Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/202

 f — zn^- CHILDREN iSo The Temperature The iemperature of the night-nursery is another impor- tant consideration. A great difference between the tem- perature of th2 night and day- nursery is danger- ous, and causes, if nothing worse, much unnecessary discomfort. An attempt should be made to keep the temperature of both rooms as near 60° Fahr. as possible. An open fire both warms and aids in the ventila- tion of the room, but gas, oil, or any enclosed stoves are injurious, no matter what fuel they burn, unless they are scientifically fixed with a flue into the outside air. In many modern houses, and flats especially, the rooms are far. too small for health, and the necessary furniture crowds out the little air-space there is. A well-known authority on children tells us that each child ought to have a space eight feet long, eight feet high, and eight feet deep at the least, and that the air in the room should be changed three times an hour. Furniture The furniture in the day-nursery should be plain and simple, but that of the night- nursery should be even simpler and more scanty. There must be a separate bed for nurse, without curtains or valance, a cot-bed for each child. Each child, no matter how young, should sleep alone. Wooden beds are artistic, but pretty iron or brass ones are more healthy. In any case, however, the bed should have a found- ation of woven wire. Cots should have deep rails, and one, or, better still, both sides should be able to slide down. For older children, half -size bedsteads are generally used. Nursery sets of miniature furniture, just the right height for little people to stand at, are often seen, but, besides these, there must be a full-sized clothes press, low nursery chair, dressing-table, etc., for the nurse's own use. A screen is a necessity to ward off draughts when baby is having his bath, or to screen a bed if the door is needed open for any reason, for it must never be forgotten that fresh air is required, not draughts. It is convenient to have a bath-room on the nursery floor, as this saves baths in the nursery. For very small children the bath- hammocks are a great boon, since they can be fitted to a full-size bath. However efficient may be the drainage, it is not desirable to have the bath-room, lavatory, or housemaid's sink immediately opposite tne nursery door. Only the freshest air should find its way into the children's rooms. Allow nothing in the bedroom that may render the air "* impure. Baskets of clothes waiting to go to the wash, slop-pails, boxes under the beds, or on top of wardrobes, gar- ments hanging about on pegs, all harbour dust and Iron cots are more healthy ^^^g ^^iQ XOOTCl 2l than wooden ones, and both P,, sides should be made to slide slovenly appear- down ance. Beddins: The bedding most suitable for children's beds is a good hair mattress on a woven wire foundation, a mackintosh sheet for very young children, two or three light, fluffy blankets, one low, soft, hair-stuffed pillow, and perhaps a well-ventilated eiderdown quilt — never a heavy cotton one. Babies must not have sheets, and the pillow- cases must be made of the very finest cotton ; linen is too cold. Older children may have twill cotton sheets. In many nurseries it is customary for all the children to use the three or four towels provided, the same brushes and combs and sponges, sometimes even the same tooth- brush. This is not only undesirable from a hygienic point of view, but also it does not train the little ones in nice, cleanly habits, and should never be tolerated at any time. A nursery fireplace with guard and rail upon which small gar' ments may be warmed