Habits are a great part of life. The forming of proper ones should have more attention than is usually given to them. Habits is a tendency of mind to do that which it has done before. When considered in this simple way habit becomes one of the great forces in our lives. It is by taking advantage of this fact that we are able to develop rapidity and efficiency in movement. This shows itself in playing games or musical instruments and in later life in the operation of machines in office and factory.

Every child begins to form habits with his first actions. He has his individual way of dressing, which is simply the result of having repeated this method several times. Each repetition adds to the strength of the habit.

To correct a habit it will be necessary for you to suggest a new method and see to it that it is repeated a sufficient number of times to become the stronger tendency. No habit is or can be formed without the element of repetition.

Realizing that children are forming habits which will follow them through life should suggest to the parent the importance of consciously guiding the child in their formation. Do not allow careless, inefficient, dawdling methods to become fixed. Of course, these may in later years be changed to more efficient methods by the child himself, but it will be at the expense of considerable effort and loss of time. On the other hand, many children will not correct the habits and will be handicapped by them all through life.

There are certain simple regulations of health that are of vital importance to the life success of every one and the parent should attend to their becoming habits while the child is small.

Mental efficiency and accuracy are quickly influenced by bodily conditions. Poor health or physical inability are never accompanied with 100% mental efficiency. You may at once think of some examples of men of high mental caliber who were deficient and handicapped by physical disability. This is sometimes the case, but it is an exception, and an illustration of success won, in spite of difficulty. Think of what such an indomitable spirit could have accomplished in a more perfect physical body.

Deep Breathing

One of the strong influences on health is that of purifying the blood in the lungs. Plenty of fresh air is necessary for this purifying, and insufficient or impure air supply in the lungs will send the blood back to the heart only partially cleansed.

Teach the child to stand erect, to consider his position when sitting, and at all times to demand fresh air. Do not be afraid of an open window, always have good ventilation, especially in sleeping rooms. Give the child a simple exercise for deep breathing and help him to use it until he has formed the habit of taking several deep breaths of fresh air immediately upon arising in the morning; each time he goes out of a building into the open air; and many times during the day. Singing, running, skipping, jumping rope, etc., are all good exercises to stimulate deep breathing. See to it that the child breathes through the nose.

Drinking Water

Many chronic troubles result from the simple neglect to supply the body with sufficient water. An average grown person should have two quarts of water a day and more in warmer weather. The lack of any habitual time for drinking this water usually results in not getting it at all. Continued disregard of the craving of the body for water, because "it is not convenient to get it" at the time, will result in the cessation of this natural demand. Many persons have said, "I don't require that much water; I never drink but a glass or two." Inquiry will reveal the fact that these persons are usually sufferers from constipation or some other chronic trouble. Drinking a proper amount of water will cure many cases of constipation.

To be sure that the child gets sufficient water adopt some systematic time for drinking. A glass before meals is beneficial to digestion. It stimulates the flow of the digestive juices. Drinking during meals is not injurious under one condition, that is that no water is taken while you have any food in the mouth. Clear the mouth of food and then drink, do not wash your food down. Be careful not to take cold water soon after eating hot food, there is danger of cracking the enamel of the teeth. A habit should be formed of drinking a glass of water when washing in the morning; wash the stomach as well as the face and hands.

An average meal requires moisture equal to about five glasses. This is drawn from the system if not supplied with the meal. A glass of water before and one after each meal is an aid to digestion rather than a detriment. Make this a habit. It is a convenient time to furnish the amount of water required by the body, and more than the two glasses is better than less.

If the child is troubled with constipation or an approach to it see to it that he gets a copious supply of water and you will find the trouble relieved.

Rest and Sleep

As long as you can continue the practice do not allow the children to get "too old" for an afternoon rest. Even if he can not sleep, to lie down and relax will be of very definite value to health and bodily resistance of disease. If you are encouraging the cultivation of "the silence" and periods of constructive thought this can be combined with the rest period.

Rest and relaxation should be synonymous. To be able to relax thoroughly is of great value in the strenuous years of later life and should be cultivated and become habitual when young. In order that the child's sleep shall be of utmost value teach him to practice relaxation upon lying down and always doing so before falling asleep. This, coupled with a positive mental attitude, will make his sleep most profitable.

Never allow the child to go to sleep in anger or fright. Take time to change all negative mental conditions to positive ones before you leave him. Unless unavoidable he should not be punished before retiring. The mental attitude in which he falls asleep will continue through the night. Experiments have proven that fear, worry, hate, etc., produce an actual poison in the blood and it affects the bodily condition, of course. Blood taken from a man while in a fit of anger and injected into a rabbit will kill the rabbit almost immediately. These facts are not new but they need to be taken more into consideration in training children.

Thinking Health

There is no doubt in anyone's mind in these days that conditions of mind influence conditions of the body. Positive and constructive thinking will aid health. Your study of the subject of suggestion shows this to be true and the results are beyond doubt.

In cases of sickness suggestion will be found of great help. To suggest that the child will be "better in the morning"; to suggest that he "is better, he looks better, he acts better," etc. All these positive thoughts are helpful. This is a deep subject and parents should give it some careful thought and investigation.

In cases of epidemics do not allow the child to think that he must be taken by it. Suggest the opposite and induce him to think that he is not going to be sick, this mixed with a generous amount of common sense in general health conditions and reasonable caution will prove helpful to say the least.

All of these subjects together with those of foods and right eating, which are very important, have been thoroughly covered by many experts and should have the careful attention of parents. Use the best methods possible to improve the child's physical condition, which will in turn increase his mental efficiency.

Unusual conditions of mind or body which are not understood by the parent should not be allowed to "drift along" or to see if "they may not be outgrown." Seek the advice of a reputable physician and save the possibility of regret.

That, "A stitch in time saves nine" is doubly true of a child's health.

Ambition Pulls

From his earliest years your child is shaping his career. What he does today wields a strong influence on what he will do tomorrow. The sooner you realize this the better his chances of final success.

Ambition is a great impelling force, encourage its development in your children. With strong ambition they can get farther than with greater ability but lacking in ambition.

A boy sat on a fence holding a kite but not watching it as boys usually do. A gentleman, in passing, was attracted to the boy and noticed that he was blind. This aroused his curiosity as to what pleasure a blind boy could get flying a kite, so he asked him: "Do you enjoy flying the kite?" "Yes, sir," was the prompt reply. "But you cannot see it." "No, sir; but say, mister, I can feel 'er pull."

So is ambition, you can't see it, but "you can feel 'er pull."

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Obvious spelling and punctuation errors have been standardized.
There are inconsistencies in the Table of Contents regarding chapters and sections. The Table of Contents is presented as it appears in the original.