Kids r kids bitters: San Antonio – Kids ‘R’ Kids

Опубликовано: November 25, 2020 в 10:12 am

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Kids R Kids-San Antonio West Bitters Road

Kids R Kids-San Antonio West Bitters Road – Care.com San Antonio, TX Child Care Center

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^$255

per week

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^$255/week

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Kids R Kids is a locally owned and operated franchise located in San Antonio, Texas. The center is approximately 17,000 square feet with 10 classroom suites, a cafeteria, a resource room, a large activity gym for before and after school students, and four large play areas separated for age groups. The center are open on weekdays from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm.

In business since: 2006

Total Employees: 11-50

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Monday :	6:00AM – 6:30PM
Tuesday :	6:00AM – 6:30PM
Wednesday :	6:00AM – 6:30PM
Thursday :	6:00AM – 6:30PM
Friday :	6:00AM – 6:30PM
Saturday :	Closed
Sunday :	Closed

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Preschool (or Nursery School or Pre-K)

Kindergarten

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Summer care / camp

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Child Care / Preschools / Preschools in San Antonio, TX / Kids R Kids-San Antonio West Bitters Road

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Kids R Kids 1909 W Bitters Rd, San Antonio, TX 78248

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Neighborhoods

Far North Central, Deerfield

AKA

Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy At Bitters Road / Deerfield Area

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Parking: Lot, Free

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Reviews

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Rate this business!

5First-class4Better than most3About what I expected2Not the worst…1Disappointing

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Overall

My daughter has been at KRK off of Bitters and Huebner for over a year now. We love it there! They are a second home away from home for my daughter Lily. She has thrived so much! We moved to Boerne and was relocated at work but we could not bring ourselves to move schools! Its great to know I can be at work knowing my daughter is happy and well taken care of. The curriculum is great, I love the facility and they do a great job communicating whats going on around the school. Great job KRK Bitters! – Lacey

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Overall

I have had my 16 month old chi…

I have had my 16 month old child at the bitters road location since she was 6 weeks old. My daughter goes home and speaks to me in english, spanish and especially at feeding time she is surprisingly fluent in sign language. I am more than happy with the love and care my child has recieved so far. The teachers go the extra mile, the front staff makes me feel welcome every time I walk thru the door. I wouldn’t consider moving childcare centers; Kids R Kids has changed my daughters life!

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Overall

ENS

Gloria Pelayo, the "Director" Doesn’t have permission to work in the USA Her visa was expired last year, she needs to comback to Mexico and learn how to talk in English and learn how to treat people and children.

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Overall

exellent care

My children attend Kids r Kids for the past 3 years and it as been a awesome experience.The quality of care and the personal attention really makes or family feel thankfull to all the staff that care for or children on a daily basis.The inernet accsess is wonderfl to have especially for my husband who has ben deploid for the past year.

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Details

Phone: (210) 798-5300

Address: 1909 W Bitters Rd, San Antonio, TX 78248

Website: http://www.kidsrkids.com

La Petite Academy Of West Bitters
San Antonio,
Texas,
US

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Reviews:

We had an excellent experience at La Petite Academy, our daughter loved it and she even missed it during weekends. Our daughter learned a lot and she improved her speech. We never had any issues.

Went on a lengthy tour of this place because we were considering it for my daughter. It is very close to us so it would have been very convenient but I just could not send her here. The building is ru…

Being a parent is hard. Being a single parent is even harder. When they say it takes a village they weren’t lying. And this daycare is my village. The women here have all become such a huge part of ou…

I am so happy we chose La Petite Academy because our two year old daughter is having a wonderful experience, and the teachers are very nurturing, knowledgeable, and caring.
The staff at our West Bitte…

La Petite has provided a phenomenal experience for both of my daughters. From 8 weeks through school age, both of my girls came here and the oldest still wishes she could go back even though she is in…

FAQ:

La Petite Academy of West Bitters is listed under

Day care center
Child care agency
Part time daycare
Preschool
Summer camp

Here are some reviews from our users.

“We had an excellent experience at La Petite Academy, our daughter loved it and she even missed it during weekends. Our daughter learned a lot and she improved her speech. We never had any issues.”

“Went on a lengthy tour of this place because we were considering it for my daughter. It is very close to us so it would have been very convenient but I just could not send her here. The building is run down and smelly. The classrooms are confining and when we walked into the room that she would have been in there was one teacher and kids running everywhere. Chaos. Not controlled chaos, just chaos. I was actually worried for these kids seeing that no one was watching these 2 and 3 year olds. The playground is splinter heaven because it is old and run down as well. I think this place *could* be a good place if it went through a renovation. We ended up sending our kids to The Pineapple School which was a huge upgrade from this place. With all the abuse and death’s taking place in day cares and schools parents must be extra picky where they send their kids. I’m not usually one to give such negative reviews, but this place was just this bad.”

“Being a parent is hard. Being a single parent is even harder. When they say it takes a village they weren’t lying. And this daycare is my village. The women here have all become such a huge part of our lives. I’ve had my son enrolled her since he was 6 months old. He’s currently 4, and it’s going to be hard to leave when he starts real school. They are very hands on and caring about each child. They cater to the children’s need and work very well with the parents to see what needs to be done if there are areas where extra help might be needed. So glad they’ve been their to help my little man grow!”

“I am so happy we chose La Petite Academy because our two year old daughter is having a wonderful experience, and the teachers are very nurturing, knowledgeable, and caring.
The staff at our West Bitters Road location are very organized and provide structure as well. The program director is professional and has a positive rapport with the parents and children, always takes time to see if the children and parents need assistance, and she worked with me to set up the best schedule to meet my child’s needs.
The curriculum at La Petite also complements and reinforces all of the educational activities we are doing at home, so my daughter is expanding her vocabulary and social skills quickly, and she comes home happy every day.
We couldn’t ask for a safer and happier environment for our child. We give the Academy at West Bitters all five stars!”

