
who are thought to be dull or clumsy are half blind.

RICKETS
Rickets is a very common nutritional disease, caused by lack o f vitamin D
(see p. 53) and o f sunlight. It occurs during the period o f most rapid growth in
infancy and early childhood. It affects the whole body, but most strikingly the
T o ’ r ? 1Chr f beC° me greatly deformed> and the muscles, which become weak
and flabby. Rickets usually starts early in the first months o f life, but may not
be recognized until later, when the weakness o f the muscles and the deformities
o f the bones become more pronounced. Am ong children who do not receive
enough sunlight or who have not had cod-liver oil during the first and second
years, rickets m ay continue as an active disease into the second year o f life
and occasionally into the third and fourth years. After rickets heals, the


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deformities o f the bones may persist for many months or years or even through­
out life if they have been very marked. Slight deformities usually disappear as
the child grows up.
The child with rickets may be restless, irritable, and pale. H e may be of
normal w eigh t; or, i f he has had the disease for some time, he may be poorly
nourished and his growth stunted. Convulsions may occur on account of an
associated condition called tetany. A child with severe rickets may be slow in
learning to walk, his teeth may be delayed, and his permanent teeth may be
injured by the disease. (F or prevention of rickets, see p. 23.)

SCURVY
Scurvy is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C (see p. 53) in the food
and is cured by the use of certain raw fruits and vegetables (see pp. 57 and 58)
which contain this vitamin. Children with scurvy do not gain weight satis­
factorily ; they become irritable and object to being handled; they m ay be pale
and have pain and tenderness in the legs and arms and bleed from the gums
or the skin. The condition is found chiefly in children who for long periods
have not received foods that contain vitamin C. It is more common in infants
than in older chilren, for older children are more likely to be on a general
diet containing raw fruits and vegetables; but it may occur at any age
if the diet is lacking in vitamin C. (For prevention of scurvy, see p. 23.)
A N E M IA
is a condition in which a test by a doctor shows that the child’s
blood has less red coloring matter than it has under normal conditions. It
is more often a sign o f some other disease than a disease in itself. A child
with anemia is pale, tires easily, and is poorly nourished. Children who eat
a poorly planned diet, especially one lacking in green vegetables, egg yolk,
fruit, and meat, or who are suffering from some chronic disease are likely
to be anemic. An anemic child needs to be carefully examined by a doctor
to find the underlying cause o f his ill health (fo r prevention of anemia, see p.
A n pm ia

23.)

GOITER
In certain districts many children have goiter, an enlargement o f the thyroid
gland in the neck. This may be caused by a shortage of iodine in the drinking
water and food. A physician should be consulted regarding treatment.
(For
prevention of goiter, see p. 23.)

CONSTIPATION
Constipation is usually a result of inadequate bowel training.

(See Bowel

training, p. 34. )
W hen a child whose bowels are u su ally ' regular goes for a day with no
movement or with a very small movement, nothing need be done unless he
seems sick. Probably he will have a large movement the next day. I f he
goes 48 hours without a movement, he should be given an enema (see p. 113)
or a dose of mineral oil (not castor oil) or m ilk o f magnesia. I f he has, a
cold or any other infection, an enema is best.
I f a child is chronically constipated— that is, if he has small, hard move­
ments or often goes for 48 hours without a movement— consider his diet and
see that he receives foods that will help him to form better habits. A con­
stipated child should usually take—
Not more than 1 % pints o f milk (either pasteurized or boiled) a day.
A t least 3 glasses o f water a day.
A t least 2 green vegetables a day.


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R aw fruit a t least once a day.
Cooked fruit such as prunes, apples, apricots, and rhubarb once a day.
Only whole-grain bread and cereals.
I f a child has pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, or blood from the
bowel and also constipation, it may be a very serious matter. A small enema
may be given but never a medicine, not even mineral oil. I f relief is not
prompt, the doctof should be called at once.

DIARRHEA
Diarrhea, or frequent loose movements o f the bowels, may be a symptom
o f intestinal infection, of some general infection, or o f irritation caused by
spoiled or indigestible food. Diarrhea due to intestinal'infection (dysentery)
is usually accompanied by fe v e r ; and blood, mucus, or pus is often found in
the stools. Rest in bed with plenty of drinking water but no food for 12 to
24 hours is the safest treatment until the doctor is reached. W hen a child
has diarrhea it is not wise to give any medicine, not even mineral oil, without
a doctor’s orders. Severe diarrhea may result in a condition called acidosis.

VOMITING
Vomiting may be caused by indigestion, by fatigue, or by overexcitement; it
may be the sign of some general bodily disturbance or infection; it may be
due to some inflammation or stoppage o f the digestive tract, or, rarely, to
eating some food to which the child is sensitive. It may be the first sign
o f a communicable disease. I f a child vomits, he should be put to bed. I f
he seems sick or feverish or the vomiting continues, the doctor should be
sent for.
A child who vomits more than once should be kept quiet, given an enema,
and given water to drink, but no food nor medicine. I f vomiting perists after
this treatment, even water m ay have to be withheld for several hours and
then started in very small amounts. The loss of body fluids from persistent
vomiting, especially when accompanied by diarrhea, may rapidly reduce a
child to a critical condition that is due to the development o f acidosis. Extreme
restlessness or drowsiness in a vomiting child is a sign o f this condition.
There should be no delay in seeking medical advice in any case o f repeated
vomiting.
A child who has eaten heavily when he was tired, or when he w as crying,
angry, frightened, or overexcited may be unable to digest his food, and
vomiting is the body’s way of getting rid o f this undigested material. Such
vomiting is not serious, for once the stomach is empty the trouble is usually
over.
•
Occasionally vomiting becomes a habit. This may be the result o f such a
condition as whooping cough, or it may start with no obvious cause. Such
habitual vomiting is usually a behavior problem and is often difficult to handle.
(See p. 49.)
A S T H M A , H A Y F E V E R , A N D H IV E S
Certain children develop asthma or hay fever or hives when they breathe
in substances such as pollen, eat certain foods, or are inoculated with a serum
to which they are sensitive.
H ay fever is usually due to pollen; asthma
to either pollen or fo o d ; hives to food. Asthma is a condition in which the
child’s breathing is spasmodic and wheezing. H ay fever is characterized by
the sudden onset of sneezing, running eyes, and swelling of the membranes o f
the nose. Hives is an itching, raised skin eruption.
Children who have received serums as a treatment or preventive of disease
may become sensitive to substances in them so that if they are given the


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same kind of serum again they develop symptoms of asthma, hay fever, or
hives. I f it is necessary for your child to receive a serum, do not forget to
tell the doctor about any injection that he has received previously.

WORMS
The common worms seen in childhood are roundworms, which are as large
as the ordinary earthworm and easy to recognize, and pin worms, which are
white, threadlike, and less than one-half inch long. They may be seen to
move in a freshly passed stool. W orm medicines must never be given without
a doctor’s advice. I f they are powerful enough to kill worms, they may easily
harm a child unless given in ju st the right dose and under the proper conditions.
Many mothers have the mistaken idea that any child who is nervous, picks
at his nose, or grinds his teeth at night has worms. W orm s are rarely the
cause of such symptoms.
In regions o f the country where hookworms are common, frequent examina­
tions o f the child’s stool should be made for worms and treatment given at
once by a physician if they are found. (See p. 22 for prevention of hookworm
and pp. 124-127 for communicable diseases.)

MALNUTRITION
Malnutrition is a symptom o f chronic ill health. It may be due to chronic
infection, poorly planned or inadequate diet, poor eating habits, poor sleeping
habits, poor balance between rest and exercise, insufficient sunshine and out­
door life, or a combination of these things.
A malnourished child is usually pale, thin, and easily fatigued; a n d his
posture is usually poor. H e may be flabby and listless or overactive.
The care o f such a child should be under the constant direction of a physician,
who will advise about treatment after investigating the causes o f his ill health
and work out the needed changes in his habits of living.
Special attention should be paid to his diet. Make sure that he is getting
adequate amounts of milk, fruits, green vegetables, eggs, meat, cereals, and
bread.
(See p. 51.)
I f he does not eat three good meals a day or refuses
certain foods, he should not be forced or coaxed to eat but should be taught,
good food habits. H e must have plenty of sleep and rest. H e should go to
bed regularly at 6 o’clock if he is less than 5 years old and not later than 7
o’clock if he*is 5 or 6 years old. H e must have a rest period— if possible a
nap— in the middle of every day and, if he is very active, possibly two rest
periods, a long one o f an hour or two and a short one. He must play outdoors
in the sun for several hours every day. H is exercise should not be too active.
H e should be weighed once a week until he has begun to gain well, then a t least
once a month. (See pp. 16-17.)

OVERWEIGHT
A child who is much overweight, especially one who is flabby, listless, and
inactive, needs a doctor’s care quite as much as the thin, overactive child.

NERVOUSNESS
The child who is spoken of as “ nervous ” is usually the child who is irritable,
cries easily, and although chronically tired and underweight, is overactive.
Poor health habits and unwise management are usually the underlying causes
of his nervousness, although some physical condition may play a part. The
whole plan o f his daily life should be carefully considered with the advice
of a doctor and so changed as to give him more rest, an earlier bed hour, a
longer nap, more time out o f doors, or more time in play— in some cases alone,


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in some cases with other children o f his own age. H e should be treated with
patience, gentleness, and absolute consistency. Regularity should be the key­
note of his daily life.
R E T A R D E D D E V E L O P M E N T A N D M E N T A L D E F IC IE N C Y
A child who does not learn to walk, to talk, to feed himself, or to take care
o f himself at about the usual age (see pp. 2 -5 ) should be taken to a doctor
for examination.
Such retardation o f development may be due to deafness,
poor vision, blindness, chronic infection, or defective action o f certain glands
of the body (in which cases it may often be greatly benefited by treatment) ;
or it m ay be due to defect in the development of the brain.
The child can often be greatly benefited by special training and education,
and parents need help to know how best to guide him to his fullest develop­
ment. However hard it may be to face the fact that their child is retarded,
facing the truth is the parents’ first step in helping the child. Then they
will not expect him to learn quickly, but little by little they will teach him
patiently and persistently what he is able to learn. If, when he reaches school
age, he is unable to do ordinary school work, he should have the benefit of
the special teaching that is provided for such children in many communities.
Institutional care is often advisable and may be best not only for the child
but also for the family.
T W IT C H IN G A N D O T H E R H A B IT S P A S M S
Twitching o f the face, blinking o f the eyes, making faces, and other curious
repeated movements are called habit spasms or tics. They may be signs
o f general fatigue or, occasionally, o f some physical irritation, but more
frequently they indicate the inability o f the child to adjust himself to some
emotional or nervous strain which neither child nor parent is aware of.
Stuttering and stammering are habit spasms, occasionally due to imitation
but usually to some nervous strain. "When a child shows symptoms o f this
type, do not punish him nor threaten him but take him to a doctor. I f the
underlying cause is to be found, it is important to discuss with the doctor the
problems of the fam ily life as well as the child’s routine.
C O N V U L S IO N S
Convulsions, or spasms, are seen in many different conditions in childhood.
Young children frequently have convulsions at the beginning of an acute
illness, much as an older person may have a chill. Other causes are inflamma­
tion o f the brain (encephalitis) or o f the brain covering (meningitis), epi­
lepsy, and certain types of poisoning. During the second year of life as well
as in infancy convulsions may occur with tetany, a condition associated with
rickets.
During a convulsion a child usually loses consciousness, rolls his eyes up or
to one side, stiffens out, and twitches violently with arms and legs, and some­
times with face and head. Often he holds his breath and turns blue. It is
well to remember that a child rarely dies in a convulsion.
A convulsion often has to be treated before a doctor can be reached.
When a child has a convulsion, protect him from injury, prevent him from
v biting his tongue by holding a spoon between his teeth, wrap him in warm
blankets,^ and put a cold wet cloth on his head. I f the convulsion has not
stopped in a few minutes, give him a warm, wet pack. (See p. 112.)
Since a convulsion is always a symptom of some abnorihal eonditioh, a
doctor’s advice should be sought to discover and treat the underlying illness
even if relief is obtained by home remedies.


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C H O R E A (S T . V IT U S ’ S D A N C E )
Clumsiness or awkwardness in a child over 4 years, with involuntary move- ments of the arms or legs, may seem to be mere nervousness. Do not make
light of this, nor punish the child for it, as it m ay be early evidence o f chorea,
or St. Vitus’s dance. Chorea is one o f the manifestations of rheumatic fever
(see below) and a child who has it should be under a doctor’s care.
G R O W IN G P A IN S
The so-called “ growing p a in s” that children complain o f should not be
taken too lightly. They may be due merely to some unusual use of muscles,
as when the child uses roller skates or a new tricycle until some group of
muscles is overtired; or they m ay be due to improper shoes, flatfeet, or
knock-knees. They m ay be an early sign o f hip-joint disease; or they may be
a very mild form of acute rheumatic fever that should not be overlooked,
because of the possible later complication of heart disease. In any case, do
not neglect recurring muscle pains. A doctor should be consulted, who will
determine the cause and advise about treatment.
S O R E N E S S O R S W E L L IN G O F T H E J O IN T S
Soreness or swelling of the joints may be a sign of acute rheumatic fever,
or it may be caused by injury or by tuberculosis, syphilis, or other infections.
A child who has a painful joint, or walks stiffly or with a limp should be put
to bed and seen by a doctor.
R H E U M A T IC F E V E R
Rheumatic fever is a serious disease of childhood. Mild cases referred to
in the section on Growing pains often occur. In spite of its apparent mild­
ness such a case m ay be followed by heart trouble.
The most easily recognized form of this disease is that in which the child
is taken acutely ill and is feverish, and one joint after another becomes pain­
fu l and tender, sometimes red and swollen.
The heart muscle and heart
valves are very often inflamed at the same time, though the child may have
no pain over the heart. Permanent damage to the heart m ay result. Keeping
the child at rest for many weeks gives the heart the best chance of recovery.
In many cases rest in bed for a long time is necessary.
A child who has pains in joints or muscles or who has acute rheumatic
fever may have a sore throat frequently, and may have attacks o f chorea, or
St. Vitus’s dance.
(See above.)
Acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart
disease, chorea, and tonsillitis occur so commonly in the same child and are so
closely related to one another that they are thought o f as different forms of
the same disease. Any one of them requires immediate bed care and the
advice of a doctor.

