Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/201

 179 CHILDREN This section tells everything that a mother ought to know and everything she should teach her children. It will contain articles dealing with the whole of a child's life from infancy to womanhood. A few of the subjects are here mentioned : The Baby Education Physical Training Amusements Clothes How to Engage a Use of Clubs How to Arrange a How to Engage a Private Gover^iess Du7?ib-bells Children's Party Ntirse English Schools for Developer*^ Outdoor Games Preparing for Baby Girls Chest Expanders Indoor Games Motherhood Foreign Schools and Exercises Without How to Choose Toys What Every Mother Convents Apparatus for Children Should KtioWy etc. Exchange with Foreign Breathing Exercises The Selection of Story Families or learning Skipping, Books, languages, etc. etc. etc. THE IDEAL HIGMT-HUKSEIRY By LILIAN WHITLING, Official Examiner, Training School of Domestic Subjects. The Importance oE Simplicity— Decorations for Walls and Ceiling— Lack of Air the Cause of Sleeplessness — Open Fires are Necessary — The Right Bedding for Baby — Children must keep their Washing Utensils Separate washable rugs should be used, and one should T o be ideal the night- nursery must be clean, comfortable, but severely plain — beds, bedding, towels, ventilation, baths, etc., are all subjects which need careful con- sideration from the point of view of utility and hygiene. The children's bedroom is a most important apartment, and requires greater care as regards ventilation and general arrangement than the day-nursery. Often,' children remain there from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. without any change whatever, and some night- nurseries are nearly hermetically sealed rooms. In these Nature's laws defiance, and the poor mites who sleep in them are partially poisoned by re-breathing their own and nurse's breath over and over again. A badly venti- lated night-nursery is one of the commonest causes of ^ sleeulessness 'n children. Decorations The walls and ceiliyii; should be treated exactly as those of the day-room. The colour chosen, how- ever, should be very restful. The floors are best when stained and varnished and polished, or covered with parquet or Unoleum. Only A low chair just the right height for httle people to stand at be placed by each bed in order that there may be no danger of a thoughtless nurse taking her small charge out of bed and standing her barefooted on the cold floor. If the weather is too rough or foggy for the windows actually to be open, they can at least be fitted with the piece of wood described in the article on the Ideal Day-Nursery in Part i, or a revolving ventilating pane can be fixed in place of ordinary glass. Soften the light from the windows with curtains of a soft, dark shade of green casement cloth. These can be washed every week. Some people advocate no. blinds or curtains ; this is hygienic without doubt, but, unfortunately, the hght causes the youngsters to get frisky at an earlier hour in the morning than sober adults are able to appreciate. On no account allow the nursery to be lighted by gas. Electric light is the best form of artificial light, but if it cannot be obtained, candles should be used even in preference to a lamp.