“La Petite has provided a phenomenal experience for both of my daughters. From 8 weeks through school age, both of my girls came here and the oldest still wishes she could go back even though she is in 1st grade. My youngest takes advantage of the Flex Care program and still attends once a week since she is not in school full time. She also wishes she could be there more than anywhere else. It is so great to have a nurturing environment where the children are treated as children, not students. But, they still learn fascinating things they can’t wait to share each day. The entire staff is friendly and full of energy from open to close and the facility stays clean, which baffles me since I only have two girls and I cannot say the same for my home. I recommend La Petite at Bitters to anyone who needs child care.”

La Petite Academy of West Bitters has 4.1 stars from 17 reviews.

The address of La Petite Academy of West Bitters is
1107 W Bitters Rd,
Hidden Forest,
San Antonio,
Texas,
US.

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Modification of Bitter Taste in Children

Journal List
HHS Author Manuscripts
PMC2799510

Dev Psychobiol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2009 Dec 29.

Published in final edited form as:

Dev Psychobiol. 2003 Sep; 43(2): 120–127.

doi: 10.1002/dev.10127

PMCID: PMC2799510

NIHMSID: NIHMS162452

PMID: 12918091

Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer

The palatability of oral medications, many of which are quite bitter, plays an important role in achieving compliance in pediatric patients. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of a sodium salt to some, but not all, bitter tasting liquids enhances acceptance and reduces the perceived bitterness in 7- to 10-year-old children and their mothers. For both children and adults, sodium gluconate significantly suppressed the perceived bitterness and enhanced the acceptance of urea and caffeine whereas the reverse was true for another bitter stimulus, Tetralone. Because children preferred salted solutions more than did adults, these data suggest that the use of sodium salts may be an especially effective strategy for reducing the bitterness of some medicines and facilitating compliance among pediatric populations. However, based on sodium’s differential ability to inhibit bitterness, as has been shown here with children and adults, clearly each drug of interest must be evaluated separately.

Keywords: taste, bitter, salts, children, preference

Children and adults are subject to many of the same ailments and diseases and, by necessity, are often treated with the same drugs. However, only a small fraction of these drugs have been adequately tested in pediatric populations and consequently lack proper labeling for safety and efficacy (Committee on Drugs, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1995; Wilson, 1999). In concert with legislation that provides financial and marketing incentives for conducting pediatric studies, the Food and Drug Administration (1998) issued regulations entitled The 1998 Final Pediatric Rule requiring that applications from pharmaceutical companies for new drugs and biological products contain data to support pediatric use.

But industry and researchers have a problem. The problem lies in the fact that many medicines are quite bitter—a taste that is clearly aversive to infants (Kajuira, Cowart, & Beauchamp, 1992; Rosenstein & Oster, 1988; Steiner, 1977) and children (Berning, Griffith, & Wild, 1982; Lawless, 1985; Ramgoolam & Steele, 2002; Silbert & Frude, 1991). Indeed, it can be argued that if bitter taste sensitivity evolved, in part, to protect the organism from poisoning (Glendinning, 1994) and that most medicines are toxic substances, medicines, by their very nature, should be bitter and distasteful. In fact, bitter compounds are effective agents in deterring pediatric poisonings when used in conjunction with other preventive measures such as child-resistant closures (Rogers, 1994). Common methods of blocking distasteful bitter tastes with encapsulation can be ineffective for children since they often cannot or will not swallow pills or tablets (Steffensen, Pachaï, & Pedersen, 1998). Adding sugars may increase the palatability of some liquid medications, but chronic use of such medicine is problematic because of its association with excessive dental disease (Manley, Calnan, & Sheiham, 1994; Pawar & Kumar, 2002). Moreover, the medical and dental communities have issued calls for the use of noncariogenic substitutes in children’s liquid medicines (Manley et al., 1994).

An alternative method in suppressing the bitterness of oral medications may lie in the bitter suppressing ability of common sodium salts. In adults, sodium salts are effective in reducing the bitterness of some bittercompounds, including that of common drugs, presumably by acting at a peripheral taste level and not by cognitive effects (Bartoshuk, 1980; Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995, 1997; Keast & Breslin, 2002; Keast, Breslin, & Beauchamp, 2001; Kroeze & Bartoshuk, 1985). Whether similar mechanisms are operative in young children remains unknown. To this end, we developed methodologies that were sensitive to the cognitive limitations of pediatric populations since the methods that were used to assess bitter suppression in adults (magnitude estimation) are clearly not suitable for research on young children. Based on previous research on adults (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995), we then examined the preferences and behavioral responses of 7- to 10-year-old children for a range of bitter compounds alone or in combination with a sodium salt. We chose bitter stimuli that were either suppressed, but to varying degrees (e.g., urea: 76% suppression, caffeine: 55% suppression) or enhanced (Tetralone; iso-alpha acids found most commonly in beer) by the addition of sodium salts (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995; Yokomukai, Breslin, Cowart, & Beauchamp, 1994). The children’s mothers also were tested in tandem to obtain an estimate on how effective these new methods for children were in assessing the ability of salts to modify bitter taste in adults.

