Its influence is felt in ever widening
circles.
Infancy and youth are plastic. Both body and mind are susceptible to
surrounding influences. If the heredity is unfavorable it can be largely
modified by favorable environments. If a child is born of unhealthy
parents, but without any serious defect, and is intelligently cared for
after birth, it will grow up to be healthy. On the other hand, a child
born of healthy parents that is improperly cared for will become ill and
perhaps die young.
In early years the habits are formed that will largely influence and
control the years of maturity. Most children learn bad habits from
birth. It is as easy to acquire good habits as bad ones, and as people
are largely creatures of habits, every parent should aim to give his
children a good start. Parents seldom do wrong intentionally, but they
are careless and many of the parental habits of the race are bad, and
for this the future generations must suffer.
It is easier and more economical to have healthy babies than to have
sickly ones. The healthy way is the simple way. It merely means
self-control, common sense and constructive knowledge on the part of the
parents.
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