Short Clothes About the Fifth Month.—Short clothes should be prepared for the baby's wear at the beginning of the fifth month, and may consist of a shirt, knitted band with shoulder straps, flannel skirt made on a cotton waist, in summer or a flannel one for cold weather, and having a row of small flat buttons, on to which the white petticoat may be buttoned; a diaper, and a simple white dress. For summer, white cotton stockings should always be worn, woolen ones in the winter; and they should be long enough so that they may be pinned to the diaper. Moccasins or soft kid shoes should be the first kind worn. At night a baby (in short clothes) should sleep in a shirt, band, diaper and a night-dress of cotton in summer, and flannel in winter. The change to short dresses should not be made in very cold weather; and if the baby is born at such a time as to make it necessary, he may be put into short clothes as early as the end of his third or fourth month, rather than to wait until later and make the change in mid-winter.
Clothing in Summer.—Even in summer, the baby should have clothing which contains some wool. A mixture of silk and wool or cotton and wool may be used for the shirt, band and skirt. The band should never be left off; the shirt may be left off in the hottest weather and the long ribbed band with shoulder-straps may take its place, but the abdomen must be covered by means of the band. The nightdress should now be of cotton and the skirt left off at night, but the band and the thin skirt should be worn. Long, white cotton stockings reaching to the napkin should be worn all summer, and not short socks.
The head should be kept cool, therefore do not use a sunbonnet which shuts out all of the air. Muslin caps and light pique hats provide enough shade, if the baby-carriage has a parasol.
Creeping aprons can be used for babies. They are made of fine gingham and may be put over the dress or worn without one in very warm weather. Make them so as to button all the way down the back, and they sometimes have an elastic or draw-string run into the hem at the bottom of the apron so that the white skirts may be kept clean.
For early fall, two or three little jackets of light flannel or cashmere can be made; and the baby can wear one of these either over or under his white dress in the morning or evening when it is cool. The baby should be in the house by six o'clock unless the weather is exceptionally warm. In the fall, if he has been accustomed to having his nap on the piazza, in his carriage, a screen should-be placed around the carriage to protect him from any possible draught. After the first of October, in chilly days, he should have his nap in the house.
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Winter.—A year-old baby in winter should wear a medium weight wool shirt, knit band with shoulder-straps, a flannel skirt on a flannel waist, white skirt buttoned on to the waist of the flannel skirt, woolen stockings pinned to the diaper, laced shoes, a white dress of some cotton material and for very cold days, a little flannel, or cashmere sack. At night should be worn a band, shirt, diaper and flannel night-dress long enough to keep his feet warm. For an outing in the winter he should have on a light, but warmly lined coat; a wadded lamb's wool lining is best, but it is expensive, and flannel may be used. His bonnet should be lined with flannel; and leggings and mittens should be of wool.
First Half of Second Year.—A baby of this age may wear a thin gauze shirt with short sleeves, but he should wear under it the ribbed silk and wool band and also his flannel petticoat during the summer. Summer complaint is often kept off by such clothing.
Second Half of Second Year.—A baby of this age is too young to walk in the streets in the winter, and his feet cannot be protected from the damp and cold sidewalks by the usual roomy shoes. When in the go-cart instead of his carriage, his legs should be well covered, so that dampness and wind will not chill and give him a cold. A large bag having a draw-string at the top is an excellent thing to use for the lower part of baby's body while in the go-cart, and the strings should be drawn up and tied under his arms. This bag may be made of any material (warm) from eiderdown, cloth, flannel to felting; or it may simply be made of an old crib blanket and a small carriage robe placed over it. Baby's ears should be covered at this age on very cold days, when out. The baby girl should wear a lined bonnet, well covering her eyes. Tam O'Shanter caps of angora wool can be made and pulled down over the eyes for both girls and boys alike; or a soft felt hat with rosettes of ribbon lined with flannel sewed onto the elastic can be made for the boy to protect the head and ears.
By the time baby is two years old, diapers should be given up and little drawers used instead. It may be frequently necessary to use diapers at night for several months longer, although if the baby be taken up at ten or eleven o'clock p. m. he will frequently go all night without urinating.