T U B E R C U L O S IS

Tuberculosis in early childhood may affect almost any part of the body. It
may affect the lungs, but it most commonly affects the glands— not only those
of the neck, but also those inside the chest and the abdomen— and the joints
and bones. Tuberculosis may also involve the lining of the chest (pleurisy),
the covering of the brain (m eningitis), the lining of the abdomen (peritonitis),
the membranes of the eye (conjunctivitis), and the skin.
This disease is acquired most often by contact with some one who has it,
by drinking raw milk from tuberculous cows, or by eating milk products
made from such raw milk.
(See Milk, p. 54.)
Children should not live in
the same household with anyone who has tuberculosis.
A child who has


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THE

S IC K

C H IL D

121

come in contact with such a person should be carefully watched by a doctor
for evidences of the disease, even if the child does not seem ill.
Tuberculosis should be suspected in a child who persistently fails to gain
or who has a mild, unexplained fever, a chronic cough, swollen glands,
unexplained attacks of abdominal pain, pain or stiffness in a joint, or a limp.
A s soon as any of these symptoms are noticed, parents should consult a doctor
and should follow his advice most conscientiously.
W here the disease is suspected, a skin test may be given by the doctor
that will aid him in making an early diagnosis. Even young children have
a good chance of recovery when the diagnosis is made early if prolonged care
is given with long-continued rest in bed, adequate diet, and much sunshine
and outdoor air.
K I D N E Y D IS E A S E
Kidney disease may be o f two types. One type, known as acute nephritis
or acute Bright’s disease, is an inflammation that may follow what seems
to be a simple infection of the nose or throat, or it may attack a child who
was previously well, or it may be a complication of scarlet fever. The urine
may be scanty and dark colored and it may contain blood. The child may not
seem very sick, but the condition is a serious one and a doctor should be
called.
The other type, known as pyelitis, is an infection o f the kidneys
in which pus is present in the urine. The symptoms o f this condition are
often vague. The child may have fever and seem sick but complain of no
pain, or he may desire to urinate frequently; or he may have pain on urina­
tion. A doctor should be called.
Since neither of these diseases can be diagnosed without examination of the
child’s urine,1 the mother should always take a sample to the doctor whenever
the child is sick.
V A G IN IT IS
Vaginal discharge may occur in little girls. It may follow an acute infec­
tion or be due to lack of cleanliness. It, however, may be due to a gonococcus
infection which is contagious and is a serious condition. Any child with a
vaginal discharge should be examined by a doetor. Microscopic examination
should be made o f the discharge to determine whether it is a gonoeoccus
infection. Unless promptly and thoroughly treated, this condition may become
chronic.
The mother or nurse caring for a child with gonococcus infection should
scrub her hands thoroughly with hot water and soap every time she has handled
the child. Every article o f soiled clothing and bedding used by the child
should be boiled half an hour. The entire bath equipment should be strictly
separated from that used by any other person.
D IA B E T E S M E L L IT U S
Children, as well as adults, may suffer from diabetes mellitus.
In this
disease the body is unable to use the sugars, and starches o f the diet and sugar
is excreted in the urine. Formerly it was almost always fatal in childhood.
Now, with the use of insulin and diets very carefully prescribed by a doctor^
the disease may be so controlled that a child can continue to grow and live
a normal and happy life.
I f a child begins to drink unusually large amounts o f water, urinates frequently in very large amounts, or has a very hearty appetite and yet loses

„ I t Wt ite sefiment is frequently seen in normal urine. This is sometimes mistaken for
pus by the mother. Sim ilarly a red sediment is sometimes mistaken for blood. Exam ina­
tion by a doctor under a microscope is the only way to identify blood or pus w ith certainty.

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122

THE

C H IL D

FROM

ONE

TO

S IX

weight, take him to the doctor at once, as these m ay he the early symptoms
of diabetes. Carry a specimen o f urine with you for examination.
S K IN D IS E A S E S
The common skin eruptions of early childhood a r e :
Impetigo contagiosa.— A very infectious skin disease appearing as crusted
sores, most often on the face and hands, spreading from one part o f the skin
to another and from one child to another.
Scalies or itch.— An infectious itching skin eruption occurring on the body
and hands and feet, which spreads by contact of one person with another.
Ringworm.— An infectious skin eruption, which appears as a red patch, heal­
ing in the center and spreading at the edges. It may itch.
Boils and pimples.— Small abscesses in the skin. These may be spread by
scratching or rubbing, so that often several may appear in succession. Any
inflamed place on the skin should be kept clean and should never be picked
or squeezed.
Eczema.— Noninfectious itching eruption which occurs on the face or the
body.
Any one of these conditions should be cared for under the direction of a
doctor.
Clothing, bedding, towels, and other things that have been used by anyone
who has an infectious skin eruption should be boiled or thoroughly sunned
before being used again, as reinfections often occur through such articles.
L IC E (P E D IC U L O S IS )
Head lice are sometimes found on a child’s scalp and hair. The bites
of these insects m ay cause itching. Sores m ay result, and the glands at the
back o f the neck m ay become swollen.
To cure this condition not only must all the insects be destroyed but the
eggs or nits must be removed from the hair. No other method of dealing
with this conditidon is so satisfactory as shaving the head. If, however, this
is not desired, rub the head well with spirits of larkspur and let it remain on
the hair for several hours. Then after combing the head carefully with a
fine-tooth comb wash with soap and water. This treatment should be repeated
daily until the head is free from lice.
To remove nits kerosene may be used but should be applied very cautiously
and should never be allowed to get into the eyes. The hair may be combed
with a fine-tooth comb, wet with kerosene, or three to four tablespoonfuls of
kerosene may be used in the basin of wash water, but should be thoroughly
rinsed out. Any hat that has been worn by a child with lice should be sterilized
by baking or cleaned with gasoline.

ACCIDENTS 2
C U T S A N D A B R A S IO N S
A break in the skin should be cleaned thoroughly with boiled water, mild
soap, and a piece of freshly boiled cotton or linen cloth.3 The injured place may
be painted with fresh tincture o f iodine and washed off with alcohol and a
Sterile bandage applied. Never seal a scrape or a cut with collodion nor with
adhesive plaster.
2 See also Prevention of accidents, p. 24, and W h at To Do in Case of Accidents, TJ. S.
Public Health Service Miscellaneous Publication No. 21, W ashington, 1928.
3 Ironing the cloth while w et w ith a hot iron w ill take the place of boiling.


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T H E S IC K

C H IL D

123

A severe cut that enters the deeper tissues or a bone or one of the larger
blood vessels should always be treated by a doctor.
Moderate bleeding can usually be stopped by pressure directly over the
injury. I f bleeding is profuse, apply pressure by means of the fingers or a
tight bandage (tourniquet) above the injury, thus compressing the large blood
vessels. Pressure must never be applied so tightly or so continuously that the
child’s hand or foot will turn blue or become cold and numb.
Deep wounds with small openings, such as those made by nails or splinters
of wood, are specially dangerous because o f dirt or germs that are carried
deep into the tissues and can not be washed out. This is also true of wounds
from firecrackers or cap pistols. • Many cases of tetanus (lockjaw ) are the
results of such injuries. They should always be treated by a doctor, who will
give antitoxin if necessary.

_

.

Bruises.

BRUISES, SPRAINS, AND BROKEN BONES

A bruise is usually best treated by the application o f cold wet cloths.
dressing is necessary.

No

Broken bones and sprains.
A broken bone or a sprain should be cared for by a doctor. Temporarily
a broken limb may be supported by means of any homemade splint, or a pillow,
bound on in such a way as to keep it from moving. Never put on a bandage
tightly. In case of a sprain, cold applications may be
comforting in some
cases for temporary relief of pain, hot applications in others.

NOSEBLEED
A nosebleed can usually be stopped by cold applications to the nose and
pressure against the bone on the upper lip just at the outer side of each
nostril. A child who has had
a severe nosebleed should keep quiet,so that
the bleeding m ay not start again.

Mild burns.

BURNS

M ild burns are best treated by applying a simple oil or ointment or a solution
of baking soda on a clean smooth cloth, preferably linen.

Severe burns.
A child who has been extensively or deeply burned should always be treated
in a hospital if possible, since such burns are frequently fatal and need
the most expert care available. I f there is any delay in getting a doctor
or in getting the child to a hospital, remember that it is of the greatest
importance to keep him warm and to give him large amounts of water to
drink. The burn should be kept uncovered if possible, but if it is necessary
to cover it, a clean smooth dressing of old linen or cotton cloth kept very wet
with freshly prepared tea, very strong, which has been cooled to body tem­
perature, gives great relief. Dressings wet with baking-soda solution may also
be used. Do not use absorbent cotton, as it sticks to the wound.

CHOKING SPELLS
A child usually chokes because something has gotten from the mouth acci­
dentally into the larynx (voice box) or trachea (windpipe). I f he is held
head downward and slapped on the back, the foreign body will usually fa ll
out. I f relief is not prompt, a doctor’s help should be sought at once.

13405°—31---- 9

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I—*■

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
How long from ex­
posure to onset

Common early
symptoms

How spread

Slacken p o x ...........

Material from skin
eruptions or from lesionsinmouthornose
of infected person.

2 to 3 weeks............ Skin eruption with
fever.

Diphtheria...... ........

Discharges from nose,
throat, conjunctiva,
vagina, or wound
surfaces of infected
person or of carrier.
Infected milk.

2 to 5 days; occa­
sionally longer.

D ysentery, amoebic. Stools of infected per­ Not known______
son. Milk or water
or f o o d contami­
nated by discharges
from infected per­
son or carrier. Flies.
Dysentery,
lary.

Encephalitis,
demic.

Sore throat, croup,
hoarseness, or fe­
ver.

Special methods for
treatment or preven­ How long communicable
tion or modification

Prevention with toxinantitoxin or toxoid.
Treatment with anti­
toxin

Blood in stools........ .

Treatment with poly­
valent serum recom­
mended by some au­
thorities.

How serio us

Complications

Until skin and mucous
membranes are free
from scabs.

N o t serious.
Easily c o n fused w i t h
smallpox.

Very rare.

Until organisms disap­
pear from secretions or
lesions of patient (or
from nose and throat
of carrier).

Very serious if
not t r e a t e d
early.

Common, if treat­
ment is delayed:
Heart trouble.
Paralysis.
Respiratory ob­
struction.

U n t i l organisms n o
longer found in stools
by microscopic ex­
amination

Serious................ Abscess of liver.

During disease and un­
til stools are negative
for organisms.

Sometimes very
serious.

Rare.

Stools of infected per­
son. Milk or water
or food contami­
nated by discharges
from infected person
or carrier. Flies,

2 to 7 days______

F e v e r , diarrhea,
blood in stools.

e p i ­ Probably discharges
f rom nose and
throat of infected
person or of carrier.

Uncertain.
Be­
lieved to be
about 10 days.

Fever, drowsiness,
paralysis of eye
muscles (double
vision).

Probably during fever
stage of the disease.

Very serious____ Common:
Tremors.
Paralysis of va­
rious parts of
body.
Mental disturb­
ances.

Di s c ha r ge s f rom
mouth and possibly
nose of infected per­
son.

14 to 21 days..........

Rash, slight swell-'
ing of glands at
back of neck..

8 days from onset.___ _

Not serious......... Very rare.

bacil­

German measles___


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CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX

Disease

to

Gonococcus
tion.1

infec­

Discharges from le­
sions of infected per­
son.

1 to 8 days; usu­
ally 3 to 5 days.

Discharge from eyes
or vagina.

Certain medicines...........

As long as discharge
persists.

Very serious.......

Hookworm...............

Ground contaminated
with stools from in­
fected person. In­
fected water.

7 to 10 weeks_____

Lassitude,
trition.'

Treatment with carbon
tetrachloride and oil
of chenopodium.

Until stools from in­
fected p e r s o n no
longer contain worms
or their ova (eggs).

Serious................. Common:
Anemia.

Infantile paralysis
(poliomyelitis).

Discharges from nose,
throat, and bowels
of infected person or
of carrier. Infected
milk (probably).

Uncertain.
Be­
lieved to be 3 to
10 days; c o m ­
monly 6 days.

Fever, fretfulness,
vomiting; pain or
stiffness of neck or
extremities; weak­
ness.

Treatment in early cases About 3 weeks after on­
with serum from per­
set of disease.
sons recovered from
t h e disease recom­
mended by some au­
thorities.

Very serious.......

Comm on;
Paralysis of va­
rious parts of
body.

1 to 3 days.............. F e v e r , headache,
prostration, cough.

Unknown.
Probably
while fever lasts or at
least 7 days from onset.

Serious.................

Comm on;
Ear infections.
Pneumonia.

Varies with type High fever, chills,
of infecting orheadache, vomit­
g a n i s m and
ing.
Sometimes
amount of infec­
convulsions.
tion; 14 days in
common variety.

Treatment with quinine,
which is also some­
times used for pre­
vention.

As long as malaria or­
ganisms exist in blood.

Serious.................

Common;
A n e m i a (if
treatment is
inadequate).

Measles____ _______ Di s c ha r ge s f rom
mouth and nose of
infected person.

8 to 15 days............

Fever, cough, watery
eyes, running nose,
rash.

Prevention or modifica­
tion with serum or
whole blood from any­
one who is recovering
from disease or who
has had it at any time.

Until abnormal secre­
tions (catarrhal symp­
toms) cease.
Mini­
mum period 9 days
from onset (4 days be­
fore to 5 days after ap­
pearance of rash).

Seri ous, espe­
cially in chil­
dren under 3
years.

Common:
Ear infections.
Pneumonia.

