There is another error committed in carrying children in the arms.  The head of the infant is often permitted either to hang constantly on one side, or to roll about loosely; as if it hardly belonged to the body.  In the former case there is danger of producing a habit of holding the head upon one side, which it will be very difficult to overcome; in the latter, the spinal marrow itself may be injured—­which would produce alarming and perhaps fatal consequences.

But all these evils, as has already been said, may be prevented, if the hand is placed so as to support the head and shoulders.  Let not the mother, however, who reads this work, trust the matter wholly to a nurse; she must see to it herself; else she incurs a most fearful responsibility.  The suggestions I have made are the more important in the case of children either very fleshy or very feeble, and of those disposed to rickets or scrofula; but they are important to all.

I have said that the motion of the child, on the arm, should be gentle.  Many are in the habit of tossing infants about.  There can be no objection to a slight and slow movement up and down, for a minute or so at a time; indeed, it is rather to be recommended, as likely to give strength and vigor no less than pleasure to the child.  But when such movements are carried to excess, so as to frighten the child, they are highly reprehensible.  The shock thus produced to the nervous system has sometimes been so great as to produce sudden death.  Nor is it safe to run, jump, or descend stairs hastily or violently, with a child in our arms; and for similar reasons.

Infants should not be carried always on the same arm, for there is danger of contracting a habit of leaning to one side, and thus of becoming crooked.  On this account, the arm on which they rest should be often changed.  Nor should they be grasped too firmly.  A skilful mother will hold a child quite loosely, with the most perfect safety; while an inexperienced one will grasp him so hard as to expose the soft bones to be bent out of their place, and yet be quite as liable to let him fall as she who handles him with more ease and freedom.

SEC. 3. Creeping.

“Mankind must creep before they can walk,” is an old adage often used to remind us of that patient application which is so indispensable to secure any highly important or valuable end.  But it is as true literally, as it is figuratively.  The act of creeping exercises in a remarkable degree nearly all the muscles of the body; and this, too, without much fatigue.

Some mothers there indeed are, who think it a happy circumstance if a child can be taught to walk without this intermediate step.  But such mothers must have strange ideas of the animal economy.  They must never have thought of the pleasure which creeping affords the mind, or of the vigor it imparts to the body.

Children are wonderfully pleased with their own voluntary efforts.  What they can do themselves, yields them ten-fold greater pleasure than if done by the mother or the nurse.  Yet the latter are exceedingly prone to forget or overlook all this—­and to say, at least practically, that the only proper efforts are those to which themselves give direction.