Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife
John Stuart Mill · en
Every mother should be warned against a common practice of starting the
flow of milk from the nipple of the bottle by putting it in her mouth.
Gums and teeth are rarely perfectly clean, and so form the favorite
lurking place for disease germs, which, though they may not produce
disease in the stronger body of the adult, may do so and often do so
in the more susceptible physique of the child.
Just as the child was trained to the bottle while it was still taking
the mother's milk, so it should be taught gradually to eat solids while
it is fed upon the bottle. After the child has been weaned at the tenth
month, he can be fed occasionally on broths or beef juice as a substitute
for one of the milk feedings. The broth is more of a stimulant than a food,
aiding digestion rather than supplying nourishment.
During the eleventh month, the yolk of a soft boiled egg, mixed with
stale bread crumbs, may be added to the diet, together with a little
orange juice or prune jelly. The latter will tend to keep his bowels free.
After twelve months, the child may be gradually accustomed to eat stale
bread, biscuit or toast, broken in milk, thoroughly cooked oatmeal and
similar cereals, baked potatoes moistened with broth, mashed potatoes
moistened with gravy, and rice pudding. The pudding is made of two
tablespoonfuls of clean rice, half a teaspoonful of salt, one-third of
a cupful of sugar in five cups of milk. Bake in buttered pudding dish
from two to three hours in slow oven, stirring frequently to prevent
rice from settling.
At the age of two years and a half the child may be permitted to eat
meat, preferably roast beef or mutton, cooked rare, or minced roast
poultry.
Even though sugar is a very essential ingredient in the child's diet,
it is very unwise to let it have this outside of its regular diet. Pure
candy does not hurt the child by impairing its digestion so much as by
interfering with its appetite for plain food. The child should never be
allowed to form an inordinate appetite for anything, as this is certain
to cause a corresponding deficiency elsewhere in his diet.
Even worse than the practice of giving candy to very young children
is that of teaching them to drink tea and coffee. These are pure
stimulants, supplying no tissue-building element, and taking the place
of nutritious beverages that do, such as milk and cocoa.
After a child is old enough to be permitted to partake with
discrimination of the general food of the table, he should be allowed
to eat with the family. From the beginning he should be taught table
manners, the use of knife and fork and napkin, and the subordination
of his wishes to those of older people.