Here is a continuation of favorites from "Don'ts for
Mothers"
Sleep-
· Don’t follow the
practices of the Dutch or the French. The Dutch keep their infants in
a state of repose, always rocking or jogging them. The French are
perpetually tossing them about. A medium would be most favorable.
· Don’t wake up
your baby to show your friends what lovely eyes he has got. Let them wait until
he has had his sleep out.
Health-
· Don’t purge and
Infant during Teething, or any other time. IF WE LOCK UP THE BOWELS,
WE CONFINE THE ENEMY AND THUS PRODUCE MISCHIEF. (The book seriously
has it printed in all caps like that. My husband said he couldn’t agree more.
Too funny.
· Don’t kiss your infant on the mouth. Diphtheria,
tuberculosis, and syphilis have often been communicated in this manner. Infants
ought never to be kissed except on the forehead, and even that should be seldom
permitted.
Clothing-
· Don’t use Stays on your daughter. These are the origins
of a thousand deformities and diseases, and the cause of many fatal accidents.
Tight lacing squeezes and torments, and whatsoever hurts the health produces
ugliness. Why should a waist be pinched until it is as small as an
arm? (No kidding! And yet, we still want our waists as small as an
arm.)
·
Don’t permit a child to be
in the glare of the sun without a hat. If he be allowed, he is likely to have a
sunstroke, which either at once may kill him, or might make him an idiot for
the remainder of his life
In the Nursery-
· Don’t hang the nursery walls with paintings of bad
quality. The horrid daubs and bad engravings that usually disfigure nursery
walls are enough to ruin the taste of a child. (Yes, the hubs feels this is
even more proof the Star Wars theme is best for babe)
·
Don’t allow anyone to
punish your child by putting him into a dark cupboard or cellar; your child
should never know fear.
Amusements-
· Don’t restrain
your child from romping in the nursery. It is his castle, and he should be Lord
Paramount therein.
· Don’t,
on any account, allow him to sit any length of time at a table, amusing himself
with books, &c ; let him be active and stirring. He ought to be tumbled and
rolled about to make the blood bound merrily through the vessels. (That sounds
like the constant discussion in my house.)
Boyhood and Girlhood-
· Don't permit a youth to drink green tea. It is apt to
make people nervous, and boys and girls ought not even to know what it is to be
nervous.
· Don't allow children indiscriminant and careless
intercourse with strangers. They may learn vicious and destructive habits. (Oh
my!)
This book is the size of my
palm, yet packs one hell of a punch! Tomorrow I am going to by “Don’ts for
Husbands.” With any luck it will pack one hell of a punch too!
