Care Of Little Children
195
Food Is Not a Substitute for Attention—Infants have been
greatly abused by improper treatment. If fretful, they have gener-
ally been fed to keep them quiet, when, in most cases, the very reason
of their fretfulness was because of their having received too much food,
made injurious by the wrong habits of the mother. More food only
made the matter worse, for their stomachs were already overloaded.
Children are generally brought up from the cradle to indulge the
appetite and are taught that they live to eat. The mother does much
toward the formation of the character of her children in their childhood.
She can teach them to control the appetite, or she can teach them to
indulge the appetite and become gluttons. The mother often arranges
her plans to accomplish a certain amount through the day; and when
the children trouble her, instead of taking time to soothe their little
sorrows and divert them, something is given them to eat to keep them
still, which answers the purpose for a short time but eventually makes
things worse. The children’s stomachs have been pressed with food,
when they had not the least want of it. All that was required was a
little of the mother’s time and attention. But she regarded her time as
altogether too precious to devote to the amusement of her children.
Perhaps the arrangement of her house in a tasteful manner for visitors
to praise, and to have her food cooked in a fashionable style, are
with her higher considerations than the happiness and health of her
[262]
children
Food to Be Wholesome and Inviting, but Simple—Food should
be so simple that its preparation will not absorb all the time of the
mother. It is true, care should be taken to furnish the table with
healthful food prepared in a wholesome and inviting manner. Do not
think that anything you can carelessly throw together to serve as food
is good enough for the children. But less time should be devoted to the
preparation of unhealthful dishes for the table, to please a perverted
taste, and more time to the education and training of the children
Preparing the Baby’s Layette—In the preparation of the baby’s
wardrobe, convenience, comfort, and health should be sought before
fashion or a desire to excite admiration. The mother should not spend
time in embroidery and fancywork to make the little garments beauti-
4
A Solemn Appeal, 125, 126
.
5
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 141
.