Teaching a Child to Walk.

Exercise is essentially important to the health of theobject on which it has seized. Next it will balance itself
infant. Its first exercise, of course, will be in the nurse'swithout holding, and will proudly and laughingly show
arms. After a month or two, when it begins to sleepthat it can stand alone. Fearful, however, as yet of
less during the day, it will delight to roll and kick aboutmoving its limbs without support, it will seize a chair or
on the sofa: it will thus use its limbs freely; and this, withanything else near it, when it will dare to advance as
carrying out into the open air, is all the exercise itfar as the limits of its support will permit. This little
requires at this period. By and by, however, the child willadventure will be repeated day after day with
make its first attempts to walk. Now it is important thatincreased exultation; when, after numerous trials, he will
none of the many plans which have been devised tofeel confident of his power to balance himself, and he
teach a child to walk, should be adopted the go-cart,will run alone. Now time is required for this gradual
leading-strings, etc.; their tendency is mischievous; andself-teaching, during which the muscles and bones
flatness of the chest, confined lungs, distorted spine,become strengthened; and when at last called upon to
and deformed legs, are so many evils which oftensustain the weight of the body, are fully capable of
originate in such practices. This is explained by the factdoing so.
of the bones in infancy being comparatively soft andExercise during childhood.
pliable, and if prematurely subjected by theseWhen the child has acquired sufficient strength to take
contrivances to carry the weight of the body, theyactive exercise, he can scarcely be too much in the
yield just like an elastic stick bending under a weight,open air; the more he is habituated to this, the more
and as a natural consequence become curved andcapable will he be of bearing the vicissitudes of the
distorted.climate. Children, too, should always be allowed to
It is highly necessary that the young and experiencedamuse themselves at pleasure, for they will generally
mother should recollect this fact, for the early effortstake that kind and degree of exercise which is best
of the little one to walk are naturally viewed by hercalculated to promote the growth and development of
with so much delight, that she will be apt to encouragethe body. In the unrestrained indulgence of their youthful
and prolong its attempts, without any thought of thesports, every muscle of the body comes in for its
mischief which they may occasion; thus many a parentshare of active exercise; and free growth, vigour, and
has had to mourn over the deformity which she hashealth are the result.
herself created.If, however, a child is delicate and strumous, and too
It may be as well here to remark, that if such distortionfeeble to take sufficient exercise on foot, and to such
is timely noticed, it is capable of correction, even aftera constitution the respiration of a pure air and exercise
evident curvature has taken place. It is to be remediedare indispensable for the improvement of health, and
by using those means that shall invigorate the frame,without them all other efforts will fail, riding on a donkey
and promote the child's general health (a daily plungeor pony forms the best substitute. This kind of
into the cold bath, or sponging with cold salt water, willexercise will always be found of infinite service to
be found signally efficacious), and by avoiding thedelicate children; it amuses the mind, and exercises the
original cause of the distortion never allowing the childmuscles of the whole body, and yet in so gentle a
to get upon his feet. The only way to accomplish themanner as to induce little fatigue.
latter intention, is to put both the legs into a largeThe exercises of horseback, however, are most
stocking; this will effectually answer this purpose, while,particularly useful where there is a tendency in the
at the same time, it does not prevent the free and fullconstitution to pulmonary consumption, either from
exercise of the muscles of the legs. After somehereditary or accidental causes. It is here beneficial, as
months pursuing this plan, the limbs will be found nowell through its influence on the general health, as more
longer deformed, the bones to have acquired firmnessdirectly on the lungs themselves. There can be no
and the muscles strength; and the child may bedoubt that the lungs, like the muscles of the body,
permitted to get upon his feet again without anyacquire power and health of function by exercise. Now
hazard of perpetuating or renewing the evil.during a ride this is obtained, and without much fatigue
The best mode of teaching a child to walk, is to let itto the body. The free and equable expansion of the
teach itself, and this it will do readily enough. It will firstlungs by full inspiration, necessarily takes place; this
crawl about: this exercises every muscle in the body,maintains their healthy structure, by keeping all the
does not fatigue the child, throws no weight upon theair-passages open and pervious; it prevents congestion
bones, but imparts vigour and strength, and is thusin the pulmonary circulation, and at the same time
highly useful. After a while, having the power, it will wishprovides more completely for the necessary chemical
to do more: it will endeavour to lift itself upon its feetaction on the blood, by changing, at each act of
by the aid of a chair, and though it fail again and againrespiration, a sufficient proportion of the whole air
in its attempts, it will still persevere until it accomplish it.contained in the lungs, all objects of great importance,
By this it learns, first, to raise itself from the floor; andand all capable of being promoted, more or less, by the
secondly, to stand, but not without keeping hold of themeans in question.