Meningitis (menin­
gococcus),
epi­
demic.

2 to 10 days; com­
monly 7.

Headache, f e v e r ,
vomiting, pain or
stiffness on bend­
ing neck or back
forward.

Treatment with serum.. Variable. While symp­
toms last and until or­
ganisms
disappear
from mouth or nasal
secretions.

Very serious

Common, if treat­
ment is delayed:
Deafness.
Eye disorders.

Discharges from nose
and throat of infect­
ed person or of car­
rier.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Influenza................... Di s c ha r ge s f rom
mouth and nose of
infected person.
Malaria..................__ Bite of A n o p h e l e s
mosquito that has
bitten an infected
person.

malnu­

Not common.

1 See p. 121 for farther discussion of gonococcus infection.

M1


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to
Ot

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES— Continued
Special methods for
treatment or preven­ How long communicable
tion or modification

________

How long from ex­
posure to onset

Common early
symptoms

M umps. ........... ....... D i s c h a r g e s from
mouth and possibly
nose of i n f e c t e d
person.

12 to 26 days; usu­
ally 18 days.

Swelling under jaw
or in front of ear.

Until parotid gland is
n o r m a l in size
- (until swelling has en­
tirely disappeared).

Not serious in
young c h i 1 dren.

Rather rare in
young children..

Pneumonia, bron­
cho (secondary to
some other dissease).

D i s c h a r g e s from
mouth and possibly
nose of infected per­
son or of carrier.

Indefinite________

Fever, rapid breath­
ing, cough, vomit­
ing.

Unknown. Presumably Serious_________
until mouth and nose
discharges no longer
contain the specific
germs in abundance
or in a virulent form. .

Occasional:
Pleurisy.
Ear infections.

Pneumonia, lobar.

D i s c h a r g e s from
mouth and nose of
infected person or of
carrier.

Short; usually 2
to 3 days.

Chilliness (in older
children), fever,
cough, rapid
breathing, vomit­
ing.

Treatment in selected
cases with serum.

Unknown.
Presuma­
bly until mouth and
nose discharges no
longer contain the
specific germs in abun­
dance or in a virulent
form.

Serious................. Occasional:
Pleurisy.
Ear infections.

Scarlet fever'.______

Discharges from nose,
throat, ears, ab­
scesses, wounds of
infected person or
of carrier. Infected
milk.

2 to 7 days; usu­
ally 3 to 4 days.

Vomiting, f e v e r ,
sore throat, and
rash.

Treatment with serum At least 3 weeks from
onset and thereafter
in selected cases. Tox­
until child is free from
in recommended for
any abnormal dis­
immunization by some
charge or open sores: •
authorities.

May be serious.. Common:
Swollenglands.
Ear infections.
Nephritis.

Septic sore throat. . .

Milk from cow with
infected udder or
milk that has been
contaminated by
infected person.

1 to 3 days______

Sore throat, fever,
prostration.

Probably during disease
and during carrier
stage.

Serious_________

Occasional:
Varied septic
complica­
tions.

From first symptoms to
disappearance of all
scabs.

May be very se­
rious

Bronchitis.
Pneumonia.
Ear infections.

Disease

How spread

from
ohe
to
s ix

Prevention by vaccina­
tion.

c h il d


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Fever,
headache,
backache,
skin
eruption.

Complications

the

Smallpox................... Materialfrom skin and 8 to 16 days; occar
sionally as long
mucous- membrane
as 21 days.
lesions of infected
person.

How serious

g

v

'* ^ L n

Syphilis, oongenital5 Acquired before birth.

Snuffles, skin eraptions;
occurring
usually in infancy.

Certain medicines for
both prevention and
cure.

As long as open lesion
exists on skin or mu­
cous membranes.

Serious................. Not common
treated early,

Prevention and treat­
ment by tetanus anti­
toxin.

Very occasionally com­
m u n i c a b l e from
wound discharges.

Serious................. Uncommon.

if

Animal manure, soil,
or street dirt in'
wound.

4 days to 3 weeks;
commonly 8 to
10 days.

Rigidity of jaws,
stiffness, convul­
sive movements
of body.

Tuberculosis, pul­
monary. 3

Discharges fromthroat
or lungs (spray or
sputum) of infected
persons.

Variable_______

Fever,
c o ug h,
fatigue, failure to
gain weight, or loss
of weight.

Until lesions are healed.. Very serious____

Other forms of tu­
berculosis.

Tuberculosis, other
forms.3

Discharges
from
mouth, nose, bowels,
bones or glands, or
genito-urinary tract
of infected person.
Milk from infected
cattle.

Variable................. Very varied, de­
pending on site of
lesion.

Until lesions are healed.. Serious.................

Other forms of tu­
berculosis.

.

Typhoid fever........ . Stool or mine of in­ 7 to 23 days; usu­ Fever,
headache, Prevention with vaccine. During disease and until
fected person or car­
ally 10 to 14 days.
listlessness.
stools and urine'are
rier. Contaminated
negative for organism
milk, water, shell­
twice in succession.
fish, flies.
Undulant (Malta) Contact with infected 6 to 16 days............ Periodic character
From onset of disease
fever.
animals or animal
of fever, gradual in­
until organism is no
products, particu­
crease in fever,
longer found in urine;
larly milk.
pains in back and
usually about 90 days
limbs, headache.
but may be longer.
Whooping cough___ Discharges from laryn­
geal and bronchial
mucous membranes
of infected person.

Commonly 7 days; Cold, cough. Typ­
usually within 10
ical whoop begins
days.
about 10 to 14 days
after onset of dis­
ease.

3 See p. 22 for further discussion of congenital syphilis.

Inoculation for preven­
tion or modification
recommended by some
authorities. Not ef­
fective in all cases.

About 4 t o 6 w e e k s
from onset.
Most
communicable in early
catarrhal stage—7 to 14
days.

Serious........:____

O c c a s i o n a l in
young childrens

Not dangerous,
but course is
long.

Occasional:
Nosebleed.
Genito-urinary
com plica­
tions.
Pneumonia.

In infants and
young
chil­
dren serious.

Common:
Pneumonia and
nutritional
disturbances.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Tetanus (lockjaw) . .

3 See p. 120 for further discussion of tuberculosis.

to

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Selected Books o f Interest to P aren ts 1
CHILD CAKE
American Red Cross Abridged Textbook on First Air (third general edition).
P

Blakiston’s Son & Co., Philadelphia, 1925.

29 pp.

60 cents.

Baby’s Daily Time Cards. TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Chart No. 14. 1930.
Feeding the Family, by Mary Swartz Rose. Macmillan Co., New York, 1929.
476 pp.

$5.

„
„
TJ. S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, 1920. 21 pp.
(N ew edition in preparation.)
The Health of the Runabout Child, by W illiam Palmer Lucas, M . IX Mae-

Food for Young Children. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 717.

rnillan Co., New York, 1923.

229 pp.

$1.75.

How to Build Sound Teeth. American Dental Association, Bureau o f Dental
Health Education, 58 East Washington Street, Chicago.

10 cents.

Milk, the Indispensable Food for Children (revised), by Dorothy Reed Men­
denhall, M. D.

TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Publication No. 165.

Washington,

Out*of Babyhood into Childhood. U. S. Children’s Bureau Folder No. 10. 1929.
The Runabouts in the House of Health. American Child -Health Association,
New York, 1926.

32 pp.

10 cents.

Sunlight for Babies. TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Folder No. 5. 1931.
What To Do- in Case o f Aeeident. TJ. S. Public Health Service Miscellaneous
Publication N o, 21.

Washington, 1928.

68

pp.

15 cents.

Why Drink Milk? TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Folder No. 3. 1929.
Why Sleep? TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Folder No. 11. 1929.
The Young Child’s Health, by H . L. K . Shaw, M. D. National H ealth Series,
National Health Council, 370 Seventh Avenue, New York, 1924.
cents.

Your Child’s Teeth.

U. S. Children’s Bureau Folder N o. 12.

56. pp.

30

on
1929.

CHILD TRAINING
Are You Training Your Child To Be Happy?

TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Publi­

cation No. 202.

Washington, 1930. 57 pp.
Backyard Playgrounds. TJ. S. Children’s Bureau Folder No. 2. 1923.
Best Toys and Their Selection, by Minnetta Sammis Leonard. Best Toys
Advisory Service, 2230 Yan H ise Avenue, Madison, W is., 1925. 24 pp. 40
cents.

Child Management, by D. A . Thom, M. D.

(Revised September, 1927.) TJ. S.
Children’s Bureau Publication No. 143. Washington, 1928. 47 pp.
The Child’s First Books, by E. H . Naumburg. Child Study Association of
America, New York, 1925.

51 pp.

35 cents.

Cultivating the Child’s Appetite, by Charles A . Aldrich, M . D. Macmillan Co.,
New York, 1927.

127 pp.

$1.75.

Everyday Problems of the Everyday Child, by Douglas A. Thom, M. D.
D. Appleton & Co., New York, 1927.

349 pp.

$2.50,

__________ ________________

i Single copies o f Children’s Bureau publications may be obtained free by writing to the
bureau a t W ashington, D. C.

128


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SELECTED BOOKS OF INTEREST TO PARENTS
Growing
$1.75.

up, by K arl de Schweinitz.

Macmillan Co., New York 1928

129
111 on

Guidance Material for Study Groups. No.

1 : How; Children Build Habits, by
Lois Hayden Meek. American Association of University Women, W ashing­
ton, 1929. 92 pp. 35 cents.

M usic and the Child.
87 pp. 50 cents.

Child Study Association of America

Parents and Sex Education, by Benjamin C. Gruenberg.
Hygiene Association, New York, 1925. 100 pp. $ 1 .

New York

1930.

American Social

Parents and the Preschool Child, by W illiam E. Blatz and Helen McM. Bott
W illiam Morrow & Co., New York, 1929.

40 pp.

$3 .

Permanent Play Materials for Young Children, by Charlotte G. Garrison.
Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1926.

122 pp.

$1.25.

Play and Play Materials for the Preschool Child, by Harriet Mitchell.
dian Council on Child W elfare Publication No. 45.
25 cents.

Ottawa, 1929.

Cana­
60 pp.

Studies in Child Training. Child Study Association o f America, 5 4 W est
Seventy-fourth Street, New York. A series of pamphlets (10 cents each)
with the following titles:

Answering Children’s Questions: Sex Education.
Curiosity.
Habit.
Health Training of the Preschool Child.
Obedience.
Rewards and Punishments.
Toys and Play.
Use of Money,
W holesom e Childhood, by Ernest R. Groves and Gladys Hoagland Groves
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1928. 178 pp. $2 .


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Index
A

Alcohol:

Abdom en:
Examination by doctor, 12, 13, 14.
In good posture, 13, 31.
Large, prominent, 13.
Muscles, 14, 85.
Pain, 110, 117, 121.
Abrasions, 12 2-12 3.
Abscess:
A t root of tooth, 14, 44.
Discharges from, spreading
ease, 126.
Of skin, 122.
Accidents, 122-123.

dis­

Prevention, 2 4 -2 5 . See also 7.
Acidosis, caused by vomiting or diar­
rhea, 117.
Acting games or stories, 5, 9, 89, 105.
A ctivity :
Chronic illness and, 110.
Clothing and, 74, 75.
Fatigue and, 3 2 -3 3 , 68.
Fatigue.
Learning by, 96.

See also

See also 118, Play, and Exercise.
Acute illness, signs of, 1 1 0 -1 1 1 , 119.
Adenoids, enlarged or diseased, 114.
Dental arch affected by, 42.
Examination for, by doctor, 14.
M outh breathing and, 42, 72.
Restlessness and, 66.
Adults of household:
Companionship with child, 87.
Food and eating habits, 4 5 -4 7 , 51.
Influence on child’s development,
9 5 -1 0 9 .
Interference by, 86.
See also 26, 65, 74.
Agriculture, United States Department
of:
Bulletin N o. 717, Food for Young
Children, 51.
Leaflet N o. 54, Play Suits for W in­
ter, 81.
Air. See Fresh air.
Airing night clothes, 82.

Dangers of poisoning with, 24.
For washing off iodine, 122.
Anemia, 23, 52, 116, 125.
Anger, 104, 105, 109, 117. See also
Temper.
Animals:
As pets, 6 (picture).
Pictures, 92.
Spreading infection, 18, 19.
Treatment of, 108.
Watching, 6.
See also Cows.
Animal toys, 90.
Ankles bent inward, 13, 32, 79.
Antitoxin :
Diphtheria, 114, 124.
Tetanus, 21, 123, 127.
Anxiety. See Fear.
Apparatus for play, 32, 9 0 -9 2 .
Appetite:
Guide

to amount of food, 54,
6 0 -6 1 .
In diabetes mellitus, 121.
Lessened by decayed teeth, 44.
Lessened by drinking water before
meals, 47.
Lessened by eating between meals,
45, 56.
Of sick child, 110, 113.
Stimulated by vitamin B, 53.
See also Eating between meals
and Hunger.
Apples, 42, 53, 58, 61, 63, 117.
Appreciation of color, form, and music,
92—9 3 ,1 0 8 . See also Music.
Approval for good behavior, 26, 34, 48,
49, 69, 96.
Apricots, 58, 61, 63, 117.
Arch, dental, 42, 44.
Arches, "b r o k e n ” or “ fallen,” 32.
Arm s:
Examination by doctor, 12, 13.
Involuntary movements in chorea,
120.
Muscles, 91, 32.
131


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THE CHILD .-FROM ONE TO SIX

132

Arms— Continued.
Tanning, 29, 30.
See also 116.
Artichokes, 63.
Asparagus, 62.
Asthm a, 11 7-11 8.
Attention, desire for, 48, 96, 104, 107.
See also 103, 105.
Automobile :
Accidents,

protection

from,

25,

101.
Exhaust, danger of, 24.
Trips, 7, 108.
Awkwardness a sign of chorea, 120.

93.
Bananas, 53, 58, 61, 63.
Bandage, 122, 123.
Barefoot, going, 22, 78.
Barley , 6,0.
Bars, horizontal, 91, 92.
Bars- on windows to prevent falls, 24.
Bath, 3 7 -3 8 .
For sick child, 111, 112.
See also 16, 26, 27—28, 40, 67, 6 8 .
Beads, stringing, 84, 85. See also 3,
4, 33.

