Show Your Baby And Mine By Dy MYRTLE l MEYER ELDRED IS YOUR BADY BABI TOO FOND OF 01 HIS IllS THUMB By Dy some quirk o of human nat nature re the he mother who ought to be most upset up up- set et by her childs child's thumb sucking pays the he least attention to it and the mother whose baby nibbles without energy at his fist or thumb moves heaven and earth to stop it There is ss much less tendency to act in a dramatic dra matic manner about thumb-sucking thumb than formerly Whether we let the child indulge or make some intelligent intelli intelligent gent effort to discourage his thumb- thumb sucking ucking depends entirely on its type THE TYPES The type of thumb-sucking thumb in which which baby aby indulges at sleepy time is harmess harm harm- let less ess let him alone But the child I whose thumb is stuck in his mouth most of his wakIng moments and who sucks upon it vI vigorously and persistently persist persist- docs does real damage to lo the shape of his mouth and the f a alignment of his teeth This of type o thumb-sucking thumb not only deforms the childs child's mouth but is also crushing to lo his mental development de dc- dc If It the childs child's or infants infant's diet is de de- as it may be the softness o of the he bones will make this unnatural pressure on the mouth even more damaging So first of all check the childs child's diet to be sure that it is a goodone goodone good goodne one ne and that he is not suffering from any ny degree of ot rickets Assured of this his leave the mild thumb sucker lone alone alone and divert the tho attention nf ot th tho persistent thumb sucker or s or-s so change changelis l gc his lis environment that thumb-sucking thumb need no longer be pursued A HANDICAP No child can go about the business of f living whole heartedly If it he is handicapped by a thumb in irs his mouth He needs both bolh hands for any healthy activity and he needs healthful activities ac- ac to increase his knowledge and andus his us skill One of ot the reasons why thumb sucking should be checked is that hat it inhibits the childs child's natural in in- crests But the methods by which some parents attempt to end this habit are ue worse than the habit Among the undesirable methods belong the practice o of painting the thumb with some ome tasting evil drug of or putting pulling on stiff liff cuffs at the elbows of slapping or r hurting the child every time his thumb goes Into his mouth of threatening threat ening him with ith awful punishments if it he does docs not stop DISREGARD CAUSES Such methods simply disregard the causes of at the sucking thumb and andreal treat real the habit itself The They may work I in n Isolated instances Ever Every method can an be successful some of or the time In n. n the majority of ot cases however they hey are not only unsuccessful but also Iso actually increase the childs child's In terest crest in his thumb We have to admit admit ad ad- mit that it is the unhappy ill adjust ed cd nagged at t and scolded child who finds the greatest happiness when sunk unk in the unintelligent pursuit of thumb The wide awake alert peaceful and happy child has no o fleer need for such an occupation Thumb-sucking Thumb is too often a sign of unease nease an inability to find pleasurable ble le associates or stimulating inter- inter ests My leaflet Thumb Sucking and Some ome of Its s Causes offers suggestions suggestions ions about decreasing the childs child's In Interest terest in his thumb Send a self ad dressed stamped envelope with your request to Mrs Eldred of or the Your Baby and Mine department of ot this newspaper Changing the childs child's diet giving him im an opportunity to pIa play without suffocating nagging and a stream of f Dont do are usually sufficient sufficient sum sum- dent to lo end the h habit since it then has as no real excuse for tor existing Tomorrow Cod Liver OH Oil Goes Back on the Shelf Shelt I |