The new born baby is exercising many of its muscles in the very act of feeding at the breast. Crying in itself is a very important exercise for the lungs and the diaphragm and plays a very important part in the development of the baby’s musculature. You have just to watch a baby feeding or crying to confirm these facts it can be said that the baby sometimes seems to cry just for the exercise the act involves. If therefore the baby seems to be crying naturally without any real cause of discomfort, you should not be in a hurry to stop its crying. Every tendency and activity of a child is natural and instinctive and rather than trying to stop such activity without after careful consideration. Our knowledge of the general principles and other information regarding the methods and manner of bringing up a child cannot be applied indiscriminately and uniformly to all children. For instance, a child that is normal in its health and in other ways may not cry, or may do so very infrequently. In such a case if the mother tries by various means to make it cry in the belief that ‘crying strengthens the lungs’ she would in fact be harming the child.
Play and exercise cannot really be distinguished in the case of a baby. Play exercises a variety of muscles, and the baby may enjoy exercising its muscles. In point of fact every kind of activity in playing involves movements of the muscles of the arms, legs and other parts of the body, and is thus a form of exercise.
There is a gradual accumulation of energy in the body of a child as it develops and grows. When the energy accumulates in abundance, it demands an outlet, and the child naturally turns to play. The exercise afforded by the activities involved in playing helps the child to use up the excess energy. As a British psychologist has aptly put it, ‘Play is the catharsis of the surplus energies of the child’.
Thus a judicious blend of sleep, play and exercise makes as great a contribution to the growth and development of the child as do all other factors put together.
Play and exercise cannot really be distinguished in the case of a baby. Play exercises a variety of muscles, and the baby may enjoy exercising its muscles. In point of fact every kind of activity in playing involves movements of the muscles of the arms, legs and other parts of the body, and is thus a form of exercise.
There is a gradual accumulation of energy in the body of a child as it develops and grows. When the energy accumulates in abundance, it demands an outlet, and the child naturally turns to play. The exercise afforded by the activities involved in playing helps the child to use up the excess energy. As a British psychologist has aptly put it, ‘Play is the catharsis of the surplus energies of the child’.
Thus a judicious blend of sleep, play and exercise makes as great a contribution to the growth and development of the child as do all other factors put together.
No comments:
Post a Comment