Counsels Regarding Motherhood
93
The character also of the child is more or less affected by the nature
of the nourishment received from the mother. How important, then,
that the mother, while nursing her infant, should preserve a happy state
of mind, having perfect control of her own spirit. By thus doing, the
food of the child is not injured, and the calm, self-possessed course
the mother pursues in the treatment of her child has much to do in
molding the mind of the infant. If it is nervous and easily agitated, the
mother’s careful, unhurried manner will have a soothing and correcting
influence, and the health of the infant will be much improved.
Infants have been greatly abused by improper treatment. If fretful,
they have generally been fed to keep them quiet, when, in most cases,
receiving too much food, made injurious by the wrong habits of the
mother, was the very cause of their fretfulness. More food only made
the matter worse; for the stomach was already overloaded....
The mother often plans to accomplish a certain amount of work
during 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. This accomplishes the purpose for a
short time, but eventually makes things worse. The children’s stomachs
are pressed with food when they have not the least want of food. All
that is required is a little of the mother’s time and attention.
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