Subjects

Mothers were recruited from advertisements in local newspapers. During the telephone interview, the mother was asked whether she and her child or, in some cases, children, would like to participate in a “taste study.” The mothers (47.7% Caucasian, 38.6% African American, 4.6% Hispanic, 6.8% Asian, and 2.3% Other Ethnic Group; n=39) were, on average, 37.8 (±0.9) years and their children (26 girls, 15 boys) ranged in age from 7 to 10 years (8.8±0.2). All mothers reported that they and their children were healthy at the time of testing and were not taking any medications. Seven additional mother-children pairs began testing, but were excluded because the child could not understand the task (n=1) or did not comply with study procedures (n=6). The procedures used in this study were approved by the Office of Regulatory Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania. Informed consent was obtained from each mother, and assent was obtained from each child, prior to testing.

Stimuli

The bitter agents studied were 0.5 M urea (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO), 0.08 M caffeine (Sigma) and 1.37×10⁻⁴ M Tetralone, iso-alpha acids found most commonly in beer (Kalsec, Kalamazoo, MI). The salt solution, 0.3 M sodium gluconate (Sigma), was chosen because previous research in adults revealed that it was highly effective at suppressing the bitterness of urea and caffeine and tasted less salty than sodium chloride (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995). As shown in , the bitter and salt solutions consisted of a combination of the particular bitter agent (i.e., urea, caffeine, Tetralone) and sodium gluconate whereas the water solution used to prepare the solutions and as a rinsing solution was double-distilled, deionized (di) Millipore filtered water, hereafter referred to as water. Solutions were stored in amber glass bottles and replaced at least every 2 weeks.

Table 1

Experimental Stimuli

	Bitter Stimuli
	Urea	Caffeine	Tetralone
Bitter	0. 5 M urea	0.08 M caffeine	1.37 × 10⁻⁴ M Tetralone
Salt	0.3 M sodium gluconate	0.3 M sodium gluconate	0.3 M sodium gluconate
Bitter+salt	0.5 M urea+0.3 M sodium gluconate	0.08 M caffeine+0.3 M sodium gluconate	1.37 × 10⁻⁴ M Tetralone+0.3 M sodium gluconate
Water	Double distilled	Double distilled	Double distilled

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Procedures

Children and their mothers were tested at the Monell Center in closed rooms specifically designed for sensory testing with a high air-turnover ventilation system. The mother and her child were tested individually in separate rooms using identical procedures. To ensure that subjects understood the concept of bitterness, subjects were presented with three reference solutions that were identified as sweet (0.3 M sucrose), salty (0.3 M sodium gluconate), and bitter (0.5 M urea). Then they were given a training session in which they received pairs of samples that differed in their sweetness and bitterness. Subjects were asked to focus only on the bitter taste and point to which of the pair tasted more bitter, rinsing their mouths with water two times after tasting each sample and four times between each pair. The pairs of solutions presented during the training session included: 1.0 M urea versus 0.5 M urea; 1.0 M urea versus 0.5 M urea + 0.3 M sucrose; 1.0 M urea + 0.3 M sucrose versus water; and 1.0 M urea + 0.3 M sucrose versus 0.5 M urea 0.3 M sucrose. In some cases, therefore, the more bitter solution also was sweet whereas in others it was not. Thus, the subject learned that in some cases the more bitter solution may be a complex mixture whereas in other cases it was not.

An age-appropriate, game-like task that was fun for children and minimized the impact of language development was used. Using a forced-choice procedure, each subject was presented with all possible pairs of the four solutions (e.g., 0.5 M urea, 0.3 M sodium gluconate, 0.5 M urea 0.3 M sodium gluconate, and water), one pair at a time, and was asked to indicate which of the pair tasted more bitter during one test session and which tasted better during another. After all pairs had been presented, subjects then were presented with the urea versus urea with sodium gluconate pairing to ensure that there were no learning biases in our experimental design. An aliquot of 2 ml of each solution was presented in a 30-ml polyethylene medicine cup (Delaware Valley Surgical Supply; Boothwyn, PA). At the end of the session, subjects were again presented with each of the four solutions and asked to rank them from most to least preferred. The order of presentation of the solutions was randomized within and between each pair of samples and between subjects. Subjects rinsed and expectorated with water two times after tasting each sample and four times between each pair. A 45-s interval separated each pair of solutions, and a 5-min interval separated the three test sessions. During these intervals, children were offered a sip cup containing water and a small, unsalted cracker to cleanse their palate.

Of the children and mothers tested, 21 pairs returned for 2 additional days of testing. In counterbalanced order, approximately half (n=10) of the children and their mothers were tested with the caffeine on the second and Tetralone on the third test day; the order was reversed for the remaining motherchild dyads. Eight additional mother-child pairs were tested for one additional testing; six of these pairs were tested with caffeine and two with Tetralone. The procedures and the sodium salt used were identical to that described earlier for urea, and the bitter agent used in the training session was identical to that used during that particular day of testing. Mothers also completed a variety of questionnaires, and were asked to indicate what type of formulation (e.g., liquids, pills, chewable) of medicine they give their child and whether the child had ever successfully swallowed medicine in pill form. Each child also indicated whether they ever tried sports drinks, such as Gatorade™ and Powerade™, and if so, whether they liked such salty drinks.

Statistical Analyses

Forced-Choice Pairwise Comparisons

The null hypothesis tested was that the addition of sodium gluconate to each of the three bitter stimuli did not alter its perceived bitterness or pleasantness. Because there were no significant differences in the children’s and mothers’ first and second comparisons of bitter versus bitter+salt ( ps>0.18) for each of the three bitters (urea, caffeine, Tetralone) and for both types of comparison (“What tastes more bitter?” “What tastes better?”), data for these two comparisons were averaged.

