In all these things some children develop earlier than others, but too
early development is to be regretted. Precocious children are always
of a delicate nervous organization. Fiske[D] has proved to us that the
reason why the human young is so far more helpless and dependent than
the young of any other species is because the activities of the human
race have become so many, so widely varied, and so complex, that they
could not fix themselves in the nervous structure before birth. There
a only a few things that the chick needs to know in order to lead a
successful chicken life; as a consequence these few things are well
impressed upon the small brain before ever he chips the shell; but the
baby needs to learn a great many things--so many that there is no
time or room to implant them before birth, or indeed, in the few years
immediately succeeding birth. To hurry the development, therefore,
of certain few of these faculties, like the faculties of talking,
and walking, of imitation or response, is to crowd out many other
faculties perhaps just beginning to grow. Such forcing will limit the
child's future development to the few faculties whose growth is thus
early stimulated. Precocity in a child, therefore, is a thing to be
deplored. His early ripening foretells a early decay and a wise mother
is she who gives her child ample opportunity for growing, but no
urging.

[Sidenote: Ample Opporunity for Growth]

Ample opportunity for growth includes (1) Wholesome surroundings, (2)
Sufficient sleep, (3) Proper clothing, (4) Nourishing food. We will
take up these topics in order.


[Footnote A: W. Preyer. Professor of Physiology, of Jena, author of