The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 1 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better BabiesHague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Science
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume 1 (of 4): A Personal Guide to the New Science of Better Living and Better Babies
Hague, W. Grant (William Grant)
Eugenics; Hygiene; Marriage
She must adopt system in the performance of her household duties. A good
plan is to set aside a certain definite time for meals, when to begin
cooking and when to end washing the dishes. Then arrange regarding the
general household duties. Make a schedule for a week devoting each day to a
certain task so that at the end of the week all the essential work will
have been completed. By systematizing work in this way a great deal of
ground can be covered and as time passes it will become easier, as many
helpful ways will suggest themselves whereby time will be economized. [136]
Adopt a system with the baby. Many mothers are worn-out, nervous wrecks for
no other reason than a lack of system in the management of the daily life
of their offspring. If system is not adopted in feeding and caring for an
infant it becomes irritable. To a sick, tired, weary mother an irritable
child is an unspeakable torture. Begin right. Give it adequate, but no
unnecessary attention. Nurse it every two hours, and at no other time. Wake
it to nurse at its regular time. It will in a few days acquire the habit of
feeding regularly and will sleep between feedings. Do not overfeed it.
Remember babies never die from starvation, but many do by overkindness, and
overfeeding is the most prolific cause of infant mortality known. Read the
article on "How long should a baby nurse?" Keep the baby clean, comfortable
and happy and you will not have a fretful child, but one that will be a
constant inspiration and incentive to you.
Find time to rest, take a mid-day nap. Get off occasionally to the country
or the sea shore for a day or two. Keep up your interest in your personal
appearance, be neat and clean, and invite the attention of your husband
during the evening hour. Don't let him grow away from you. Be cheerful,
encourage him to tell of his hopes and plans, and show an interest in his
health and in his work. Do not forget the dominating influence on your
efficiency, and on your happiness which the study habit possesses. Interest
yourself in some art, cultivate your mind, and soon, sooner than you think,
you will have forgotten your troubles and you will have regained your
health.
There is no other way to do it. There is no royal way in which it can be
done which is not open to the poorest mother.
An ocean voyage, a trip to Europe, a society Doctor, a professional
masseur, beauty experts and miracle workers cannot accomplish more than you
can in your poor apartment, if you "go about it in the right way and in the
right spirit." Keep in mind always, that: "failure exists only in
acknowledging it." Every task that is worth while is won by self-sacrifice,
by self-abnegation, by patient, persistent, enthusiastic effort, and in no
other way. The joy of consummation is reward enough for all human
sacrifice.
* * * * *
Corrections made to printed original.
Index: Constipation, in breast-fed infants: 'in-infants' (line-break) in
original
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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