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22
The matter of sleep and rest for the.war-time child
is a problem, due, I think, to lack of discipline. The
noise of aircraft is also disturbing if sleeping out of
doors.
With health also goes the mental and psychological
effect of War-time, upon the child.. The 3 to 5 year
ohls appear'more difficult for the mother to manage,
Absence of parental authority tends to make the child
more .self-willed or they develop a "mother" complex.
The War-time Nursery is in some instances a good
remedy for lack of discipline and ppor home management.
From observation, I should say the war-time
child is advanced mentally. He becomes independent at
an earlier age and expends more nervous energy. By 4
years of age most ,toddlers wish to go to school and if
able to attend a nursery class, settle down and are happy
in their nursery work.
Welfare Centres.
By discontinuing one weekly session at Bromley
Common we have been able to open up a new weekly
session for the area of Southborough, held at Bay's
Hall, Southborough, on Fridays.
Again a tribute, must be extended to the voluntary
workers for unfailing and invaluable aid a,t the Centres.
Without this aid the staff would find the stress of
routine at the centres overwhelming.
The year 1942 records an improvement in attendances
which was not to be expected having regard to the
increased employment of mothers on. War work. '
During 1942 a thorough revision of the registers
was made by eliminating many of the non-attenders,
children entering school, and removals. Thus is presented
a comparable figure with the pre-War year 1938.
The following table gives a comparison in figures of
some of the work of the Centres:-
'1942 1941 1940 1939 1938
Total No. of babies on the registers
2521 3885 3671 3389 2749
Total attendances of babies at all
the Centres 20071 15989 20433 25993 27105
Total of medical examinations 4247 2793 3085 3535 4174
Total number of weighings 17974 14583 18353 22899 24011