Jasper Republican, Volume 2, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1875 — Good Habits of Sleeping in Babies. [ARTICLE]

Good Habits of Sleeping in Babies.

One baby often rules a whole household and with an iron rod, too. The mother brings up the old excuse that she does not dare to control it, as she should like to, on account of its nervous temperament. So, for that reason, papa must go out of the room to read his paper because the rustling of it wakes baby; auntie mustn’t practice, for baby is asleep; if anybody attempts to enter the room mamma holds up a warning finger, with a look of pitiful distress upon her face; and if perchance the door-bell rings or a door slams the cry of the baby is sure to follow close upon it. In fact, silence must be maintained, if possible, while baby sleeps; and that in most houses is a pretty hard thing to accomplish. Now, I do not believe that all this regard for baby’s nerves is right. She cari accustom her baby to sleep in spite of all the noises incidental to the house. By hushing every noise and accustoming the baby to sleep in undisturbed quiet she educates it to be nervous and to cry out at every unusual sound. Many mothers make a regular business, every forenoon, of getting the baby to sleep. They sometimes spend an hour or more in their endeavors, rocking and singing until they completely exhaust themselves. Ido not believe such a proc ess is necessary, though I know many mothers will disagree with me. I believe that any healthy baby can be taught to go to sleep on the bed by itself, without any rocking or singing, if the right means are taken in season. It seems but reasonable to say that no child will cry to be rocked asleep or cry to be walked with if that habit had not been practiced, or, in fact, cry for any special thing of t which it knows nothing. I speak from experience, not theory.— Hearth and Home.