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136. The
first point to be considered is their HEALTH. Where it is possible,
large airy rooms at the top of the house should be given up to the babies.
A day and night nursery are required, and the night nursery should be the
larger of the two. It should contain single iron beds or cots, placed upon
well-scrubbed boards ; a strip of carpet or long rug should be placed at
each bedside to enable the little feet to light from bed safely. Slippers
should be kept under each little bed, and the children taught never to go
a step without them. The bed should consist of a hard mattress covered with
two folds of blanket and a pillow, the ordinary bolster being dispensed with ;
of course a pair of sheets and one, two, or three blankets, according to the
season. A chair for each child, a washstand, and a hip-bath should constitute
the rest of the furniture, though in large rooms a wardrobe and chest of drawers
may be placed. Every room occupied by children should have a fireplace and
chimney to allow of ventilation during the night. A large window is also
requisite. In winter it is well to carpet the bedroom, but this should be
removed at the spring cleaning. Once a week at least the bedroom fire should
be lighted during the winter. If bedrooms, whether for children or adults,
are scrubbed in the winter time, it should be done early in the morning,
a good fire lit in the room, and be perfectly dry before being slept in.
No flowers of any kind or growing plants should be placed in the bedrooms
of children at night.
137. The CHILDREN'S DAY NURSERY
should also be airy, well-ventilated, and kept perfectly clean. It is well
to have as little furniture as possible ; a round table and chairs are all
that is really wanted if there are good deep cupboards in the room ; if not,
an armoire of some kind must be provided for children's toys
and nurse's tea and breakfast service, and sundries that should always stand
in order under a good nurse's care. On a high shelf, or, better still, locked
up, but handy, should be a few simple medicines for children -- castor-oil,
rhubarb, and magnesia, and a pot of jam to help these down. Then a box should
contain lint, strapping-plaster, and court-plaster ; "Jones's Epsom" is the best,
as it neither inflames a wound nor does it easily wash off. A pair of scissors
should be kept in this box, and never used for other purposes: a neat roll of
old linen, a roll of new flannel, and some bandage strips should also be placed
close at hand. Nurse should be provided with two enamelled saucepans, with a
block-tin kettle with neat jars, containing sugar, pearl barley, Embden grits,
mustard, linseed, and linseed-meal. She should keep a bottle of camphorated
spirits, and of ipecacuanha wine ; also among her medicines she should have a
store of night-lights, a food-warmer, and some candles ; a tin of plain biscuits
may also be placed in her charge.
138. Both NURSE and MOTHER
should inspect the stores once a week, and see that nothing is wanting that
anytime that would be required at night in a hurry. An old worn knife or a
palette knife and some spoons are required for plasters and poultices,
and should be at hand.
139. CHILDREN
require to run and skip, dance and jump, and to take good walks. Children's
nursery hours should be as follows:-- All out of bed at seven, all dressed
and sitting down to breakfast at eight, nine o'clock should see the
little troop out of doors in garden, in park, or on country roads. Two hours'
walk in the morning and two in the afternoon is necessary in fine weather.
After the 20th of October all children under six should be indoors after
three o'clock: this rule should be continued until spring days again come round.
140. Dinner
at 1, tea at 4.30, bed at 6 or 7, according to the ages of the children.
141. A
glass of cold water morning and night is the best medicine they can take.
142. The MORNING BATH
for healthy children of 4 or five years of age should be of cold water in
summer and tepid in winter. It is an excellent plan to fill a large brown
pickle-jar with bay salt and Tidman's sea-salt in equal parts, and to fill
up with soft water, and tie a muslin cap over the jar ; pour off the water
every morning into the bath, adding fresh until all the salt is melted, when
we must begin again. A hip-bath should be used for the morning bath, and the
child rapidly sluiced all over, and then enveloped in a large well-aired sheet
of fine huckabuck, not less than two yards square ; rub quickly but not roughly,
and see that the little limbs glow before you part with them. Then quickly
dress the child in well-aired clothes, and brush the hair, clean the teeth,
and hear the morning prayer before setting him to table.
143. BREAKFAST
should be ready, for many children are so constituted as to be
cross, because they feel ill, before breakfast: such children cannot bear the
sinking feeling caused by want of food. If such there be in a family, and the
number of little ones prevents the breakfast being ready for all directly,
give the child a crust of bread or a biscuit, and it will play happily until
summoned to its breakfast.
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