The data for each of the three bitter stimuli were expressed as the proportion of children or mothers who chose one member of the pair as tasting either more bitter or better. Specifically, we determined the proportion of subjects who chose the bitter solution when compared to the bitter combined with sodium gluconate, sodium gluconate, or water solutions as well as the proportion of subjects who chose the bitter combined with sodium gluconate when compared to sodium gluconate or water solutions. Binomial distribution tests were then conducted to determine whether children’s and mothers’ performance for each of the pairs was above chance (i.e., the proportions were above the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for 50% responses for a given member of the pair; see Siegel & Castellan, 1988).

Preference Ranking

The null hypothesis was that there were no systematic differences in children’s or mothers’ preference ranking between the four different solutions (bitter, bitter combine with sodium gluconate, sodium gluconate, water) for each of the three bitter compounds tested. To test this, each of the four solutions was ranked according to subject’s preferences (1=most preferred; 4=least preferred). Data obtained from mothers were analyzed separately from children. Separate Friedman two-way nonparametric analyses were conducted on these preference ranking scores, one for each of the three bitter stimuli. When significant, multiple comparisons were performed to determine which differences among the solutions were significant (Siegel & Castellan, 1988). All summary statistics are expressed as means±SEM, and levels of significance were p<.05.

Overview

Sodium gluconate (a salt) suppressed the bitterness and enhanced the acceptance of urea and, to a lesser extent, caffeine, in both children and adults (). In striking contrast, this same sodium salt enhanced the bitterness in children and decreased the liking of Tetralone in both children and adults. These data suggest that not only did the children understand the task but their responses were guided by the intensity of the bitter perception, not the complexity of the mixture. Specific results for each bitter compound and each pairing are summarized in and the preference ranking data are presented in . The present study also revealed that children prefer salt more than adults do.

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Mean preference ranking scores (1=most preferred; 4=least preferred) of the four different solutions (bitter, bitter combined with sodium gluconate, sodium gluconate, water) for each of the three bitters (● 0.5 M urea, ▲0.08 M caffeine, ◇ 1.37×10⁻⁴ M Tetralone). Data obtained from children are presented in Panel A and mothers in Panel B.

Table 2

Bitter Taste Perception and Preferences in Children and Adult

	Children			Mothers
	Type of bitter
Pair-wise comparison	Urea	Caffeine	Tetralone	Urea	Caffeine	Tetralone
What tastes more bitter?
Bitter vs. Bitter+Salt	66^*	68	28^*	73^*	77^*	37
Bitter vs. Salt	61	67	74^*	77^*	73^*	91^*
Bitter vs. Water	85^*	100^*	91^*	87^*	92^*	91^*
Bitter+Salt vs. Salt	41	69^*	78^*	59	73^*	87^*
Bitter+Salt vs. Water	71^*	77^*	96^*	72^*	96^*	96^*
Salt vs. Water	54	58	65	69^*	69^*	57
Subjects (n)	41	26	23	39	26	23
What tastes better?
Bitter vs. Bitter+Salt	30^*	30^*	77^*	18^*	33	72^*
Bitter vs. Salt	30^*	35	26^*	26^*	12^*	22^*
Bitter vs. Water	20^*	4^*	17^*	10^*	8^*	0^*
Bitter+Salt vs. Salt	54	23^*	17^*	56	19^*	4^*
Bitter+Salt vs. Water	39	31^*	9^*	26^*	12^*	4^*
Salt vs. Water	37	46	48	31^*	12^*	13^*
Subjects (n)	41	26	23	39	26	23

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Note. Values are expressed as %, unless otherwise indicated (n). Children and mothers who indicated when the bitter solution, bitter solution combined with sodium gluconate, or sodium gluconate tasted “more bitter” or “better” when compared to each other, salt, or water. Bitter solutions were 0.5 M urea, 0.08 M caffeine, and 1.37 × 10⁻⁴ M Tetralone. The salt solution was 0.3 M sodium gluconate. The percentage refers to number of subjects that chose the solution that is underlined when compared to non-underlined solution of the pair.

^*p<.05.

Urea

Bitterness

As shown in , the majority of children and their mothers reported that urea seemed to taste more bitter when compared with either water (children: 85%; mothers: 87%) or the sodium gluconate solution (children: 61%; mothers: 77%), although the latter did not reach statistical significance in children (p=.08). The majority of mothers (73%) and children (66%) indicated that the solution combining urea with sodium gluconate tasted less bitter than the solution containing the same concentration of urea without the salt (ps<. 05). This sodium salt suppressed the perceived bitterness of urea; both children and mothers responded at chance levels (children: 41%, mothers: 59%; p<.10) when asked to indicate whether the urea solution containing sodium gluconate tasted more bitter than sodium gluconate alone. However, bitter suppression was not complete since 71% of the children and 72% of the mothers chose urea and salt solution as tasting more bitter than water. That sodium gluconate contributes to the bitterness of the urea plus salt solution is suggested by the finding that 69% of the mothers indicated that the sodium gluconate tasted significantly more bitter than water.

Relative Preference

The addition of sodium gluconate to the urea solution increased its acceptance in children and adults since both groups chose the urea solution containing sodium gluconate as tasting better than the urea solution alone. As can be observed in , 70% of the children and 82% of the mothers indicated that urea combined with the salt tasted better than urea alone. Moreover, children and mothers responded at chance levels when presented with sodium gluconate and the urea combined with sodium-gluconate solutions. The significant differences in the preference-ranking scores of the four solutions by children, F_r(3 df)=55.65, p<.0001, and mothers, F_r (3 df)=70.29, p<.0001, further supports data obtained from the pairwise comparisons. As shown in , urea was the least preferred solution for children, and its ranking was significantly higher (less preferred) than urea combined with sodium gluconate, sodium gluconate alone, or water; these latter three solutions were equally preferred by children. Mothers also ranked urea as least preferred, and it was less preferred than urea combined with sodium gluconate and water, but not sodium gluconate.

