hool did he correct the word "bewhind," for in the nursery
he learned the line "wagging their tails bewhind them." Baby talk is
very cunning, and often the adult members of the family pick it up and
keep it up for years, and only when they are exposed in public, as one
mother was on a suburban platform by her four-year-old lad shouting,
"Mamma, too-too tain tumin, too-too tain tumin," do they sense their
responsibility and realize how difficult it is to form new habits.
This poor mother tried in vain to have her little fellow say, as did
another little lad two and one-half years old, "Mother, the train's
coming; let's get on."

Many words of our beloved language at best are hard to understand; so
let us speak correct English to the little folks and they will reward
us by speaking good English in return.

If at two years the child makes no attempt at speech, suspicions
should be aroused concerning mutism or other serious nervous defects.
Medical advice should be sought.

DEFECTIVE SPEECH

All guttural tones which may be occasioned by adenoids or enlarged
tonsils, all lisping, stuttering, or defective speech of all words
should be taken in hand at the very start, as they are usually
overcome by constant repetition of the correct manner of speaking the
particular word in question. Children of defective speech need special
training, and should in no way be allowed rapidly to repeat little
nursery rhymes, as oftentimes this rapid repetition of rhymes by a
child with hereditary nervous defects may occasion stuttering or
stammering later on.

CALISTHENICS

Special exercise should not be forced upon young children. Physical
culture, along with many other things intended for sedentary adults,
should never be forced upon little folks who get all of the exercise
they need in the many journeys they take building their blocks,
sailing their boats, tearing down imaginary houses, making imaginary
journeys--from morning until night the little feet are kept
busy--never stopping until the sandman comes at sleepy time. Do not
yourself attempt to stimulate a child who seems backward. Consult your
physician. You had much better put a child out to grow up in the yard
by himself with his sandpile than to force calisthenics or advance
physical training upon him.

BOW LEGS AND WALKING

Do not attempt to hasten nature in aiding the child to walk. Let him
creep, roll, slide, or even hunch along the floor--wait until he pulls
him