Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1910 — Points for Mothers [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Points for Mothers

Children often unintentionally maks mischief , between neighbors and friends, but it Is wise not to attach too much importance to the tales they \ bring us, for their fancies carry them away and beyond the realms of fact. In a neighborhood where there are many children it is well to eliminate their opinions of one another. They are largely controlled by prejudice, likes and dislikes founded on nothing. The mother who gives ear to the tales of her own child about some little playmate should first stop and think it out carefully before she demands an explanation or shows anger. She should not always take it for granted that her child is truthful and the neighbor’s little one untruthful. It is perfectly right that every mother should have confidence in her own offspring, and she* should not let them know if she does doubt them, but they must be sure that their childrn have not allowed their imaginations, sensitiveness and prejudice to color their reports. It is perfectly true" that many mothers do not know their own children. They may be perfectly obedient and respectful at home, and when they go out from home, where parental authority is not enforced, they may show another side to their nature and be disobedient, unpleasant and impertinent to others. The parents never see them in such moods and cannot suspect the change in their conduct. Nevertheless tis not an infrequent occurrence, im r 's the pity! Th for.* the wise mother will shut her rs to tales borne by her children ■ am!' ..ent them as jokes to be laughed atj ra■.her than as serious matters to be ta.. z a i*p and noticed. L.fei ng friendships have been jeopard! u because foolish parents have tre ti l as serious matters the d ffereu s nd animosities of the little ones.

Bedtime For Children. Sunset should be the time for every child under eight years of age. When the thickens go to roost’and twilight begins to deepen the country baby’s head begin to droop, and he is ready for his cot. The more nervous town baby, who has nothing for an example except the sun and who at any rate on rainy days is used to twilight atmosphere at midday, seldom wishes to go to bed with the chickens. If he lives in an apartment he must hear drifting down the hall the tantalizing voices of his elders at dinner, and the smell of savory things from the kitchen greets his nostrils. But, hard as it must seem, the city mother must have even more rigid rules about bedtime than the country mother. Her child is at a greater disadvantage in the first place in not living where he can breathe the purest air in the midst of healing country sights and sounds. The distractions of city life k are so numerous and so varied that city bred children need more repose than children in smaller towns or the . * country. Nail Biting. Nail biting is a very common habit among children and is often the result ' of an extremely nervous temperament. It is a good plan to take such a child to a doctor, who will probably give him a good tonic to brace up the nervous system. , ; The child should also have pointed out to him how ugly his nails and fingers are getting. Show him how to keep his nails clean and well trimmed and try to induce him to take a pride in them. A good plan is to interest him in kindergarten work of some kind that will keep both his hands and brain employed. If this is done the chances are that very soon the habit will disappear. I Toys Should Be Washable. I Do not let a little child play with toys that cannot be washed with soap and ; water. A small child is very likely to put his playthings into or up to his mouth, and these playthings are often thrown by his small majesty on to the floor, where the dust from the street is deposited, either by breezes or from doors and windows or by the feet of grownups.