B
Baby before birth:
Explaining about, to child, 102.
Protection against syphilis, 22.
B aby, new, 103, 104.
‘ 'B a b y pants,” 6 6 .
Baby talk, 26.
“ Baby teeth,” 15.
Baby under 1 year:
Convulsions, 119.
Feeding, 27, 45.
Giving up bottle, 46.
Immunization against diphtheria,

20.
Rickets, 23.
Scurvy, 116.
Teeth, 41, 42.
Thumb sucking, 71.
Toilet training, 33.
Treatment of congenital syphilis,

22 .
Tuberculosis, 21.
Vaccination against smallpox, 20.
See also Infant Care (U . S. Chil­
dren’s Bureau Publication
N o.

Baking soda:
For burns, 123.
N ot to be used in cooking vege­
tables, 56.
Balancing, 31. See also 3, 4, 5, 30, 87,
91, 92.
Ball, playing with, 2, 5, 32, 84, 89, 90,

8 ).

Beans:
Baked, not to be given to child, 57.
Dried, 57.
Lima, 61, 63.
String, 61, 63.
See also 52.
Beauty, appreciation of, 9 2 -9 3 , 108.
Bed, separate, 65. See also 6 , 29, 112.
Bed care in illness, 112. See also
1 1 1 , 115, 117, 120, 121,
Bedclothes, 65—66. See also 37, 6 8 ,
73,. 112.
Bedding, disinfection of, 121, 122.
Bed making, for sick child, 112.
Bedpan, 113.
Bedtime, 29, 65. See also 2 6 -2 8 ,
36, 6 8 , 118.
Bed wetting, 7 0 -7 1 . See also 33, 36—37,
6 8 , 69, 107,
Beef, 59, 62, 64.
Beef fat, margarin made from, 52.
Beet greens, 53, 56, 61, 62.
Beets, 56.
Behavior.

B ack:
Examination by doctor, 12, 13.
Exercise, 32, 85.
Stiffness, 111.
Posture and, 13, 31.
Back yard, sunny, 7.
Back-yard play apparatus, 8 8 , 9 0 -9 2 .
B ack-Yard Playgrounds (U . S. Chil­
dren’s Bureau Folder N o.

See Character training,
Habits, and Punishment.
Beriberi, prevention, 23, 53.
Berries, 58, 64.
Bib, 49, 50.
Bicarbonate of soda. See Baking soda.
Bichloride of mercury, danger of poi­
soning with, 24.

2), 90.
Bacon, 59, 62, 64.
B a c te r ia ,
disease-producing.
Germs, disease.

Birds, watching, 6 .
Birthdays, 51.
Biting finger nails, 39, 72.
Bladder infection, 111.


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See

rrsTDEX

Bladder training. See Toilet habits.
Blankets. See Bedclothes.
Bleeding, how to stop, 123.
Blindness, retarded development caused
by, 119. See also Eye dis­
orders and Syphilis.
Blinking, 13, 115.
Blocks, building, 90, 92. See also
2 -5 , 84, 8 6 , 89.
Blood :
Circulation, 74, 75.
From gums or skin in scurvy, 116.
In stool, 117, 124.
In urine, 121.
Inoculation with, for prevention
and modification of measles,
21, 125.
Test of, for anemia, 23, 116.
Test of expectant mother’s, for
syphilis, 2 2 .
Blood cells, red, building, 52.
Bloodshot eyes, 39.
Blood vessel, cut, 123.
Bloomers, drawers, or “ shorts,” 7 6 -7 7 ,
79, 80, 81. See also 36, 73,
74.
Blouses, boys’ , 80.
Blowing nose, 39.
Blueness:
In convulsions, 119.
Of hands or feet, 123.
Boiling (sterilization) :
Articles used in communicable
disease, 1 1 1 , 1 2 1 , 1 2 2 .
Drinking water, 7, 21.
M ilk, 5 5 -5 6 . See also 19, 21, 54,
61, 111, 113.
Boils, 1 2 2 .
Bones:
Broken, 123.
Foods for building, 52.
In rickets, 11 5-11 6.
Mastoid, inflammation, 114.
Of feet, 78.
Tuberculosis of, 120, 127.
Book list for parents, 12 8-12 9.
Books for children, 92. See also 84, 96.
Boots, rubber, 82.
Bottle, nursing, to be given up early, 2,
29, 46, 109.
Bottled drinks, 60.
Bouillon, 60.


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133

Bowels:
Constipation, 11 6-11 7. See also
35, 53.
Discharges from, spreading dis­
ease, 2 2 , 125, 127. See also
7, 18.
Loose movements of, 117.
Of sick child, 111, 113.
Training, 34r-35,
116—117. See
also 2, 4, 33.
See also 23, Stools, and Dysentery.
Box for child’s use in bathroom, 34, 38,
39 (picture).
Boxes:
To hold toys and books, 8 .
To play with, 2 , 84, 92.
Brain:
Defect in development, a cause of
retardation, 119.
Inflammation (encephalitis), 119.
See also Encephalitis.
Brain covering:
Affected by tuberculosis, 120.
Inflammation (meningitis), 119.
See also Meningitis.
Bread, 58. See also 23, 27, 42, 46, 52,
53, 61, 62, 64, 117.
Breakfast, 27, 28. See also 51, 58.
Breast feeding, effect on teeth, 41, 42.
Breath holding in convulsion, 119.
Breathing:
In asthma, 117.
In croup, 115.
In diphtheria, 124.
In pneumonia, 126.
Obstructed by enlarged tonsils and
adenoids, 114.
Through mouth, 72. See also 14,
69, 114.
See also 10, 77, 1 1 0 , 113, and
Fresh air.
Bribes, 107.
Bright’s disease, acute, 121.
Broccoli, 62.
“ Broken” arches, 32.
Broken bones, 123.
Bronchitis, 114. See also 126.
Broncho-pneumonia. See Pneumonia.
Broth, 60.
Bruises, 123.
Brushing hair, 40.
Brushing teeth, 4 2 -4 4 . See also 4, 7,
2 7 -2 8 , 37.

THE CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX

134

Brussels sprouts, 62.
Build. See Height and W eight.
Building:
Dam s and bridges, 6 .
Houses, 32.
W ith blocks. See Blocks.
Burns:
Prevention, 24.
Treatment, 123.
Butter, 56. See also 23, 27, 52, 53, 61,
62.
Buttock muscles, in good posture, 31.
Buttons:
Learning to manage, 36, 76, 77, 80.
See also 4, 5, 25, 33.
See also 40, 83.
C
Cabbage, 23, 53, 56, 57, 61, 62.
Cake, 46, 51, 60, 64.
Calcium in diet, 52, 54.
Candles, caution in using, 24.
Candy, 60, 93. See also Sweets.
Canned fruits and vegetables, 57, 58.
See also 23, 53, 61, 63.
Canton-flannel night clothes, 6 6 .
Canton-flannel sheets for winter, 65.
Cap pistols, wounds from, 123.
Caps, 74, 82.
Carbohydrates in diet, 52, 54.
Carbon tetrachloride in treatment of
hookworm, 125.
Carelessness, habits of, 90, 108.
“ Carriers” of disease, 18, 19, 1 2 4 -1 2 7 .
Carrots, 23, 53, 56, 57, 61, 63.
Castile soap, 38.
Castor oil and other cathartics, 35, 116,
117.
Catsup not to be given to child, 60.
Cauliflower, 57, 61, 63.
Celery, 61, 63.
Center, child-health, 11, 13.
Cereals, 58. See also 11, 23, 29, 45,
5 2 -5 3 , 61, 63, 117.
Certified milk, 55.
Chafing of skin, 38, 76.
Chair, low, 8 -9 , 51.
Chair, toilet, 34.
Chamber, toilet, 34.
Chapping of skin, 38.
Character training, 95—109. See also
2 5 -2 6 , 8 6 -9 0 , and Indepen­
dence.


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Chard, 56, 61, 62.
Cheating, 8 8 .
Cheeks, lining of, 14.
Cheeks, rosy, 10, 15. See also 13.
Cheerfulness, habit of, 25. See
Happiness.

also

Cheese, 56, 60, 62.
Chenopodium, oil of, in treatment of
hookworm, 125.
Chest:
Examination by doctor, 12, 14.
Flat, sunken, 13.
In good posture, 13, 31, 32.
Muscles, exercising, 32.
Tanning, 29.
W arm applications to, in croup,
115.
Chewing, 41—44.

See also

50, 59, 60,

71.
Chicken in diet, 59, 62, 64.
Chicken pox, 124. See also 22, 111.
Child-health center, 11, 13.
Child Management (U. S. Children’s
Bureau
Publication
N o.
143), 100, 128.
Chills in malaria, 125.
Chin in good posture, 13, 32.
Choking, 123. See also 24.
Chorea (St. Vitus’s dance), 120.
Christmas, 93—94. See also 51.
Chronic illness or infection:
Anemia caused b y, 116.
Cough, in adult, 19, 21.
Deficiency diseases, 22.
Lead poisoning, 24.
Malnutrition caused b y, 118.
Retarded development and, 119.
Signs of, 110.
See also 121.
Cinder in eye, 115.
Circulation of blood, 74, 75.
Circumcision, 14, 38.
Citrous fruit, 23, 53, 5 7 -5 8 .
City, play space "in, 6 -7 .
Clay for modeling, 90.
Cleanliness:
Habits, 3 7 -4 0 . See also 12, 16,
1 9 -2 0 , 25, 26, 4 2 -4 4 .
In preventing spread of infection,
1 9 -2 0 , 121, 122.
Of clothing, 25, 36, 40, 76, 83.
Of foods, 7, 2 1 , 5 4 -5 5 , 57, 58.
Of house, 9, 21.
See also 14, 73, 1 2 1 .

IN D E X

Climate, 60, 6 6 , 76, 77, 80.
Climbing, 31, 32 , 85, 87, 91, 92;
Clothing, 7 4 -8 3 ;
Articles of, 7 6 -8 2 .
Care, 40, 8 2 -8 3 . See aiso 4, 95,
104;
Cleanliness, 25, 36, 40, 76, 83.
Disinfection, 1 2 1 , 1 2 2 .
Learning to manage, 7 5 -7 6 , 77,
80. See also 2 - 5 , 2 5 ,3 3 ,3 6 ,
81, 95, 98.
Simple, for parties, 93—94.
See also 30, 37, 112.
Clumsiness:
Sign of chorea, 120.
Sign of poor eyesight, 115.
Coats, 81. See also 74, 75, 80, 82.
Coaxing not advisable, 35, 45, 46, 48,
54, 6 8 , 118.
Cod-liver oil, 60.
Fat in, 52.
For tooth building, 42.
Prevention of rickets b y, 23, 60,
115.
Prevention of xerophthalmia by,
23.
Substitutes, 60.
Vitamin A. in, 52, 60.
Vitamin D in, 53, 60.
See also 27, 29, 45, 62.
Coffee not to be given to child, 51, 60.
Cold weather. See Winter.
Colds, 11 3-114.
Bed care for, 112, 113.
H ot, dry air and, 7.
Spreading, 19, 114.
See also 14, 70, 74, 110, 127.
Collards, 61, 62.
Colors, developing taste in, 25, 9 2 -9 3 .
Combs, 40. See also 1 2 2 .
Commode, toilet, 34.
Common drinking or eating utensils,
114.
Communicable diseases, 1 8 -2 2 , 124r127. See also 8 , 15, 54^-55,
110, 111, 11 3 -1 1 4 , 115, 121,

122.
Compress, 39, 114, 115, 123.
Congenital syphilis, 2 2 , 127.
Conjunctiva, 124. See also 1 2 0 and
Eye disorders.
Consistency in dealing with child, 48,
9 8 -9 9 , 106, 109.


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135

Consommé, 60.
Constipation, 11 6-11 7. See also 3 5 ,
53.
Contagious diseases. See Communi­
cable diseases.
Contrariness, 6 8 . See also 105.
Convulsions, 119. See also 1 1 1 , 116,
125, 127.
Cookies, 64.
Cooking :
Cereals, 58.
M eat, 59.
Milk, 55, 56.
Vegetables, 5 6 -5 7 .
W ith grease, 57, 59, 60.
Copper in diet, 52.
Corn, 63.
Cornstarch pudding, 62, 64.
Costumes, 89. See also 5, 9 .
Cottage cheese, 56, 62.
Cotton clothing, 6 6 , 74, 76, 7 9 -8 0 , 82,
83.
Cough, 1 1 0 , 113-114.
In croup, 115.
In influenza, 125.
In measles, 125.
In pneumonia, 126.
In tuberculosis, 21, 121, 127.
In whooping cough, 127.
Spreading infection, 18, 19, 2 1 .
Counting, 5.
Country life, 6 .
Courage, 2 , 8 8 , 92, 1 0 2 , 108. See also
Fear.
Courtesy, 97, 1 0 0 .
Cows:
Infection and, 19, 2 1 , 54r-55, 1 2 0 ,
126, 127.
Rich milk from Jersey or Guernsey
cows, 55.
Crackers, 58.
Crayons, 84, 90.
Cream, 52, 55, 56.
Creeping, 2 , 10, 32.
Crib, 65.
Lead paint on, 24.
Cross-eye, 115.
Crossness. See Irritability.
Croup, 114r-115. See also 110, 124.
Crowds, keeping child out of, 19, 9 4 .
Crusts :
In nose, 39, 73.
On scalp, 40.

