194 DR. CHASm 8 RECIPES. 



3. Sleep. — Children generally take a great deal of rough and boisterous 

 bodily exercise; and during their education, their minds too are pretty much 

 employed; all which occasions considerable exhaustion, so that it seems quite 

 proper to allow them a due share of sleep, from eight to nine or ten hours at 

 least. But it should be at sleeping time; and they should not be allowed to 

 doze and saunter during their waking hours. 



4. Clothing. — Children should have their dress accommodated to the 

 season; and a due degree of warmth should be kept up. It is wrong to expose 

 them to cold in order to harden them; but a proper degree of exercise in the 

 cold air should be taken. The great evils to be avoided are, cold accompanied 

 with moisture, and any check to perspiration; which boys too often sustain, by 

 throwing themselves down on the moist ground, when heated by their games. 

 Flannel next the skin need not be ordered for healthy children; but where there 

 is much tendency to catch cold, or to have loose bowels, or continual paleness 

 of the skin, and weakness of the system, it will be prudent to make children 

 wear flannel. Much care should be taken to have the feet always warm and 

 dry; and to make them change their shoes as well as their clothes, whenever 

 they get wet. 



5. Cleanliness. — Children should very early be taught the necessity 

 and importance of cleanliness. They should be made to keep their hair, their 

 teeth, and nails in good order, as it not only promotes their own health and 

 comfort, but renders them agreeable to all around them. It is of the utmost 

 consequence to keep the skin very clean, as this tends to prevent many of the 

 cutaneous diseases which are so common with children, but which are so dis- 

 gusting. Washing with cold water about the chest will lessen the susceptibility 

 to cold; and about the feet, will strengthen them, and render them less liable to 

 chilblains. Sea-bathing and swimming in safe places, are excellent both for 

 health and cleanliness. Cleanliness is not without a degree of moral influence, 

 and has been very properly styled one of the minor virtues. 



6. Exercise. — Children when In tolerable health, and not of an indolent 

 disposition, seldom require to be urged to take exercise; they are rather inclined 

 to take it too much, and too violently, and need a little regulation and superin- 

 tendance in this respect The practice of gymnastics or dancing is a good 

 exercise; and girls should use the skipping ropes. When out of doors, children 

 should be allowed to choose their own amusements, and interfered with only 

 when they are in danger of doing anythiL.-^ unbecoming, or hurtful to them- 

 selves or their companions. Even girls sliou. have ample scope in their play- 

 time, and their own sense of propriety, will soon enough correct any tendency 

 to improper romping; their health will be promoted, and their figure expand; 

 and it is better to posses a sound constitution and an active frame, than to be 

 celebrated for proficiency in drawing or music, before the age of twelve or 

 thirteen. 



Moral Treatment.— We charge upon nature many of the bad passions 

 which we ourselves implant in children. The moral treatment of children is 

 generally bad. We are apt to begin by either making them our masters or out 

 slaves. Sometimes we do both, — allowing them to govern us for a time, and 



