Flies are one of the greatest carriers of typhoid and other germs and filth of all sorts. They can be gotten rid of only when the breeding places are destroyed and the flies killed as rapidly as possible. Materials that attract flies should not be exposed in and about the house. The house should be well screened with wire mesh or mosquito netting to keep out the flies. A fly swatter should be kept at hand. Stables should be cleaned daily and the barn lot. frequently sprayed with kerosene, creoline, or lime. Fleas will be troublesome if cats or dogs are kept in the house. These house pets should be given frequent baths, the rugs on which they lie should be brushed and shaken daily, and the floors washed with soap and water and wiped with kerosene. Moths are apt to develop in woolen garments unless the garments are thoroughly shaken and absolutely protected by wrapping in newspaper and put away. Woolen garments that are used only occasionally should be kept in a light, dry place, handled frequently, and hung in the sun occasionally. Moths or carpet beetles can be exterminated from carpets by applying kerosene. PRELIMINARY PLAN. Give this lesson at a time when the girls are asking about the household pests or when the school is suffering from some pests. It would be well to have the lesson in the spring just before school closes, so that the girls can put into practice what they learn. It may be desirable to devote the efforts to the destruction of one particular pest. For example, a fly crusade may be inaugurated. METHOD OF WORK. If there are pests in the schoolroom, discuss their habits, what seems to attract them, where they come from, etc. Have girls report any pests they have at home. Explain why they are dangerous, tell how they can be exterminated, and assign to each girl the extermination of one household pest. Have her report each day the success of her efforts. Continue this work for several weeks. LESSON XIII. REMOVING STAINS, BLEACHING FABRICS, AND SETTING COLORS. SUBJECT MATTER. As garments and household linens are apt to become stained and thus lose their attractiveness, it is well to know remedies for the most common stains and the principle upon which their removal depends. All stains should be removed as soon after they occur as possible. Boiling water will loosen and remove coffee, tea, and fresh fruit stains. The stain should be held over a bowl and the water poured upon it with some force. Cold water will remove stains from blood or meat juice. Soaking will help in the removal of blood stains. Rust stains can be removed by wetting the stain with lemon juice, covering with salt, and placing in the sun. Stains from stove blacking, paint, and grass can be removed by soaking in kerosene and washing well with soap and water. Ink stains can be removed by soaking in water, removing as much as possible, then soaking in milk. Stains from cream and other forms of grease can be washed out in cold water, followed with warm water and soap. White cotton and white linen materials can be bleached by exposing while damp to the sunshine. If left out overnight the bleaching process is made effective by the moisture furnished by the dew and frost. A stream of steam from the teakettle may also help the bleaching process. Some colors are set by the addition of a small amount of acid to the first water in which they are soaked, while others are set by the use of salt. It is necessary to try a small amount of the material before dipping in the entire garment in order to be sure of results. Vinegar should be used for blues; use one-half cup to one gallon of water. Salt is most effective for browns, blacks, and pinks. In most cases two cups of salt to one gallon of cold water will be enough. PRELIMINARY PLAN. The towels used for drying dishes or the linen used for some school entertainment may have become stained with coffee, fruit, or some other substance. Make this the basis of a lesson and have the girls bring other things from which they wish to remove stains. Each girl should have an article from which to remove a stain. Let this lesson be preliminary to the lesson on laundry work. METHOD OF WORK. Examine the various articles at hand from which stains are to be removed. Discuss the method of removal and have each girl work on her own stain until it is as nearly removed as possible. LESSON XIV. WASHING dish towELS, SCHOOL CURTAINS, ETC. SUBJECT MATTER. Dish towels should be thoroughly washed out at least once a day. Wash one piece at a time (cleanest first) in warm soapy water and rinse in clear water in another pan. Hang up in the sun, if possible, Boil at least once a week in soapy so that the air will pass through. water to keep fresh and white. Sunshine and fresh air are valuable for the purpose of bleaching and purifying. .. Wash the school curtains in hot, soapy water; boil, rinse, and blue slightly. A small amount of thin starch may be desirable for the curtains. A thin starch can be made as follows: RECIPE FOR THIN STARCH. cup starch. cup cold water. Add the cold water to the starch and lard, stir until smooth, then add the boiling water slowly, stirring constantly. Boil for several minutes in order to cook the starch thoroughly; then add one pint of cold water and a small amount of bluing. Dilute if necessary. Hang the curtains in the sun to dry, shaking well before putting on the line and folding the edge over at least 6 inches. Be sure to have a clean line. When dry, fold carefully. A short time before ironing, sprinkle well. PRELIMINARY PLAN. It may be desirable to give this lesson earlier in the course, if cooking lessons are being given and dish towels are in use, or if the school curtains are badly soiled. Other articles may be washed if time and facilities permit. METHOD OF WORK. Discuss briefly the need for laundry work and the general principles. Have the girls each take a turn washing the towels or curtains; examine the article after it is washed and give careful directions for the boiling, bluing, and starching. While these processes are being completed, have