136

THE

C H IL D

FROM

Crying:
A t night, 70, 71, 95.
For bottle, 4 6 -4 7 .
Hoarse, weak, or husky, 115.
In “ nervous” child, 118.
In older child, 2, 8 8 .
See also 1 2 , 26, 32, 49.
Cuff to prevent thum b sucking, 71, 72
(picture).
Cup, use of, 4 6 -4 7 . See also 2 , 29, 33,
49, 50, 51, 109.
Curiosity, learning through, 96.
Custard, 58, 59, 60, 62, 64.
Cuts, 12 2-123.
Cutting out figures, 5, 85, 8 6 (picture),
90. See also 25.

D
Daily

plans or schedules for child,
2 6 -2 8 .
Dandelion greens, 62.
Dark closet not to be used for punish­
ment, 105.
Dark-colored cereals and bread. See
Whole-grain cereals
and
bread.
D ates in diet, 58, 64.
D aytim e rest, 29, 6 6 , 6 8 -6 9 , 118.
Deafness:
Due to congenital syphilis, 22.
See also Syphilis.
Due to meningitis, 125.
Due to neglected ear infection, 114.
Retardation caused by, 119.
To be reported to doctor, 14.
See also 15 and Ear disorders.
Defects, discovery and correction of,
11, 15.
Deficiency diseases, 2 2 -2 3 , 11 5-11 6.
See also 18.
Deformities:
Caused by rickets, 115-116.
Of feet, caused by wrong shoes, 75,
78.
Dental arch, 42, 44.
Dentist, 4 3 -4 4 . See also 11, 15, 40, 41,
42.
Desserts, 60. See also 5 6 ,5 8 ,5 9 ,6 2 ,6 4 .
Development, character, 9 5 -1 0 9 . See
also 2 5 -2 6 , 8 6 -9 0 , and Inde­
pendence.
Development, mental, 1—5 ,9 5 -1 0 9 ,1 1 9 .


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OHE

TO

S IX

Development, physical, 2 -5 .
Clothing planned for, 75, 76, 77.
Food for, 5 1 -5 4 .
Rickets affecting, 11 5-11 6.
Standards of, 16—17.
See also 10, 1 2 -1 3 , 29, 48.
Diabetes mellitus, 121—122.
Diapers discarded early, 36, 6 6 .
Diarrhea, 117. See also 35, 70, 110,
111, 113, 124.
Diet. See Food.
Differences among children. See Indi­
vidual differences.
Digestibility of certain foods, 55, 58,
59, 60.
Digestion affected by emotional state,
49, 51, 93.
Diphtheria, 124. See also 11, 15, 16,
18, 20, 110, 11 4-11 5.
D irt, 55, 115, 124, 127. See also D ust
and Cleanliness.
Discharge, 111.
From ears, 114. See also 14, 39.
From eyes, 115. See also 39, 124,
125.
From nose, 113—114. See also 18,
19, 21, 110, 124r-127.
From vagina, 121. See also 14,
125.
Spreading disease, 18, 19, 21, 114,
124^127.
See also 10.
Discipline, 10 6-10 7. See also 6 9 -7 0
and Punishment.
Disease. See Sick child and Prevention
of disease.
Dishes, sterilizing in illness, 111.
Dishes for children, 49, 50. See also
Cup, use of.
Dishonesty, 8 8 .
Disinfectants, danger of poisoning with,
24.
Dislikes, child’« , 26, 45, 76, 97, 101.
Disobedience. See Obedience.
Doctor:
Advice on behavior problems, 33,
36, 49, 6 8 , 72, 104.
Advice on flatfoot, 32, 79.
Advice on viosterol and irradiated
foods, 53, 60.
Examination, regular, of well child,
1 0 -1 6 .

IN D E X

Doctor— Continued.
For sick child, 1 1 0-12 7.
See also 1, 23, 2 4 ,3 4 , 35, 3 8 ,3 9 , 41,
44, 70, 72, and Prevention
of disease.
Doing, learning b y, 8 6 -8 7 , 89, 90, 96.
Dolls, 89, 90. See also Paper dolls.
“ D on’t ” habit, 96, 99.
Drafts, avoiding, 8 , 87. See also 6 6 .
Drainage, 6 , 7.
Drawers, bloomers, or “ shorts,” 7 6 -7 7 ,
79, 80, 81. See also 36, 73,
74.
Drawers, bureau, for child’s use, 40, 82.
Drawing, 90. See also 4, 5, 85, 92.
Dresses, 7 9 -8 0 . See also 74, 109.
Dressing and undressing self, 75 (pic­
ture) .
A t different ages, 2, 4, 5.
Clothing planned for self-help,
7 5 -7 6 , 80, 81.
See also 95, 98, 108, and-Buttons,
learning to manage.
“ Dressing u p ” in play, 5, 9, 89.
Dried fruits, 58, 63.
Dried milk, 56. See also 55.
Dried peas and beans, 57.
Drinking water, 29, 47, 53.
Bladder control at night and, 37.
Boiled, 7.
Constipation and, 35, 116.
Cup used for, 46.
For sick child, 113. See also 111,
116, 117.
In diabetes mellitus, 121.
Iodine in, 23, 52, 116.
Spreading disease, 7, 18, 124, 125,
127.
Supply, 7.
Drinks, bottled, 60.
Drowsiness, sudden, a sign of illness,
110, 117, 124.
Drugs, danger of poisoning with, 24.
Dry habit. See Toilet training.
Dry skin, mineral oil for, 38.
Dullness or mental retardation, 15,
115, 119.
D u st, 21, 29, 39, 115. See also 124,
127.
Dysentery, 124. See also 8 ,1 8 —2 1 ,1 1 7 .
E
Earache, 114. See also 14.
Ear training, 9 2 -9 3 . See also 85
Hearing.


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and

Ears:
Discharge from, 114. See also 10,
14, 39 , 126.
Infection, 114. See also 14, 39,
125, 126.
Washing, 39. See also 12.
See also Hearing. •
Eating:
Between meals, 29, 45, 46, 56, 58,
60.
Habits, 4 5 -5 1 . See also 1 0 ,1 1 ,1 2 ,
16, 24, 25, 26, 2 8 -2 9 , 118.
Washing hands before, 20, 26, 37,
38.
W ith fam ily, 5 0 -5 1 . See also 93.
Eczema, 122.
Education of young child, 6 , 1 0 8-10 9.
See
also Development,
character,
and Develop­
ment, mental.
Eggs, 59. Seç also 11, 13, 29, 52, 53,
62, 64, 118.
Y olk, 23, 42, 53, 116.
Elastic bands in clothing, 36, 77, 80.
Electric fan, 6 6 .
Electric light, 8 .
Elimination of body wastes:
Habits, 3 3 -3 7 . See also 1 1 , 1 2 , 16,
25, 26.
In illness, 113.
Roughage in diet and, 53.
See also Constipation.

See also 49, 51, 108,
119.
Encephalitis, 124. See also 2 2 , 119.
Enema, 113. See also 1 1 1 , 116, 117.
Enlarged glands. See Swollen glands.
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids, 114.
See also 14.
Entertainments, 94.
Enuresis. See Bed wetting.
Epilepsy, convulsions in, 119.
Eruption, skin, 1 2 2 . See also 13, 111,
117, 124-127.
Emotions,

101.

Evaporated milk, 56. See also 55.
Examination by dentist, 11, 15.
Examination of well child b y doctor,
1 1 -1 4 . See also 10, 15, 16.
Examination, laboratory:
Of child’s blood for anemia, 23,
116.
Of drinking water, 7.
O f expectant mother’s blood for
syphilis, 2 2 .

138

th e

c h il d pr o m

Examination, laboratory— Continued.
Of urine, 121.
Of vaginal discharge, 121.
Example. See Imitation.
Excitem ent:
A t public gatherings, 94.
Causing bed wetting, 37.
Causing vomiting, 117.
Due to adults’ excitement, 104.
In evening, causing restlessness,
6 6 -6 7 .
On Christmas and at parties, 93—
94. See also 51.
See also 70, 106.
Excretions, body. See Stool and Urine.
Exercise, 2 9 -3 3 .
Clothing and, 74, 75, 8 0 -8 1 .
For eyes, 115.
For feet, 13, 30, 32.
For jaws, 41, 42, 44.
See also 11, 12, 24, 104, 118.
Experience, learning thiough, 96.
also 1 .
E ye training, 85, 92, 93.
E yes:
Blinking, 13, 115, 119.
Discharge from 39 , 115.

See

See also

124, 125.
Disorders, 115. See atso 13, 23,
39, 52, 117, 119, 124, 125.
Examination by doctor, 1 3 -1 4.
See also 1 2 , 39.
Red, 39, 115.
Rubbing, 13.
Tuberculosis and, 120.
See also 10, 15.
Eyesight, poor, 115, 119.
F
Face:
Eruption. See Eruption, skin.
Flushing in fever, 110.
Tanning, 29.
Twitching in convulsion, 119.
Fairness in treatment of children, 98,
99, 106.
Fair play, 8 8 .
Fallen arches, 32.
Family, influence of, on child.
Adults of household.
Family routine, 26.
Family table, eating at, 5 0 -5 1 .
also 45, 46, 48, 67.
Family type affecting build, 3, 16.


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See
See

o n e to s ix

Fan, electric, 6 6 .
Fat, body, 3, 13, 52.
Fat in diet, 52, 54, 55, 59.
Father cooperating in training child,
45, 4 6 -4 7 . See also 67, 6 8 .
Fatigue:
Anemia and, 1 6 .
Bladder accidents caused b y , 36,
37.
Crossness, naughtiness, and rest­
lessness caused b y , 32. See

also 6 6 .
Exercise and, 3 2 -3 3 .
Gritting teeth a sign of, 6 6 .
H abit spasms and, 119.
Malnutrition and, 118.
Refusal of food a sign of, 110.
Tuberculosis and, 127.
Vomiting caused b y , 117.
See also 70, 93, 104, 106, Laziness,
and Listlessness.
Fear, 1 0 1-10 2.
Effect on appetite and digestion,
49, 117.
Of doctor, 11, 1 2 .
Of punishment, 99, 105, 106.
Of threats, 107.
Pictures or stories causing, 92.
See also 103, 115, and Courage.
Feeding self, 49-50. See also 2, 4, 48,
95, 108, 119.
Feelings or emotions, 101. See also 25.
Feet, 32.
Bare, and hookworm, 19, 2 2 .
Deformed by ill-fitting shoes and
stockings, 78. See also 75.
Eruption on, 122.
Examination by doctor, 13.
Flat, 32. See also 13, 30, 79.
Support for, at toilet, 34.
W et, 78. See also 39.
Fever, 11 0-11 3.
Diarrhea and, 117.
Teething and, 41.
Vomiting and, 117.
See also Communicable diseases,
H ay fever, Pyelitis, and
Rheumatic fever.
Fighting, 105.
Figs, 58.
Finger nails, 39, 72.
Finger sucking, 71—72.
42, 69.

See also

20,

139

Ilf BEX

Firecrackers or firearms, wounds from ,
21, 123.
Fireplace, 7, 24.
Fireworks, danger of chewing, 24.
Firmness in dealing with child, 48, 104,

111.
First year of life. See Baby under 1
year.
Fish, 59. See- also 52, 53, 62, 64.
Flabbiness, 13, 115, 118.
Flatfoot, 32. See also 13, 30, 79, 120.
Flies spreading disease, 7, 8 ,1 9 , 2 1 ,1 2 4 ,
127.
Floor, slippery, in learning to walk, 30.
Floor covering, 9.
Food, 5 1 -6 4 .
A t parties, 93.
Contaminated, 1 8 -1 9 , 2 1 , 54, 1 2 4 127.
. Deficiency diseases and, 18, 22, 23,
5 2 -5 3 , 1 1 5-11 6.
Diabetes and, 1 2 1 .
For child 1 year old, 6 1 -6 2 . See
also 29.
For child 2 - 6 years old, 6 2 -6 4 .
For sick child, 1 1 1 , 113.
Laxative, 11 6-11 7. See also 53.
Malnutrition and, 24, 118.
Naughtiness and, 104, 106.
Nervousness and, 118.
Refusal of, 4 7 -4 8 . See also 41, 45,
105, 110, 114, 118.
Restlessness and, 6 6 .
Sensitivity to , 59, 117.
Spoiled or indigestible, 117.
Teeth and, 41, 42, 44.
Tuberculosis and, 1 2 1 .
See also Eating habits.
Forcing child to eat, inadvisable, 49,
113, 118, 121.
Forcing mental developm ent, inadvis­
able, 95,' 108..
Foreign body:
In eye, 115.
In throat, 123. See also 24, 60.
Fork, learning to use, 50. See also 25 ,
33.
Frail child, 2 , 30, 74.
Freedom. See Independence.
Fresh air, 7 - 8 , 2 9 -3 0 . See also 6 , 6 6 ,
6 8 , 1 1 1 , 1 1 2 , 118, 1 2 1 .
Fretfulness. See Irritability.
Fried foods not to be given to child, 57,
59, 60.
13405°— 31

10


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Fright. See Fear.
Fruit, 5 7 -5 8 .
For constipated child, 117.
For malnourished child, 118.
Raw, to prevent scurvy, 23,
116.

53,

Tooth building and, 42, 5 2 -5 3 .
Vitamins and minerals in, 5 2 -5 3 .
See also 1 1 , 45, 61, 63, 64.
Fruit juice for sick child, 111, 113.
Fussiness at bedtime, 70. See also 6 8 ,6 9 .
G
Gain in weight, 10, 1 6 -1 7 . See also
3 -5 , 13, 45, 5 1 -5 2 , 60, 118.
! Gait, 30, 120, 1 2 1 .
Galoshes, 82.
Games. See Play.
Garbage, 7.
Gardening, 6 , 90.
Garters, 77. See also 75, 78.
Gas stoves and lights, caution in using,
7, 8 , 24.
Gates to prevent falls, 24.
Gelatin, 58, 64.
Genitals:
Care of, 38, 73.
Examination, by doctor, 1 2 , 14.
Handling or rubbing, 7 2 -7 3 , 1 0 2 .
Irritation, 38, 75.
See also 121, 125, 127, and Sex
education.
German measles, 124.
Germs, disease, 18 -2 2.
In home-canned vegetables, 57.
In milk, 54, 55.
In wounds, 123.
See also Communicable diseases
and Prevention of disease.
Gifted child, 2 .
Gland, parotid, 126.
Gland, thyroid, 23, 52, 116.
Glands:
Examination by doctor, 1 2 .
Swollen, 114, 1 2 0 -1 2 1 ,1 2 4 .
Tuberculosis of, 1 2 0 - 1 2 1 , 127.
See also 1 1 1 , 119, Goiter, and
M um ps.
Glasses for eye strain, 115.
Gloves, 82.
Gocart, 2 7 , 32, 74, 81.
Goiter, 2 3 , 52, 116.
Gonococcus infection (gonorrhea) , 1 2 1 ,
125.