Caffeine

Bitterness

As shown in , both mothers and children selected caffeine and caffeine combined with sodium gluconate as tasting more bitter than either water or the sodium-gluconate solution, although the latter was a trend in children (p=. 06). Sodium gluconate significantly suppressed the bitterness of caffeine in 77% of the adult subjects; there was similar tendency in children (68%; p=.06). In comparison with urea, the bitterness of caffeine was not as well suppressed by the addition of sodium gluconate since both children (67%; p=.06) and adults (73%) chose the caffeine and salt mixture as tasting more bitter than salt alone. This is consistent with previous studies on adults (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995).

Relative Preference

Sodium gluconate significantly increased the acceptance of caffeine in children, and there was a tendency for this to occur in mothers (p=.06). For the vast majority of children and mothers, water tasted better than caffeine and caffeine combined with sodium gluconate (see ). In addition, there were significant differences in the preference-ranking scores of the four solutions in children, F_r(3 df)=39.09, p<.0001, and mothers, F_r(3 df)=51. 27, p<.0001. As can be observed in , caffeine and caffeine combined with sodium gluconate were the least preferred solutions of children and mothers (i.e., there were no significant differences between the ranking scores of these two solutions). Although water and sodium gluconate were equally preferred by children (ranking of water: 1.4±0.1; ranking of sodium gluconate: 2.1±0.2; n.s.), mothers significantly preferred water to the other three solutions. In addition, mothers preferred the sodium-gluconate solution when compared with caffeine, but not when compared with caffeine combined with sodium gluconate.

Tetralone

Bitterness

Mothers and children indicated that the Tetralone combined with sodium gluconate, as well as the same concentration of Tetralone alone, tasted more bitter than either sodium gluconate or water. However, unlike the data reported herein for urea and caffeine, the combination of Tetralone and sodium gluconate yielded enhanced bitterness in children. As presented in , 72% of the children selected Tetralone combined with the salt as more bitter than Tetralone alone.

Relative Preference

In contrast with the other two bitter agents (urea and caffeine), sodium gluconate diminished the acceptance of Tetralone in both children and mothers. Seventy-seven percent of the children and 72% of the mothers indicated that Tetralone tasted better than the same concentration of Tetralone combined with sodium gluconate. They also indicated that sodium gluconate and water tasted better than Tetralone alone or in combination with sodium gluconate ().

The preference-ranking scores of the four solutions were statistically significant for both children, F_r(3 df)=36.13, p<.0001, and mothers, F_r(3 df)=45.10, p<.0001. Tetralone alone and Tetralone combined with sodium gluconate were the least preferred solutions in both children and mothers (i.e., there were no significant differences between the ranking scores of these two solutions). Nevertheless, unlike that reported earlier for urea and caffeine, Tetralone was ranked intermediary between the solution of the bitter combined with sodium gluconate and sodium gluconate alone ().

Sodium Gluconate

Relative Preference

When analyzing the data obtained from the pairwise comparisons as well as the rankedpreference scores, differences emerged between children and mothers when they were asked to choose whether the solution of sodium gluconate tasted better than water. During each of the three sessions (i.e., urea, caffeine, Tetralone), mothers consistently indicated that water tasted better than sodium gluconate (see ), and as shown in , their preference-ranking score for water (1.2±0.1) was significantly lower (e.g., more preferred) than sodium gluconate for each of the three test sessions (2.9±0.1 for urea session, 2.3±0.2 for caffeine session, and 2.2±0.2 for Tetralone session). Children, on the other hand, did not prefer water to sodium-gluconate solution during either the pairwise comparisons (see ), or the preference-ranking procedures (), thus suggesting that children, unlike adults, do not prefer water more than this salt.

To further examine the differences in preference for salty taste among children and adults, we determined the number of children (n=41) and mothers (n=39) who ranked sodium gluconate as one of their most preferred (Rank Score 1 or 2) or least preferred of the four solutions (Rank Score 3 or 4) during the first test session. More than half (56%) of the children, but only 22% of the mothers, ranked salt as one of their most preferred solutions. This difference between children and adults was significant, χ²(1 df)=9.09, p<.005.

Accepted Formulation of Medication and Use of Sport’s Drinks

Fifty-one percent of the mothers reported that they tried to give their child medication in a pill formulation, but only 29% routinely took medicine in pill form. The remaining children used liquid or chewable formulations or both. The majority of children (68%) reported that they had tried and liked drinking sport drinks, some of which contain approximately 0. 2 M NaCl (e.g., Gatorade™).

For adults, the perceived bitterness of some bitter compounds is reduced when the compound is mixed with sodium salts (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995, 1997; Keast & Breslin, 2002; Keast et al., 2001; Kroeze & Bartoshuk, 1985). We show here for the first time that this also is the case for children. In particular, sodium gluconate reduced the bitterness of urea, and the same tendency was evident for caffeine. In marked contrast, the reverse effect was true for the bitter compounds in the Tetralone mixture. Consistent with the reductions in perceived bitterness, children also reported that urea and caffeine, to which the sodium salt was added, tasted better than these bitter compounds alone. Again, the reverse was true for Tetralone.

