Children who do not eat well at the breakfast table, if given a "piece" at 10 A. M., will not be ready for the 12 o'clock meal; and then another "piece" at 2 P. M. interferes with the normal appetite at 6 P. M. Digestion is disturbed, the nervous system irritated, and a "puny child" is often the result. Bring the three-or-four-year-old to a well-selected breakfast some time between 7 and 8 A. M. Then nothing--absolutely nothing--but water must pass the lips between that breakfast hour and the 12 o'clock meal, which should be a good one. Then the interval until 5 or 6 P. M. is passed in the same manner. At the evening meal the appetite is again whetted: and a good appetite always means good gastric juice to digest the meal. And so, good mother, guard carefully the interval between meals if you would have good digestion and good health for the little folks. DAILY FOOD REQUIREMENT The following table, taken from _The Science of Living_,[B] shows the minimum of calories or food units required by boys from five to fourteen years of age and girls from five to twelve: BOYS Skin Daily Age Height in Weight in Surface in Calories or Years Inches Pounds Sq. Ft. Food Units 5 41.57 41.09 7.9 816.2 6 43.75 45.17 8.3 855.9 7 45.74 49.07 8.8 912.4 8 47.76 53.92 9.4 981.1 9 49.69 59.23 9.9 1043.7 10 51.58 65.30 10.5 1117.5 11 53.33 70.18 11.0 1178.2 12 55.11 76.92 11.6 1254.8 13 57.21 84.85 12.4 1352.6 14 59.88 94.91 13.4 1471.3 GIRLS Skin Daily Age Height in Weight in Surface in Calories or Years Inches Pounds Sq. Ft. Food Units 5 41.29 39.66 7.7 784.5 6 43.35 43.28 8.1 831.9 7 45.52 47.46 8.5 881.7 8 47.58 52.04 9.2 957.1 9 49.37 57.07 9.7 1018.5 10 51.34 62.35 10.2 1081.0 11 53.42 68.84 10.7 1148.5 12 55.88 78.31 11.8 1276.8 [B] Sadler, William S., _The Science of Living; or, The Art of Keeping Well_. A. C. McClurg & Co. CHAPTER XXXVI CARETAKERS AND GOVERNESSES