140

THE

C H IL D

PROM

Grapefruit, 57—58. See also 23, 53, 61,
63.
Grapes, 58, 64.
Gravy, 59.
Grease, cooking with, 57, 59, 60.
Green vegetables, 5 6 -5 7 . See also 11,
13, 23, 61, 62, 116, 118.
Grinding or gritting teeth, 6 6 , 118.
“ Growing pains,” 120.
Grown-ups. See Adults of household.
Growth and development of body. See
Development, physical.
Guernsey cows, milk from, 55.
Gum s:
Bleeding from, 116.
Brushing, 43.
Gumboils, 14, 43, 44.

II
H abit spasms, 119.
Habits, 2 5 -4 0 .
Of behaving, thinking, and feeling,
2 5 -2 6 . See also 9 5 -1 0 8 .
Of caring for clothes, 40, 82.
Of cleanliness, 37—40. See also
1 9 -2 0 , 4 2 -4 3 .
Of dressing and undressing, 2 -5 ,
- 7 5 -7 6 . See also 79, 80, 81,
95, 98, 108.
Of eating, 4 5 -5 1 . See also 1 1 6 117, 118, and Food.
Of going to toilet, 33—37. See also
2 -5 , 6 8 , 7 0 -7 1 , 75, 76, 80,
95.
Of play and exercise, 29—33, 8 4 -9 4 .
See also 118.
Of posture, 31—32. See also 13.
Of sleep, 29, 6 5 -7 3 . See also 118.
Of speech, 97, 119. See also
Talking.
Undesirable, 6 9 -7 3 . See also 6 8 .
See also 11, 1 2 , 16, 2 3 -2 4 , 2 6 -2 8 .
H abitual vomiting, 49, 117.
Hair, care of, 40. See also 37, 1 2 2 .
H am , 59, 64.
Handkerchiefs, 39, 40. See also 19,
79, 111, 114.
H ands:
Eruption on, 122.
Use of, 1 -5 , 33, 8 4 -8 5 , 9 2 -9 3 .
See also 4 9 -5 0 , 10 8-10 9,
and Buttons, learning to
manage.


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ONE

TO

S IX

Hands— Continued.
Spreading disease, 1 8 -2 0 , 111, 121.
Washing, 38. See also 4, 1 8 -2 0 ,
26, 2 7 -2 8 , 37, 67.
Happiness, 10 8-10 9. See also 25, 49,

68.
H ats, 82. See also 122.
H ay fever, 117—118. See also 115.
Head, 3, 13, 32. See also 12, 119, 122.
Headache, 13, 111, 12 5-12 7.
Health authorities, 19, 21, 22.
Health center, 11, 13.
Health examination, regular, by doctor,
1 0 , 11 -1 6.
Health habits, 2 5 -4 0 . See also H abits.
Healthy child, description of, 10.
Hearing, defective. See Deafness.
Hearing, use of, in learning, 96.
See also 1.
Heart, examination by doctor, 1 2 ,1 4 .
Heart disease, 120. See also 124.
Heating of house, 7 -8 . See also 6 , 30,
74.
Heels of shoes, 78.
Height, 2 -5 , 13, 1 6 -1 7 . See also 11,
12, 15.
Helping child to eat, 49, 51.
Heredity, 95.
Hernia, 14.
H ip, congenital deformity of, 30.
Hip-joint disease, growing pains a
sign of, 1 2 0 .
Hives, 11 7-11 8. See also 59.
Hoarseness, 11 4-11 5. See also 110,
124.
Holding breath in convulsion, 119.
Holidays, 51, 93.
Home-canned vegetables, 57. See also
Canned fruits and vege­
tables.
H om e influence, 95, 108—109. See also

6.
H om iny, 61, 63.
Honesty, 8 8 . See also 98—99, 105.
Hookworm, 2 2 , 125. See also 1 9 ,118 .
Horizontal bars, 9 1 -9 2 .
“ H orses,” in play apparatus, 9 0 -9 1 .
Hose, rubber, used in bathing, 37.
H ot-water bag for ear disorders, 114.
H ot weather. See Summer.
Hunger, 10, 45, 47, 48, 54. See also
Appetite.
Hydrophobia (rabies), how spread, 18.

IN D E X

i
Ice cream, 56, 64.
Ideals. See Character training.
Idiosyncrasy for certain foods. See
Sensitivity to proteins.
Illness. See Sick child and Prevention
of disease.
Imagination, 89. See also 4, 5, 92, 105.
Imitation, 89, 97. See also 3 -5 , 45—
47, 71, 72, 89, 119.
Immunization against disease, 18, 2 0 2 1 , 124^-127.
See also 10,
11, 12, 15.
Impetigo contagiosa, 1 2 2 .
Independence, 1 -5 , 36, 38, 8 6 —8 8 , 106,
10 8-10 9. See also 96, 99,
Feeding self, and Clothing,
learning to manage.
Indigestion, 110, 117. See also 49, 51,
58, 59, 60, 93, 114.
Individual differences, 2 , 54, 60. See
also 3, 16, 95.
Indoor sun bath, 30.
Infant Care (U. S. Children’s Bureau
Publication N o. 8 ), 33.
Infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis), 125.
See also 2 2 .
Infectious disease. See Communica­
ble diseases.
Influenza, 125. See also 18, 2 2 , 110.
Ingrowing toenails, 39.
Initiative, 8 8 . See also Independence.
Injection, or enema, 113.
Inoculation in prevention, modifica­
tion, or treatment of disease,
18, 2 0 -2 1 , 124^127.
Insect powder, danger of poisoning with,
24.
Insects:
Flies, 7, 8 , 19, 2 1 , 124, 127.
Lice, 122.
Mosquitoes, 8 , 19, 22, 125.
See also 6 .
Institutional care for mentally defi­
cient child, 119.
Insulin in treatment of diabetes mellitus, 1 2 1 .
Interfering with child, 84, 8 6 , 8 8 .
Intestines. See Bowels.
Intolerance to certain foods. See Sen­
sitivity to proteins.
Iodine in diet, 23, 52, 116.


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141

Iodine, tincture of:
Danger of poisoning with, 24.
For cuts and abrasions, 122.
To be washed off with alcohol, 122.
Iron in diet, 52. See also 54, 59.
Irradiated foods, 53, 60.
Irritability, 6 8 , 1 1 0 , 115, 116, 118.
See also 25, 32, 33, 104, 108.
Itch, or scabies, 1 2 2 .
Itching, 117, 122.
J

Jaws, 4 1 -4 4 , 71. See also 14, 126, 127.
Jealousy, 103, 104.
Jersey cows, milk from, 55.
Joints, soreness or swelling of, 120, 121.
“ Jumper” for teaching child to walk,
undesirable, 31.
Jumping, 4, 10, 31, 33, 85.
Junket, 60, 64.
Justice. See Fairness in dealing with
child.
K

Kale, 56, 61, 62.
Kerosene:
Danger of poisoning with, 24.
For removing nits, 122.
Kidney disease, 121. See also 1 1 1 and
Nephritis.
Knees, 30, 77, 81.
Knife and fork, learning to use, 50.
Knives, sharp, danger of handling, 25.
Knitted cotton underclothes and night
clothes, 7 6 -7 7 , 82.
Knitted wool outer clothing, 81—82.

L
Laboratory examination:
Of blood for anemia, 23, 116.
Of drinking water, 7.
Of expectant mother’s blood for
syphilis, 2 2 .
Of urine, 1 2 1 .
Of vaginal discharge, 121.
Lacing and unlacing shoes, 5, 33, 98.
Ladder, climbing, 91, 92.
Lamb in diet, 59, 62, 64.
Lamps, oil, caution in using, 8 , 24.
Larkspur, spirits of, for lice, 122.
Laryngitis, 115. See also 110, 114.
Larynx, foreign body in, 24, 60, 123.

142

THE

C H IL D

FROM

ONE

TO

S IX

Lassitude in hookworm, 125. See also
Lisfclessness.
Laxative diet, 116—117. See also 35.
Laziness, 110.
See also Fatigue and
Listlessness.
Lead poisoning, danger of, 24.
Leadership, 8 8 .
Leafy vegetables. See Vegetable^.
Learning, ways of, 8 4 -8 5 , 9 5 -9 8 .

Management of child. See Character
training, Habits, and Pun­

Leather coats, 81.
Leggings, 81. See

Mattress, 65.
Meals, eating between, 29.
Mealtimes, regular, 26, 27, 28. See
also 10 and Eating habits.
Measles, 21, 125. See also 18—20, 22,

also

74, 77, 80, 82.

Legs, 13, 32.
Covering, in cold weather, 77, 81.
Examination by doctor, 12, 13.
Involuntary movements, in chorea,

ishment.
Manners. See Courtesy.
Manure spreading tetanus, 20, 127.
Mastoid bone, inflammation of, 114.
Masturbation, 72—73. See also 69.
Matches, prevention of accidents with,
2 4 ,1 0 6 .

110, 111.
Measuring height of child, 16.

120.
Tanning, 29, 30.
See also 1 2 , 116.
Lemons, 23, 53, 57, 58.
Lettuce, 53, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63.

M eat, 59.

Lice, 122.
Lighting of house,. 6 , 8 .
Likes and dislikes, child’ s, 74, 76, 97,

101.

Lips, 10, 13, 14.
Listlessness, 110, 118, 127. See also
Lassitude and Laziness.
Liver in diet, 23, 52, 59, 62, 64.
Lobar pneumonia. See Pneumonia.
Lockjaw (tetanus), 2 0 -2 1 , 123, 127.
Lunches, extra, 46.
Lungs:
Examination by doctor, 12, 14.
Tuberculosis of, 120—121, 127.
See also 18, 19, 24, 110, 114, and
Pneumonia.
Lye, danger of poisoning with, 24.
M

also

4, 5, 92,

105.
M aking faces, 13, 119.
M aking things with toys, 89.
Malaria, 22, 125.
Malnutrition, 118.
125.


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advice, 117.
Meningitis, 125. See also 18, 22, 119,

120.
M ental deficiency, 119.
Mental development* 1 -5 , 9 5 -1 0 9 .
Mercurochrome, danger of poisoning
with, 24.
Mercury, bichloride, danger of poison­
ing with, 24.
M ilk :
Am ount needed, 54, 61, 62.
Boiled, 55—56, 61. See also 19, 21,
54, 111,
Certified, 55.
Dried, 56. See also 55.
Evaporated, 56. See also 55.
Food elements in, 52, 53, 54.
From cup, 4 6 -4 7 .
In extra lunch, 27—28, 46.
Pasteurized, 19, 21, 5 4 -5 6 , 62, 64.
Raw, 21, 55, 120.
Refusal of, 48.
Soups, puddings, etc., 56, 58, 59,

See also 8 , 18, 19.
See also 23—24, 52,

M alta (undulant) fever, 127.
19, 21.

11, 13, 23, 42, 52,
53, 60, 62, 64, 116, 118.
Mechanical toys, 89.
Medical examination:
Of child. See Health examination.
Of persons handling milk, 54.
Medicine:
Danger of poisoning with, 24.
N ot to be given without doctor’s

Lim p, 120, 121. See also 30.
Linen for burns, 123.
Linoleum for playroom, 9.

Macaroni, 52, 53, 61, 63.
Magnesia, milk of, 116.
Make-believe, 89. See

See also

11 .
See also

See also

60, 64.
Spreading disease, 18, 19, 21, 120,
124^-127.
Tooth building and, 42.
See also 11, 23, 113, 116, 118.

INDEX

143

M ilk of magnesia, 116.
I Nails, wounds caused by, 2 1 .
M ilk products not to be made from
Naps, 29, 65, 6 8 -6 9 .
raw milk, 6 6 , 64, 120.
D aily schedule for, 27, 28.
M ilk supply during vacations, 21.
For sick child, 112.
M ind, development of, 1 -5 , 95—109,
For malnourished or nervous child,
119.
118.
Mineral oil, 38, 39, 73, 116, 117.
See also 1 1 , 26, 32, 93.
Minerals in diet, 52. See also 29, 56, 59.
Nasal sprays, drops, or irrigations, 113.
M ittens, 82. See also 73.
Nationality affecting build, 3 , 16.
Mixed diet, 47. See also Food and food
Nature study, 6 .
habits.
Naughtiness, 10 3-108. See aZso Pun­
Modeling, 90.
ishment.
M oist air. See Ventilation.
Nausea, 117. See also Vomiting.
Molars, sixth-year, 44.
See also 41, Neatness, 25, 40, 82, 104. See also 9 ,
42, 43.
26, 95.
M oney, use of, 1 0 1 .
Neck:
Mosquitoes, 8 , 19, 2 2 , 125.
Stiffness in, 1 1 1 .
Mother Goose rhymes, 92. See also
Swollen glands in, 114, 120-121,
4, 5.
1 2 2 , 124.
See also Mumps
Motion-picture shows, 94, 106.
and Goiter.
M otor car. See Automobile.
Tanning, 29.
M outh:
Nephritis, 121. See also 126.
Discharges from, spreading disease,
Nervous strain or tension, 36, 119.
18, 19, 21, 114, 12 4-127.
Nervous system, disorders of, 2 2 , 23,
Examination by doctor, 12.
53, 111.
Putting objects in, 1 9 -2 0 , 24.
Nervousness, 118-119. See also 32,
See also Teeth.
110, 120.
M outh breathing, 72.
See also 10, New foods, teaching child to eat, 47.
14, 42, 69, 114.
Night clothes, 65—66, 82. See also 37.
Movies, 94, 106.
Night training, 3 6 -3 7 .
Mucous membranes in communicable
Nipple, rubber, sucking, 42, 71.
disease, 12 4 -1 2 7 . See also
Nits, removing, 1 2 2 .
18 -2 1.
Noise, 6 , 1 0 . See also 6 6 and Shouting.
Mucus in stool, 117.
Nose:
M um ps, 126. S'e also 22.
Care of, 3 9 -4 0 .
M uscles:
Of abdomen, in rupture, 14.
Of heart, in rheumatic fever, 120.
Pains in, 120.
Use of, 30—33. See also 6 , 85, 91,
93, 108.
W eak and flabby, in rickets, 115.
See also 10, 13, 15.
Music, 93. See also 4 ,5 ,9 2 ,9 5 ,1 0 8 , and
Singing.
Muslin clothing, 7 6 -7 7 .
Mustard not to be given to child, 60.
N
Nagging, 103. See also Scolding.
Nailbrush, 39.
Nails, finger, 39. See also 1 2 , 72.
Nails, toe, 39.


