View report page

1930]
22
"Many mothers are glad to send a child to school as early as three years old.
The difficulties of the present housing' conditions affect the children more adversely,
both physically and psychologically, from that age than when they are babies.
Also, an only child needs companionship, or soon becomes spoiled and difficult,
and if another baby nas arrived the older child misses the mother's attentions, its
needs are often overlooked, and disagreements start between parents and children.
The regular routine, communal life and diversified interests of school-life often
work wonders with a child's behaviour, health and appetite."
"Many parents make a valiant fight and succeed in real home-making, and
bring up healthy children even in the most difficult circumstances. They use the
Parks and Open Spaces very much more than of old, and the Nurses give many
helpful hints in their visits to the homes."
"The practical lessons in training given at our two Convalescent Homes to
members of about 130 families each year, have a marked effect both on these
families and on their friends. The children sent to Miss Fleetwood's Home for
Toddlers have all shown improvement, not only in health and weight, but also in
conduct, and not one child has been returned as unmanageable or homesick."
"We are making special efforts to keep in touch with our older children, up
to school age. Some mothers bring as many as three children at a time to the
Centre, but some find it difficult to bring up more than one. They are encouraged
to bring the older children at fixed periods, and we now devote the first week in
each month specially to toddlers' clinics, though the mothers can also bring their
babies then. The toddlers are given a picture post-card with the date for their
next visit."
"It is more and more becoming realised that the emphasis in education for
life is shifting to the earlier years, in which the habits, sentiments and trends of
thought are established, and our Centre is playing its part in this early education of
some 1,000 children."
"Ante-Natal Consultations.—It is found to be a little difficult to make the
work known to young women expecting their first baby, and the Centre is anxious
to do more in this direction. Leaflets published by the Maternal Mortality Committee
are being distributed by the Centre's Health Visitors, and it is hoped the
necessity for ante-natal care will be more generally recognised in the district, as it
is felt that the ante-natal work is on a very firm basis and a real help to the mothers
who attend."
East Centre.—"This Centre sustained a great loss in the death of one of its
Vice-Presidents, Dr. Ethel Bentham, M.P., who died during the year.
"The Committee report in their review of the work from the point of view of
one of the mothers attending the Centre—formerly a shop assistant—an illustration
of the work of this Centre, as instanced in the particular case, which must be
typical of many others. This life history, given in miniature, is here quoted as an
interesting way of showing what a Welfare Centre does. She settled in East
Islington after marriage, and in due course found that she was expecting to become
a mother. 'At first she was pleased at the prospect, and then became rather
worried. She did not always feel well, and asked herself if all was as it should be.'