Читать книгу The Care of Children - Sebastian Kneipp Kneipp - Страница 12

The Nursery.

It is a recognized and remarkable fact that little children who have been taken out into the open air point to the door even before they can speak as if they wished to go again, and as soon as they can walk they try to get to the window or door no matter how cold the wind is blowing outside.

This is a proof that children prefer the cold, fresh air to being shut up in a room.

A child will only remain in the day-room when it is obliged to do so. It may be prompted by different motives which it does not itself recognize. It is certainly a fact that fresh air attracts it and promotes its prosperity.

This affords us a hint as to what the nursery should be like; first there must be good wholesome air in the room, for if this be lacking the children will not prosper even though all other rules be kept for the preservation of health. As air and sunshine are necessary to the vegetable world, just think of the blades of grass behind the house or under the trees! They are equally necessary to the tender little plants of the nursery. The room set apart for the children to live in must be dry and light and must be regularly aired and ventilated so that only an unimportant difference exists between out of doors and the living room or nursery. If in any way the air of the room is rendered impure, either by damp walls or drying the linen there, it is deeply to be deplored for with each breath the children draw in disease-producing germs

This thing alone is sufficient to block the road towards health and strength.

Of course in winter the nursery must be heated but it is not at all necessary to have it so extremely hot; 15° of warmth will suffice.

If the children lie in bed this is sufficient; if they are out of bed they are seldom quiet, and if perfectly well they keep themselves warm by their movements. Children have their own peculiar gymnastics, by which their bodies gain a certain amount of benefit.

I pray you, Mothers and Nurses, not to fumigate your nurseries with pastilles and perfumes, but rather open your windows. It is quite easy to avoid a draught.