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Cold in, 1 1 3 -1 1 4 .
Discharges from, spreading dis­
ease, 18, 19, 21, 114, 1 2 4 127.
Examination by doctor, 14. See
also 1 2 .
In hay fever, 117.
Obstructed, 72.
Picking, 73, 118.
See also 1 0 , 71, 110, 121, and
Breathing.
Nosebleed, 123. See also 127.
Nursery chair, 34.
Nursery rhymes, 4, 5, 92.
Nursing care of sick child, 111-113.
Nursing period, child’s teeth formed
during, 42.
Nutrition. See Foods, Eating habits,
and Malnutrition.

THE CHILD FROM OÍTE TO SIX

144

Nutritional diseases, 23, 115—116. See
also 127.
N uts not to be given to child, 24, 60.

O
Obedience, 9 9 -1 0 0 . See also 2, 16, 97,
106, and Punishment.

Oil:

Castor, 35, 116. See also 117.
Cod-liver. See Cod-liver oil.

For burns, 123.
Mineral, 38, 39, 40, 73.
Of chenopodium, 125.
Oil stoves and lamps, caution in using,
7, 8 , 24.
Older child playing with younger, 33,
84, 87.
Onions, 56, 63.
Oranges, 23, 42, 53, 57—58, 61, 63.
Orderliness. See Neatness.
Outdoor life, 29—30, 87—88, 90—92.
Clothing for, 74, 8 0 -8 2 .
For nervous or irritable child,
33, 118.
Malnutrition and, 24, 118.
Tuberculosis and, 121.
See also 6 , 10, 11, 2 6 -2 8 , 107.
Overalls, 79, 109.
Overstimulated child, 108.
Overweight child, 118. See also 1 6 -1 7 .
P
“ Pacifier,” undesirable, 42, 71.
Pack, warm, wet, 112. See also 111,
119.
Paint, danger of lead poisoning from,
24.
Pajamas. See Night clothes.
Palate, high, and mouth breathing, 72.
Paleness, 13. See also 110, 116, 118.
Pancakes not to be given to child, 58.
Paper dolls, cutting out, 8 6 (picture).
See also Cutting out fig­
ures.
Paralysis, 23, 124, 125.
Parents, agreement between, 1, 6 9 -7 0 ,
98, 106.
Parks, 6 , 7.
Parotid gland, swollen in mumps, 126.
Parsnips, 56, 63.
Parties, 9 3 -9 4 . See also 51.
Pasteurized milk, 19, 21, 54-56, 62, 64.
Pasting, 4, 5, 90.


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Patent leather undesirable for child’s
shoes, 78.
Patience in dealing with child, 98, 104.
Peaches, 58, 61, 63.
Peanuts not to be given to child, 24.
Pears, 58, 61, 63.
Peas, 61, 63.
Dried, 57.
Pediculosis (lice), 122.
Peg board, 3, 90.
Pellagra, prevention of, 23.
Pen, play, 87. See also 24, 30.
Pencil, learning to use, 3, 4, 5.
Peritonitis, due to tuberculosis, 120.
Permanent teeth, 41—44. See also 15.
Perspiration, 6 5 -6 6 , 74, 7 6 ,7 8 ,8 0 ,8 2 .
Petrolatum, liquid. See Mineral oil.
Petroleum jelly, 113.
Pets, taking care of (picture), 6 .
Phonograph, 89, 93, 108.
Phosphorus in diet, 52, 54.
Phosphorus poisoning, danger of, 24.
Physician. See Doctor.
Piano, 93.
Picking nose, 73, 118.
Pickles not to be given to child, 60.
Picture books, 92.
Pie not to be given to child, 51.
Pillow, 65.
Pimples, 122. See also Rash.
Pineapple, 58.
Pistols, cap, wounds from, and lock­
jaw, 21, 123.
Play, 2 9 -3 3 , 8 4 -9 4 .
Accidents and, 25.
Apparatus, 32, 90.
A t different ages, 2 -5 .
Before bedtime, 66-67.
Clothing and. See Clothing.
For nervous child, 118.
Space for, 6 -7 .
Toys. See Toys.
See also 10, 11, 2 7 -2 8 , 35, 40, 6 8 .
Playmates, 8 7 -8 8 . See also 2 -5 , 19,
33, 84, 104, 105, 11 8-11 9.
Play pen, 87. See also 24, 30.
Playroom or play corner, 8 .
Play suits, 79. See also 81.
Play Suits for W inter (U. S. Department
of Agriculture Leaflet N o.
54), 81.
Pleurisy, 120, 126.
Plums, 58, 64.

INDEX
Pneumonia, 126. See
126, 127.
Pockets, 79, 81.
Poisoning:

also

22

, 24 ,

110,

Convulsions in, 119.
Prevention, 24.
Poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis), 125.
Politeness. See Courtesy.
Pollen, cause of asthma and hay fever,
117.
Porch, 8 , 22, 24, 29, 87, 92, 112.
Pork, 51, 59, 64.
Posture, 3 1 -3 2 .
Clothing and, 74, 75, 77.
In malnutrition, 118.
See also 13, 15, 65.
Potatoes, 53, 56, 57, 60, 61, 63.
Powder containing stearate of zinc, 24,
38.
Powder, talcum, to prevent chafing, 38.
See also 24.
Praise. See Approval for good be­
havior.
Pretending, 89. See also 4, 5.
Prevention of accidents, 2 4 -2 5 .
Prevention of disease, 1 8 -2 4 , 12 4-12 7.
Privy, outdoor, 7, 34.
Pronated foot, 32.
Protein in diet, 52, 54, 59.
Prunes, 58, 61j 63.
Public-health authorities, 19, 2 1 , 2 2 .
Puddings, 56, 58, 62, 64.
Pulse of sick child, 113.
Punishment, 10 5-10 7. See also 25, 36,
37, 6 8 , 71, 72, 73, 96, 99,
103, 104, 119, 120.
Pus:
Around teeth, 44.
In eyes, 115.
In nose, 73.
In stool, 117.
In urine, 121.
Pyelitis, 1 2 1 .

Q
Quarantine, enforcing, 19, 2 2 .
Quarreling, 109. See also 8 8 .
Questions, asking, 26, 96, 97, 1 0 2 .
Quinine for malaria, 125.

R
Rabies (hydrophobia), how spread, 18.
Radio, 93, 108.
Rainy days, 29, 82. See also 9, 81.


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145

Raisins, 58.
Rash or skin eruption, 122. See also
13, 111, 124r-127.
R at powder, danger of poisoning with,
24.
Raw fruits and vegetables, 2 1 , 23, 42,
53, 5 7 -5 8 , 61, 63, 64, 117.
See also 7.
Raw milk, 2 1 , 55, 120
Rayon, 76.
Reading, 5.
To child, 92.
Rectal thermometer, 11 2-11 3.
Rectum, 34, 1 1 2 , 113.
Refusal of food, 4 5 -4 9 .
Sign of sore throat or other illness,
110, 114.
Teething and, 41.
See also 96, 98, 105.
Regular health examinations by doctor,
10, 11, 15.
Regularity. See Habits.
Repairing shoes, 78.
Resistance to infection, and vitamin
A , 52.
Respiratory
infections. See
Colds,
Croup, and Lungs.
Rest. See Fatigue and Sleep.
Restfulness in home, 109.
Restlessness, 6 6 -6 7 . See also 32, 110,
111, 112, 116, 117.
Retarded development, 119.
Rewards in habit training, 25, 72, 107.
Rheumatic fever, 1 2 0 .
Rheumatic heart disease, 1 2 0 .
Rhubarb, 58, 117.
Rhymes, nursery, 4, 5, 92.
Rhythm ic play, 93. See also 4, 5.
Rice, 52, 53, 61, 62, 64.
Rickets, 23, 11 5-11 6. See also 18, 30,
42, 53, 60, 119.
Ringworm, 122.
Rompers, 79.
Romping at bedtime undesirable, 6 fi67.
.
Roof made safe for play, 7.
Rosy cheeks, 10, 13, 1 5 ..
Roughage in diet, 53, 56, 57.
Round shoulders, 75. See also Posture.
Routine, daily, 2 6 -2 8 . See also 9 3 ,
119, and Habits.
Rubber “ baby pants,” 6 6 .
Rubber boots, 82.
Rubber sheeting, 65, 113.

THE CHILD FROM ONE TO SIX

146

Rubbers, 82. See also 40.
Rubella. See German measles.
Running, 3, 4, 6 , 10, 31, 33, 87.
Running ear, 114. See also Ear dis­
orders.
Rupture, 14.

Self-reliance. See Independence.
Sensitivity to proteins, 59, 117.
Septic sore throat, 126. See also 1 9 -2 2 .
Septic tank, 7.
Serums, 2 0 -2 1 , 12 4-12 7. See also 18,
11 7-11 8, and Antitoxin.

S

Sewage, 7.
Sewing not advisable for little children,

Safety, 24r-25. See also 99, 100, 101,
10 5-10 6, 10 8-10 9.

85.
Sex education, 102, 103.
Shame, 73, 102, 107.
Shellfish spreading typhoid fever, 127.
Shelves, low, for child’s use, 8 -9 , 40,
82, 90.
Shirts, 77. See also 74.
Shoes, 7 8 -7 9 .
Learning to lace and unlace, 33.
See also 4, 5, 98.
See also 13, 30, 32, 74, 7 5 ,1 2 0 .
Shopping expeditions not advisable for
child, 1 0 1 , 106.
“ Shorts,” drawers, or bloomers, 7 6 -7 7 ,
79, 80, 81. See also 36, 73,

St. Vitus’s dance, 120.
Salt water for cleaning teeth, 42.
Sandals, 78. See also 74.
Sand box or tray, 87. See also 84, 89,
90.
Sandwiches, 58, 62.
Sanitation. See Prevention of disease.
Santa Claus, 105.
Scabies, or itch, 122.
Scabs, 124, 126.
Scalp, 40, 122.
Scarlet fever, 126.

See also

1 8 -2 0 ,

110, 121.
Schedules, daily, 2 6 -2 8 .
Schick test, 20.
School, entering, 1 5 -1 6 .

See also

2,

20, 119.
Scissors, 5, 25, 8 6 (picture), 90.
Scolding, 3 3 -3 4 , 54, 6 8 , 69, 73, 104,
107. See also 103.
Screen for fireplace, 7, 24.
Screen, window:
Cloth, to keep out wind and snow,

8, 66.
T o keep out flies and mosquitoes,
8 , 19, 21, 2 2 , 87.
•*
To prevent falls, 24.
Scribbling, 84.
Scurvy, 116. See also 18, 23, 53.
Sea food, 23, 52. See also Fish and
Shellfish.
Seat, small, for toilet, 34.
Secretions. See Discharges.
Security, feeling of, in home, 10 8-10 9.
Seeds, planting, 6 .
Seeing, learning b y, 1, 6 , 96. See also
Imitation.
Seesaw, 90, 91 (picture), 92.
Self-consciousness and clothing, 76.
Self-control, habits of, 16. See also
1 0 1 , 108.
Self-control in dealing with child, 104.
Self-help, clothes planned for, 7 5 -7 6 .
See also 80, 81.


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74.
Shoulders, round, 75, 77.
Shouting, 10, 32.
Shoveling, 32, 87, 96.
“ Showing off” undesirable, 95. See
also 1 0 0 .
Shrinking of clothing, 75, 78.
Shyness and clothing, 76.
Sick child, 11 0-127. See also 41, 46,
and Prevention of disease.
Sight, 15, 115.
Silk-and-wool underwear, 76.
Singing, 2, 4, 5, 10, 32, 67, 85, 87, 93.
Sinus, infection from nose carried
into, 39.
Sixth-year molars, 4 1 -4 4 .
Skimming milk, 55.
Skin:
Chafing or irritation, 38, 76.
Chapping, 38.
D ry, 38.
Eruption or rash, 122, 12 4-127.
See also 111, 117—118.
Of healthy child, 10, 13.
Tanning, 13, 2 9 -3 0 .
Tuberculosis affecting, 120.

See also 1 1 2 .
Skin test for diagnosing tuberculosis,
121.
Skipping, 5, 31, 32.
Sled, 90.