The mechanisms underlying the ability of sodium gluconate to reduce bitterness are not known. Previous studies strongly suggested that the locus of the effect is at the periphery (Bartoshuk, 1980; Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995; Kroeze & Bartoshuk, 1985), most likely due to the sodium ion somehow interfering with the functioning of one or more bitter receptors. If this is the case, why does sodium gluconate differentially reduce the bitterness of some bitter compounds and enhance the bitterness of others? The answer to this question may lie in the recent findings that indicate there are multiple mechanisms underlying the sensory transduction of bitter compounds (Brand, 2000; Margolskee, 2002). There are multiple G-protein coupled bitter receptors (Adler et al., 2000; Chandrashekar et al., 2000; Matsunami, Montmayeur, & Buck, 2000), and bitter taste may be induced in some cases by nonreceptor interactions between bitter compounds and taste cells (Rosenzweig, Yan, Dasso, & Spielman, 1999). Consequently, sodium may interfere with some transductive processes, but not others.

Whatever the mechanism by which sodium reduces the bitterness of some bitter compounds and enhances the bitterness of others, it is clearly operative in 7- to 10-year-old children. There have been reports that sensitivity to tastes changes marginally between childhood and adulthood (Oram, Laing, Freeman, & Hutchinson, 2001). However, the most convincing and striking age-related differences in taste relate not to sensitivity but to preferences. That is, children prefer significantly higher concentrations of sweeteners and salt when compared with adults (Desor, Greene, & Maller, 1975). The latter tendency also was evident in the current study. For example, approximately 44% of the children, on average, preferred salt to water during the three sessions whereas this was the case for, on average, 19% of the mothers (). Likewise, 56% of the children, but only 22% of the mothers, ranked the salted solution as one of their top two most preferred solutions.

Sodium salts, particularly sodium chloride (i.e., table salt), impart a desirably salty taste to foods. But salt also appears to have other important functions in cuisine. In particular, relatively small amounts of salt are reported to “enhance” or increase palatability of many foods (Kemp & Beauchamp, 1994). One mechanism underlying this increase in palatability of salted foods may be via the suppressing activity of sodium on bitter taste. For example, the intensity of sweetness is enhanced by the addition of a sodium salt to a sweet-bitter mixture, presumable by blocking bitterness and thereby releasing sweetness from suppression (Breslin & Beauchamp, 1997). Intense sweeteners are used, but often unsuccessfully, to mask the bitterness in children’s formulations of medicines. We suggest that the addition of sodium salts to these concoctions, in selected cases, might be expected to improve their acceptability by children.

Bitter-tasting substances elicit innately determined rejection reflexes in nonhuman animals as well as in humans (Rosenstein & Oster, 1988; Steiner, 1977; Steiner, Glaser, Hawilo, & Berridge, 2001). Presumably, this rejection reflex evolved for the mutual protection of both animal and plant—to protect the animal from poisoning (most, but not all, bitter compounds in nature are toxic to some degree.) and protect the plant from being eaten. As indicated in the Introduction, most pharmaceutical preparations taste bitter, and when children cannot or will not take medicines in encapsulated form (Steffensen et al. , 1998), a way of reducing this innately rejected sensory stimulus becomes medically significant. Failure to consume medication may do the child harm, and in some cases, may be life threatening (Van Dyke et al., 2002).

The current study indicates that it may be effective to use sodium salts to suppress the bitterness of some pharmaceuticals. Based on the differential ability of a sodium salt to inhibit bitterness, clearly each drug of interest must be evaluated separately to determine whether sodium salts are effective at inhibiting bitterness (see also Breslin & Beauchamp, 1995). With progress in understanding how bitter taste is transduced and how sodium acts to suppress bitterness, it may be possible to predict the efficacy of sodium as a specific bitter blocker based on the structure of the drug of interest. There are other compounds that are reported to reduce bitterness (e.g., phosphatidic acid beta-lactoglobulin, PALG) (Katsuragi, Sugiura, Lee, Otsuji, & Kurihara, 1995), but it is questionable whether they are superior to sodium. However, superior bitter-taste-inhibiting compounds may be discovered when knowledge of the mechanistic processes underlying bitter taste perception is more fully known. Such compounds instead of, or in combination with, sodium salts should aid in increasing the acceptability of many drugs, thereby benefiting children with illnesses.

This research was support by NIH Grant HD37119, and the research apprenticeship of Ms.Tiffany Teel was supported by grants from the Annenberg Foundation and Mrs. Patricia Kind. We thank Dr. Paul Breslin for his comments and discussion throughout the project, and acknowledge the excellent technical support of Ms. Nadia MacFarlane, Ms. Tiffany Teel, and Mr. Christopher Tharp.

Contract grant sponsor: NIH

Contract grant number: HD 37119

Contract grant sponsor: Annenberg Foundation

Contract grant sponsor: Mrs. Patricia Kind

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How to Use, Benefits, Flavors, and Recipes

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Not just for cocktails

Bitters is — as the name implies — an infusion that’s created from predominantly bitter ingredients. These ingredients comprise aromatics and botanicals that can include any combination of herbs, roots, bark, fruit, seeds, or flowers.

If you’ve visited a cocktail lounge lately, you’ve probably noticed additions like Angostura bitters on the mixed drink menu. But you can find bitters everywhere from the bar to the medicine cabinet.

While bitters are a trendy craft cocktail component, that’s not what they first started as. And it’s certainly not all that they are.

This apothecary staple was first marketed in the 1700s as a remedy for common ailments such as digestion irregularities. Medicinal herbs and botanicals were preserved in alcohol and touted as a cure-all.

Throughout the next few centuries, bitters would be used for everything from a stimulant for the troops in the 1800s to a proposed treatment for malaria before making their way to the modern happy hour menu.

Now, with emerging science to back up the benefits, bitters have once again gained popularity for aiding digestive health, curbing sugar cravings, boosting the immune system, and even easing stress.

This guide will review exactly how bitter ingredients affect our health, who can benefit from bitters, and how to make them at home.

How is simply eating something bitter-tasting better for your health?