some of the girls prepare the line. Have two girls appointed to bring the towels in off the line before they go home from school. LESSON XV. IRONING. SUBJECT MATTER. To do good ironing it is necessary to have a firm, unwarped ironing board. This should be covered with some thick woolen material and a white muslin cover that is clean, smooth, and tightly drawn. The thick cover should be tacked on, while the top cover should be pinned so that it can be easily taken off for cleaning. A heavy holder should be provided for handling the irons. Irons should be clean and smooth. Paper should be kept at hand to keep the irons clean and a piece of beeswax, sandpaper, or salt should be provided for keeping them smooth. A small cloth should be used to wipe off the iron after using the beeswax. A newspaper should be spread on the floor to protect any pieces that may hang down that far while being ironed. The coarser towels should be ironed first, as the irons grow smoother the longer they are used. Starched pieces should not be ironed until the irons have become very hot. Every piece should be ironed until perfectly dry. If the article is first laid smooth it will be easier to iron it and keep it in shape. As soon as ironing is completed the articles should be hung up to air out well. PRELIMINARY PLAN. Arrange to have the ironing lesson just as soon after the laundry lesson as possible. It will probably be easy to borrow the necessary equipment from near-by homes. Each girl can be appointed to bring something that will contribute toward the equipment and one girl can be appointed to have the fire ready and another to put the irons on to heat before the lesson hour. METHOD OF WORK. Call the girls together early in the morning or at some other time previous to the lesson period and give them directions for sprinkling the articles to be ironed. When the class hour comes, demonstrate the method of ironing, folding, and hanging the articles and have the girls take turns doing the work. LESSONS XVI AND XVII. CARE OF THE BABY. SUBJECT MATTER. Because young girls are fond of little children and must often help their mothers with their baby brothers and sisters, they should know how to care for them. It is essential that they understand the following points: The little body needs protection. The head is soft and the brain may be injured by hard bumps or pressure. The skin is tender and is easily irritated by the bites of insects, friction, etc. Kicking, wiggling, etc., are necessary to the development of the baby's muscles, but the baby should not be played with all the time for it is well for it to lie quietly a portion of the time while awake. It should not be made to sit up until ready to do so. A desire to creep should be encouraged. Standing or walking should not be taught the baby until it tries to do so for itself and then it must be helped very carefully. The baby should have plenty of fresh air and should be allowed to spend much of its time out of doors. In cold weather the baby must be warmly covered and sheltered from high winds. Its eyes should always be protected from strong sunlight. Regular hours should be observed for sleep and the baby should be put to bed early at night. If the house is not well screened, a mosquito bar should be put over the baby's crib. Clothing should be light and loose, so that the body can move freely. Perfect cleanliness is necessary to keep the baby's skin in good condition. A daily bath should be given. A morning hour is usually the best time for bathing the baby, midway between the meals. The baby should be taught to use the chamber before the bath and after the nap. Everything should be ready before the baby is undressed. The room should be very warm. The water should be only moderately warm and should be carefully tested to make sure that it is not too hot. The towels and covers for the baby should be at hand. The head and feet should be washed first, and the body soaped before putting the child into the bath. Little soap should be used for washing the baby, for even the best soap is strong and apt to irritate the delicate skin. The bath should be given quickly, the body wiped very dry and covered as soon as washing is completed. The baby should be fed in small quantities at regular intervals and given plenty of cold water to drink. Not until 11 or 12 months of age should it be given solid or semisolid food. Even then milk should continue to form the basis of the child's diet, and of this a considerable quantity should be used-about a quart a day from the twelfth month on. As the child grows older a more varied diet will be necessary. The most hygienic methods of food preparation must always be observed. Certain foods should never be given: Fried foods, pastries, condiments, pickles, preserves, canned meats, fish, pork, sausage, cheap candies, coarse vegetables, unripe and overripe fruits, stimulants, foods treated with a preservative or coloring matter, and half-cooked starches. PRELIMINARY PLAN. The teacher should talk with the girls in order to see what points in connection with the care of the baby it is necessary for them to know in order to do their work at home intelligently. METHOD OF WORK. It will probably not be possible to have anything more than a class discussion of the points in question, but the girls' home experiences ought to make this discussion vital. If there is a nurse is the neighborhood who can be secured to give one lesson on the care of the baby, the teacher should supplement her own lessons with an additional lesson by the nurse. In connection with the care of the baby the teacher will be able to secure help from bulletins entitled: Infant Care, Care of Children, Series No. 2, Bureau Publication No. 8, Children's Bureau, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Food for Young Children, Farmers' Bulletin 717, Division of Publications, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. The Care of the Baby, United States Public Health Service. The Summer Care of Infants. United States Public Health Service. |