INDEX
Sleep, 6 5 -7 3 .
Am ount needed, 11, 29.
In malnutrition, 24, 118.
Inadequate, and naughtiness, 104.
See also Fatigue.
Regularity, 10, 26, 27—28Tooth building and, 44.
See also 1 2 , 16, 25, 32, 60, 1 1 0 , and
Bed wetting.
Sleeping garments;. See Night clothes.
Slide, 8 8 (picture), 90, 91, 92.
Smallpox, 20, 126. See also 1 1 , 15, 16,
18, 124.
Sneezing, 110, 1 1 3-11 4, 117. See also
19.
Snow, 8 , 78, 81, 82.
Snuffles in congenital syphilis, 127.
Soap stick, 34.
Socks, 78. See also 74, 77Soda, baking:
For burns, 123.
' N ot to be used in cooking vege­
tables, 56.
Soil, disease carried in, 2 2 , 127.
&oles of shoes, 78.
Somersaults, 5, 85.
Soreness of joints, 1 2 0 .
Sore throat, 114.
Septic, 126. See also 19, 22.
See also 110, 115, 120, 124.
Sores. See Skin eruption.
Soup, 60. See also 53, 56, 57.
Spanking. See Punishment.
Spasmodic croup, 114^115.
Spasms or convulsions, 119.
Special teaching for retarded children,
119.
Speech, habits of, 97, 119. See also
Talking.
Spinach, 53 , 56, 57, 61, 62.
Spitting out food, 48, 104.
Splinters, wounds caused b y, and lock­
jaw, 21, 123.
Sponge bath, 37, 6 8 , 1 1 1 , 1 1 2 .
Spoon, learning to use, 49, 50. See also
2, 25, 29, 33.
Sprains, 123.
Spray:
After tub bath, 37, 38.
For rinsing hair, 40.
Nasal, 113Spring or well, 7.
Springs, bed, 65.
Sputum in tuberculosis, 127.


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147

Squash, 61, 63. v
*
Squint, 115.
Stagnant ponds, mosquitoes breeding
in, 2 2 .
Stairs:
Climbing, 3.
See also 24.
Stammering, 119.
Standards for physical growth and
development, 1 6 -1 7 .
Standing, 13, 3 1 -3 2 .
Starch in diet, 52, 53, 58, 6 0 -6 4 , 121.
Steam inhalations in croup, 115.
Stearate of zinc powder, 24, 38.
Sterilization:
O f articles used in communicable
disease, 1 1 1 . See also 1 2 1 , 1 2 2 .
Of bandage, 1 2 2 .
Of hat worn by child with lice, 1 2 2 .
See aim Boiling.
Stiffness:
In walking, 120.
Of body in tetanus, 127.
O f neck or back in meningitis, 125.
Of neek or extremities in infantile
paralysis, 125.
iSee also 1 1 1 .
Stockings, 78. See also 13, 75, 77, 81,
82. Stomach, 114. See also 49, 51, 58, 59,
60, 9 3 , 110, 117.
Stool:
Blood, pus, or mucus in, 117, 124.
Hookworms in, 126. See also 22,
118.
Sample kept for doctor, 1 1 1 .
Spreading disease, 18, 2 2 , 125,
127. See also 7.
See also Bowels.
Stories, 92. See also 4, 5, 67Stoves, oil and gas, caution in using, 7.
See also 8 , 24.
Stringing beads, 3, 4^ 3 3 , 84, 85.
Stubbornness, 46, 47.
Stunting of growth in rickets, 11 5-11 6.
Stuttering, 119.
Sucking, habits of, 7 1 -7 2 . See also
42, 6 9 -7 0 .
Sugar in diet, 52, 60.
Excess of, and teeth, 42.
In diabetes, 1 2 1 .
Sugar in urine, 121.
Suggestion, learning through, 9 7 -9 8 .
See also 76.

THE CHILD FROM OFE TO SIX

148

Suits, boys', 7 9 -8 0 .
Sulking, 25, 8 8 , 108.
Summer:
Clothing for, 6 6 , 74, 7 6 -7 9 , 81, 82.
Cod-liver oil in, 60.
H ot cereal in, 58.
Outdoor play in, 2 9 -3 0 .
See also 8 and Vacations.
Sun, 2 9 -3 0 .
Disinfection by, 122.
Drying clothes, 83.
Drying hair, 40.
In child’s room, 8 .
Malnutrition and, 24, 118.
Play in, 2 7 -2 8 , 2 9 -3 0 , 6 8 , 87.
Rickets and, 23, 60, 115. See also
18, 2 2 .
Teeth and, 41, 42, 44.
Tuberculosis and, 121.
See also 6 , 10, 11, 13, 6 6 .
Sunburn, 30, 39.
Sun suits, 80. See also 30, 74.
Superstitions, 102.
Supper, 50 (picture), 51, 58, 67, 6 8 .
Supporters, hose. See Garters.
Suppository, 34, 113.
Swallowing, difficult, 114. See also Sore
throat.
Sweaters, 81. See also 74, 83, 112.
Sweets, 60.
Carbohydrates in, 52.
Effect on teeth, 42.
See also Desserts and Candy.
Swelling:
Of eyes, 115.
Of joints, 120, 121.
Of nasal membranes, 117.
Of throat, 114.
See also 111 and Swollen glands.
Swing, 90, 92.
Swinging from horizontal ladder, 91.
See also 85, 87.
Swollen glands, 114. See also 14, 121,
122, 124, 126, and Goiter.
Syphilis, 22, 120, 127.
Syringe for enema, 113.

T

also

Tank, septic, 7.
Tanning of skin, 29—30.


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Temperature:
Body, 11 2 -1 1 3 . See
Fever.
Of bath water, 37.
Room , 7, 37, 6 6 , 6 8 .

also

110

and

Test, blood:
For anemia, 23, 116.
For syphilis in expectant mother,

22 .
Test, skin, for tuberculosis, 121.
Testing eyes before entering school, 14.
Tetanus (lockjaw), 2 0 -2 1 , 123, 127.
Tetany with rickets, 116.
Thermometer, 7, 11 2-11 3.
Thin child. See Underweight child.
Thirst in diabetes, 121.
Thoroughness, 108.
Threats, 107—108. See also 11, 102,
106.
Throat:
Discharges from, spreading dis­
ease, 18, 19, 124-127.
Examination by doctor, 12, 14, 15.
Foreign body in, 123. See also 24,
60.
Sore, 114.

See also 1 1 0 , 115, 1 2 0 , 1 2 1 .
Thum b sucking, 7 1 -7 2 . See also 42,

Table, low, 9, 49. See also 50 (picture).
Talcum powder, 38. See also 24.
Talebearing, 8 8 .
Talents, special, 2.
Talking, 1—5. See

Tantrums, 104. See also 48, 103.
Tapioca pudding, 62, 64.
T ea:
N ot to be given to child, 51, 60.
Treatment of burns, 123.
Teeth, 4 1 -4 4 .
Brushing, 4 2 -4 3 . See also 27—28,
37, 40, 44, 6 7 -6 8 .
Examination, 15, 4 3 -4 4 . See also
11, 12, 14.
Foods for building, 42, 52, 53.
Gritting, 6 6 .
Rickets and, 42, 116.
Sucking and, 71, 42.
See also 3, 4, 10.
Teething, 41, 114, 116.
Temper, 104, 108. See also 48, 101,
103, and Anger.

also

Tics, 119.
Tight clothing:
Bands, 74, 77, 79, 82.
Drawers, 73.
Night clothes, 37, 6 6 , 82.

97, 119.
See

69.
Thyroid gland, 23, 52, 116.

13.

See

also

75.

149

IÏF D E X

Tim idity. See Courage.
Tiptoe, walking on, 30, 32.
Tired child. See Fatigue.
Toast, 41, 42, 58, 61, 62, 64.
Toeing out, 3Q.
Toenails, 39.
Toilet:
A t bedtime, 67.
During night, 36, 3 7 , 6 8 .
Schedules, 2 6 -2 8 .
Training, 3 3 -3 7 . See also 2 -5 , 6 8 ,
7 0 -7 1 , 76, 80, 95.
Utensils used by sick child, 111.
Washing hands after, 20, 37, 38.
See also 103.
Tomatoes, 23, 53, 57, 61, 63.
Tongue, biting, in convulsion, 119.
Tonsils, 14, 114. See also 120.
Tools for child, 5, 89, 96.
Toothache, 43.
Toothbrush, 42 , 1 0 1 .
Touching things, 26, 92.
Tourniquet, 123.
Towels, 38.
.Used in communicable disease,

111, 122.
Toxin in prevention of scarlet fever,
126. See also 2 0 .
Toxin-antitoxin and toxoid in preven­
tion of diphtheria, 20, 124.
Toys, 8 9 -9 2 .
A t different ages, 3 - 5 , 8 9 -9 0 .
Breaking, IQ'S.
Christmas, 93.
Learning through, 84r-85.
Putting away, 3, 4, 26, 95, 100.
See also 24, 32, 6 8 , 71, 73, 1 1 2 .
Training, toilet, 3 3 -3 7 . See also 2 , 4,
6 8 , 7 0 -7 1 , 76, 95.
Training of muscles and senses, 8 4 -8 5 ,
9 2 -9 3 .
Training retarded child, 119.
Traveling, 7, 2 1 , 108.
Typhoid vaccination before, 20.
Tray under child’s plate, 51.
Tricycle, 30. See also 4, 90.
Trousers, 80.
.Truthfulness, 9 8 -9 9 , 105. See also 1 0 0 ,
108, 109.
'ub bath, 3 7 -3 8 . See also 40.
Tuberculin-tested cows, 55. See also

2 1.
Tuberculosis, 1 2 0 - 1 2 1 , 127.
18, 19, 21.


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See also

Turnip greens, 56, 61, 62.
Turnips, 23, 53, 56, 57, 63.
Twitching, 1 1 1 , 119.
Typhoid fever, 2 0 , 127.
18, 19, 21.

See also 8 ,

16,

tr
Underwear, 7 6 -7 7 . See also 40, 74, 75,
8 1 ,8 3 .
Underweight child, 69, 104, 1 1 0 , 118,
127. See also Malnutri­
tion.
Undressing self. See Dressing and un­
dressing self.
Undulant (M alta) fever, 127. See also
19, 21.
Union suits, 7 6 -7 7 . See also 74.
Untruthfulness. See Truthfulness.
Urine, 1 1 1 , 1 2 1 , 122.
Spreading disease, 18, 127.
See also Toilet training.
Utensils spreading disease, 18.

Y
Vacations, 2 1 .
Vaccination against smallpox, 20.
also 11, 15, 16, 126.
Vaccine:
I<n prevention of typhoid fever,

See

20,

127. ;
In

prevention
of
whooping
cough, 2 0 .
See also Vaccination against small­
pox.
Vagina, discharge from, 121. See also
14, 124.
Variety of foods, 47, 48. See also 49,
50
Veal, 59, 64.
Vegetables, 5 6 -5 7 .
For constipated child, 116.
In deficiency diseases, 23, 116.
Teeth and, 42.
Vitam ins and minerals in, 52^53.
See also 23.
See also 1 1 ,1 3 , 2 9 ,4 5 ,5 9 ,6 0 , 6 1 -6 3 .
Ventilation, 7 -8 . See also 6 6 , 1 1 1 .
Viosterol, 53, 60.
Vitamins, 5 2 -5 3 . See also 23, 5 4 ,
5 6 -6 0 , 115.
Voice, hoarse, weak, or husky, 11 4-115.
Vomiting, 117.
Fear and, 149.
Habitual, 49, 117.

150

THE

C H IL D

FROM

V omiting— Continued.
Sore throat and, 114.
To gain attention, 48.
W ith constipation, 117.
See also 110, 111, 115, 125, 126.

W
W agon, toy , 90. See also 32, 87, 89.
W aists. See Underwear.
W aists or blouses, boys’ , 80.
Wakefulness, 70.
“ Walkers” undesirable, 31.
W alking, 30—33. See also 2, 87, 108,
116, 119, 120, and Limp.
On all fours, 32.
W all-eye, 115.
W arm weather. See Summer.
W ash cloth, 38. See also 39, 40, 111.
W ater, drinking. See Drinking water.
Watering of eyes, 115, 125.
Waterproof clothing, 81, 82.
W a x in ears, 39.
“ W eak fo o t,” 32.
Weakness of muscles, 115. See also
Muscles.
W eaving, 5, 85.
Weighing the child, 16. See also 11,
13, 118.
W eight:
Gain in, 10, 1 6 -1 7 . See also 3 -5 ,
13, 45, 5 1 -5 2 , 60, 118.
In rickets, 116.
Loss of, or failure to gain, 69, 104,
110, 118, 12 1 -1 2 2 , 127.
See also Malnutrition.
Overweight child, 118.
Weight-height-age tables, 1 6 -1 7 .
W ell child, regular examination by
doctor, 11—17. See also 10,
12 (picture).
W etting bed, 3 6 -3 7 , 70—71. See also
4, 33, 69, 107.
Wheelbarrow, 90.
Wheezing in asthma, 117.
“ W h ip s” (desserts), 58, 60, 64.
Whole-grain cereals and bread, 23, 52,
53, 58, 61, 63, 117.

TO

S IX

W hole milk, 23, 52, 55.
Whooping cough, 110, 127. See
19, 20, 22, 49, 117.
W in d:
Clothing for, 81, 82.
Eyes irritated b y, 39.
Play in, undesirable, 29.
See also 8, 66.
W indow board, 8 (picture).

also

See also

66.
Window glass, 29.
W indow screens, 8.
Windows, barred or screened to pre­
vent falls, 24.
Windpipe, foreign body in, 123.
Winter :
Clothing, 74, 7 6 -8 2 . See also 66.
Cod-liver oil, 60.
Outdoor play, 2 9 -3 0 .
Toilet conveniences, 34.
Ventilation, 7. See also 8.
Washing hair, 40.
Wintergreen extract, danger of poison­
ing with, 24.
W oolen clothes, 76, 78, 81, 82.
Washing, 83.
W ords, learning to use, 1 -5 , 34, 102.
Workbench, low, 9.
W orm s, 118. See also 66 and H ook­
worm.
Wounds, 2 0 -2 1 , 123.
Discharges from, 124, 126, 127.
Wrappers, 82. See also 67.
Wraps. See Coats.
Writing, 5.

X
Xerophthalmia, prevention, 23, 52.
Y
Yard, 7, 9 0 -9 2 . See also Play.
Yolk of egg, 23, 42, 52, 53, 59, 116.

Z
Zinc, stearate of, 24, 38.
Zwieback, 62, 64.

o


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OWE

*