Don'ts for Mothers - Anonymous

Following the success of Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives, this is a brand-new collection of hundreds of time-honored, often amusing bits of advice from the early 20th century. Mixing sound and practical guidance with bizarre notions, it all proves that no generation of mothers was ever 100 percent clear on how to best raise a baby. \n \nFollowing the success of Don'ts for Husbands and Don'ts for Wives a brand new old collection of advice: \n\n \n - from Birth to Weaning \n\n \n - the care of Young Children\n \n - Boyhood and Girlhood \n\n \nDon't wash the baby in hot water, it would weaken and enervate the babe, and thus predispose him to disease. Luke warm rain water will be the best to wash him with. \n\n \nDon't choose a wetnurse of a consumptive habit. Check if she or any of \nher family have laboured under king's evil ascertaining if there be \nany seams or swellings about her neck \n\n \nDon't rock an infant to sleep, it might cause him to fall into a \nfeverish, disturbed slumber, but not into a refreshing, calm sleep. \nBesides, if you once take to that habit he will not go to sleep without \nit. \n\n \nDon't add either gin or oil of peppermint to the babe's food. It is a murderous practice \n\n \nDon't purge an infant during teething or any other time. IF WE LOCK UP \nTHE BOWELS, WE CONFINE THE ENEMY, AND THUS PRODUCE MISCHIEF\n