Chapter X: Exercise

SEC. 1. _Rocking in the Cradle._

Objections to the use of cradles. Under what circumstances they are least objectionable.

SEC. 2. _Carrying in the Arms._

Carrying in the arms a suitable exercise for the first two months of life. Danger of too early sitting up. Improper position in the arms. Mothers must see to this themselves. Motion in the arms should be gentle. No tossing, running, or jumping. Infants should not always be carried on the same arm.

SEC. 3. _Creeping._

Creeping useful to health. Why. Go-carts and leading strings prohibited. The longer children creep, the better. Their progress in learning to stand. Let it be slow and natural. Let it be, as much as possible, by their own voluntary efforts.

SEC. 4. _Walking._

Walking in the nursery. Walking abroad. Hoisting children into carriages. Walks should not become fatiguing.

SEC. 5. _Riding in Carriages._

Carriages useful before children can walk. Their construction. Should be drawn steadily. Position of the child in them: Falling asleep. How long this exercise should be continued.

SEC. 6 _Riding on Horseback._

Never safe for infants. Riding schools. Objections to riding on horseback, while very young. Tends to cruelty and tyranny.

CHAPTER XI. AMUSEMENTS.

Universal need of amusements. Why so necessary. Error of schools. Error of families. Infant schools, as often conducted, particularly injurious. Lessons, or tasks, should be short. Mistakes of some manual labor schools. Of particular amusements in the nursery. With small wooden cubes--pictures--shuttlecock--the rocking horse--tops and marbles--backgammon--checkers--morrice--dice--nine-pins--skipping the rope--trundling the hoop--playing at ball--kites--skating and swimming--dissected maps--black boards--elements of letters--dissected pictures.

CHAPTER XII. CRYING.

Its importance. Danger of repressing a tendency to cry. Anecdote from Dr. Rush. Physiology of crying. Folly of attempting wholly to suppress it.

CHAPTER XIII. LAUGHING.

"Laugh and be fat." Laughing is healthy. A common error. Monastic notions yet too prevalent on this subject.