Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/45

 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 arc here mentioned : The Baby Clothes How to Engage a Nurse Preparing for Baby Motherhood What Every Mother Should Know, etc. Education How to Engage a Private Governess English Schools for Girls Foreign Schools and Convents Exchange with Foreign Families or learning languages, etc. Physical Training Use of Clubs Dumb-bells Developers Chest Expanders Exercises Without Apparatus Breathing Exercises Skipping, etc. Amusements How to Arrange a Children's Party Outdoor Games Indoor Games How to Choose Toys for Children The Selection of Story Books, etc. THE IDEAL DA¥-MURtS]£RY By LILIAN WHITLING, Official Examiner Training School of Domestic Subjects. Crawling-mats— A ** Sheep'fold ** for the Baby— Baby's Furniture— Ventilation— Decorative Friezes that Amuse Children — Wallpapers Illustrating Nursery Rhymes — The Toy Cupboard — The Ideal Light for the Nursery Daby is at last counted worthy to share with ^ its elders the advantages of all the health- giving devices of the twentieth century, and the deplorable remark, " What a pity to turn this fine room into a nursery! " is now but rarely heard. This is as it should be, for it is as impossible to rear fine, healthy children in dark, airless rooms as it is to rear'hcalthy plants in out-of-the way corners, inaccessible to sun and air. No matter whether engaged in the momentous task of preparing the nursery for its first tiny occupant, or whether it is already overflowing with little olive-branches, see, at all events, that the aspect and position of this all-important room is as good as it can be. The Aspect Never mind which way the spare room faces, or how many steps lead up to it, but choose a south or south-west aspect for the children ; for, no matter how costly and hygienic the fittings, a sunless room facing north will never make a healthy nursery. The excuse is made sometimes that a sunny room is too hot in summer, and makes its youthful inmates pale and listless. This is certainly the case. But our English summers are, alas ! too short ; and even if the nursery cannot be changed during the heat, at all events some other room can often be temporarily given up, or, best of all, the children kept in shade and shelter out in the open ait. If it can be managed, the nursery ought not to overlook the street — a quiet room is very necessary — and never be persuaded to " sky '* the little ones. Have you ever noticed that in hundreds of homes the window-bars that de- note the position of the nurseries are often on the highest story, in order to banish childish voices and restless feet as much as possible ? Now, rooms at the top of a house are often less lofty, have smaller windows, gain additional heat and cold from proximity to the roof, and last, but not least, receive all the used-up air from the lower rooms, because heated, impure air rises. Cramped nursery quarters are very undesirable. The Necessity of Ventilation 7'Ac size of a room for a nurse and one child should not be less than fourteen or fifteen feet square, and eleven or twelve feet high.' Where this is quite unattainable, take extra precautions to ensure good ventilation. Pure air, fresh air, is as important for children as food. True, they may live in vitiated air that has been breathed in and out and con- taminated by other human beings, but only at the expense of mental and physical health. Well- ventilated rooms are easily secured in quite simple ways. .. .^ . Firstly, there must be an open chimney in the room, for this acts as a most efficient venti- lating shaft. Therefore, the register must never be closed, or the chimney blocked in any way. Secondly, direct that the upper sashes of the windows are left open night and day — and see the order is carried out. If the weather is too inclement or there is