Scientists label bitter as one of the seven basic tastes.

Our body contains tons of receptors (T2Rs) for bitter compounds in not only our mouth and tongue, but our stomach, gut, liver, and pancreas.

This is mostly for protective reasons. Our bitter receptors are built as a “warning” to our body, as most dangerous and poisonous things are highly bitter tasting.

The stimulation of these bitter receptors promotes healthy digestion by increasing digestive secretions. This leads to better absorption of nutrients, natural detoxification of the liver, and — thanks to the gut-brain connection — bitters can even have a positive effect on stress.

But remember, bitters are not a primary treatment. Think of them as a health boost to help the body run more smoothly — from kick-starting the digestive tract to boosting the immune system. They shouldn’t replace any treatment a doctor has prescribed.

Digestion and gut benefits

When your digestion needs a little support, bitters can facilitate stomach acid and act as a digestive aid.

This can not only ease indigestion, but also heartburn, nausea, cramping, bloating, and gas.

Bitters for digestion and gut health

gentian
dandelion
wormwood
burdock

Immune and inflammation benefits

Burdock is an inflammation fighter that has been shown to have positive effects in people with osteoarthritis.

Paired with common additions, like ginger and turmeric, bitters can become an immune-boosting powerhouse.

The anti-inflammatory compounds in these ingredients have powerful antioxidant effects to protect the body from autoimmune diseases.

Bitters for immune function and inflammation

Oregon grape
barberry
angelica
chamomile

Sugar and appetite control benefits

Curb sugar cravings quickly with the help of bitters, which help counter the brain receptors that drive us to consume sweets.

Bitters can promote overall healthy eating habits and control overeating. Consuming bitter foods stimulates the production of PYY and GLP-1 hormones, which help control and suppress the appetite.

Bitters for sugar and appetite control

artichoke leaf
citrus peel
licorice root
gentian root

Liver health benefits

Certain bittering agents help support the liver at fulfilling its main job: removing toxins from the body and regulating our metabolic processes.

Bitters give the liver a boost by aiding in the elimination of toxins and detoxification, coordinating the metabolism of sugar and fats, and helping release gallbladder-supporting hormones like cholecystokinin (CCK).

Bitters for sugar and appetite control

artichoke leaf
silymarin
dandelion root
chicory root

Bitters can also have a positive effect on blood sugar levels, healthy skin, and stress.

Bittering agents

Dandelion root is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce inflammation.
Artichoke leaf contains the flavonoid silymarin, a powerful liver protectant, and has been shown to help liver cells regenerate (in mice).
Chicory root aids in digestion and bowel function and can help regulate blood sugar.
Gentian root contains cancer-fighting compounds and is used to relieve indigestion, loss of appetite, and heartburn.
Wormwood aids in overall digestion and can help increase appetite.
Licorice root is anti-inflammatory, boosts the immune system, and can soothe digestive issues.
Wild cherry bark boosts the immune system and is shown to have an anti-proliferative effect on colon cancer cells.
Burdock root is an antioxidant powerhouse that detoxes the blood and helps remove toxins.
Black walnut leaf contains tannins which aid in inflammation and is considered beneficial to skin health.
Devil’s club root is used as a treatment for respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal issues.
Angelica root is used for heartburn, intestinal gas, loss of appetite, and improved circulation.
Sarsaparilla can improve overall liver function (as shown in rats) and has positive effects on certain skin conditions and arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Other bittering agents may include:

Oregon grape root
mugwort
orris root
calamus root
barberry root
cinchona bark
horehound
quassia bark

Aromatics

Aromatics can add flavor, fragrance, sweetness, and balance to bitters. Some aromatics even come with potent health benefits, such as turmeric, citrus, and lavender.

Here are some aromatics typically used to make bitters:

Herbs and flowers: mint, sage, lemongrass, peppermint, sorrel, lavender, chamomile, hibiscus, passionflower, yarrow, rose, milk thistle, and valerian
Spices: cinnamon, cassia, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, chiles, fennel, ginger, nutmeg, juniper berries, star anise, vanilla beans, and peppercorns
Fruit: citrus peels and dried fruit
Nuts and beans: nuts, coffee beans, cocoa beans, and cocoa nibs

You only need a few drops

Bitters are very potent, and dosing and frequency will vary on what you’re using them for. But often a few drops will do.

You can take them internally either by placing a few drops from a tincture on the tongue or diluting with another liquid, such as sparkling water or in cocktails.

When you take it might matter though: If your goal of using bitters is to ease digestive issues, consumption should occur either directly before or after meals.

How often you take them differs for everyone. While you can use bitters at low doses as part of your daily routine, you may find that bitters help you when used as needed.

In the beginning, it’s best to start with small doses of bitters before assessing its effectiveness and your body’s reaction.

Before you make your own, learn the basics

Bitters contain two things: bitter ingredients and a carrier, which is typically alcohol (although we’ll also review nonalcoholic bitters further below). Aromatics and spices may also be added to bitters.

Common bittering agents include:

dandelion root
artichoke leaf
wormwood
burdock root
gentian root
angelica root

Spices, botanicals, and herbs are added as flavoring agents but in some cases they also provide additional benefits (i. e. lavender in a stress-relief bitters).

These aromatics — to name a few — can include:

cinnamon
chamomile
vanilla
dried fruit
nuts
cocoa or coffee beans
hibiscus
mint
ginger
turmeric
peppercorns
juniper berries
anise

The ratio

The best thing about bitters is that you can really experiment. While there’s no set-in-stone ratio for bitters, the general proportion is typically 1 part bittering agents to 5 parts alcohol (1:5). Botanicals and aromatics are generally a 1:2 ratio to bitters or equal parts.

Here’s what you need to make and store bitters at home

To make and store bitters properly, the following tools and equipment are needed:

a mason jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid
glass dropper bottles, if making tinctures
measuring cups and spoons, or a scale
spice grinder, or mortar and pestle
a fine-mesh strainer (cheesecloth may also be used)
a funnel
labels

Can it be alcohol-free?

Bitters is traditionally and most commonly made with alcohol. Alcohol used to make bitters is typically between 40-50 percent ABV. Alcohol helps extract as much as possible from the bittering agents, while also preserving the shelf life of the bitters.

The amount of alcohol in a single dose of bitters is very minimal. However, you can still make bitters without alcohol.

Bitters can be made with glycerin, a liquid sugar, or with a nonalcoholic spirit like SEEDLIP.

Making your own bitters doesn’t have to be intimidating. Actually, it’s easier, more hands-off, and takes less effort than most realize.

About 90 percent of making your own bitters will be waiting for it to be ready, as bitters takes a few weeks to infuse. Let’s learn the basics of bitters in this step-by-step DIY guide.

A snapshot at creating your own recipes

If you have an idea of what you want to put together, you can follow these instructions.

Directions:

Combine bittering agents, aromatics (if using), and alcohol using a basic 1:5 ratio of bittering agents to alcohol.
Place the bitters in clean glass jars with a tight-fitting lid (mason jars work well).
Label the bitters.
Store the bitters in a cool, dry place, like a cupboard.
Shake the jar of bitters daily.
Infuse the bitters for several weeks. The length of time needed will depend on the ingredients used. You can infuse bitters for as little as 5 days for milder bitters, or up to 3 weeks.
Strain your mixture using a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
Bottle your bitters in containers or tinctures.

Fresh or dried herbs and botanicals can be used. If using fresh, aim for a 1:2 ratio of ingredients to alcohol and if using dried, stick with the 1:5 standard (or less).

Six recipes to start with:

liver-balancing bitters
stress-relieving bitters
inflammation-fighting bitters
immune-boosting bitters
digestive bitters
sugar-curbing bitters

The alcohol

Use alcohol with a 40-50 percent ABV. Vodka is a great choice because of its clean, neutral flavor, but bourbon, rum, or rye also work.

To make bitters alcohol-free, use a nonalcoholic spirit such as SEEDLIP. But note that alcohol-free bitters have shorter shelf lives. Since alcohol is a natural preservative, the higher the alcohol content in bitters, the longer the shelf life will be.

Infuse time

Bitters should infuse for five days to two weeks. The longer bitters infuse, the stronger they’ll be.

You should let your bitters sit until it develops a prominent, potent flavor and smells very fragrant. To make your bitters even stronger, infuse for four weeks.

Where to buy

Purchase the herbs and bittering agents for your homemade bitters easily online from websites like Mountain Rose Herbs.

If you’re not ready to take the plunge into DIY bitters just yet, there are many companies making bitters.

Popular brands you can buy from:

Urban Moonshine offers Digestive Bitters, Healthy Liver Bitters, and Calm Tummy Bitters. ($18.99/2 oz)
Flora Health makes alcohol-free Swedish bitters. ($11.99/3.4 oz)
Scrappy’s Bitters offers a vast variety of bitters, from lavender to celery, for cocktails and beyond. ($17.99/5 oz)
Angostura Bitters is one of the oldest makers of bitters still around today. ($22/16 oz)

The general cost of bitters

The cost of making your own bitters will vary by the herbs and bittering agents you’re using. The most common bittering agents (burdock root, artichoke leaf, angelica, dandelion root, and gentian) average $2.50-$5 per ounce.

Bitters should be avoided by people with certain health conditions or anyone who’s pregnant. Bitters may also interact with certain medications and should not be used by children.

Always speak with your doctor about possible interactions of medicinal herbs and plants with your current medication.

Examples of side effects or complications include:

Burdock root may have a moderate effect on anticoagulants and diabetes medications.
Dandelion may interfere with the absorption of antibiotics.
Artichoke leaf should not be used by those with gallstones as it may increase bile flow.
Angelica root, yarrow, mugwort, and passionflower (among others) should not be used by pregnant women as it may cause harmful uterine contractions, miscarriage, or premature labor.
Wormwood shouldn’t be used by those with kidney disorder or a history of seizures.
Gentian root shouldn’t be used by those with low blood pressure.
Those with allergies or sensitivities to certain plants, flowers, or herb families should avoid bitters containing them.

While bitters aren’t the magical cure-all they were once marketed as, they certainly have their benefits.

If waiting and making your own bitters doesn’t sound like your ideal way to spend time, you can also gain similar benefits by simply eating bitter foods.

The benefit of bitters can be found in these foods:

bitter melon
dandelion greens
cranberries
broccoli
arugula
kale
radicchio
endive
Brussels sprouts
dark chocolate

Create an on-the-go bitters

Reap the benefits of bitters from anywhere by transferring your bitters into glass dropper bottles which can be easily purchased online. Tinctures are especially helpful for using bitters to ease digestion woes or curbing sugar cravings when you’re on-the-go.

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Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog Parsnips and Pastries. Her blog focuses on real food for a balanced life, seasonal recipes, and approachable health advice. When she’s not in the kitchen, Tiffany enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, organic gardening, and hanging out with her corgi, Cocoa. Visit her at her blog or on Instagram.

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Friendly sweet people….

SketchSpicy

SAPB has everything you can need as LEGO fan! There is something for everyone no matter what the age!! They have amazing birthday parties and awesome summer camps. They have… read more incredible retired and new LEGO sets! The owner and employees are extremely friendly and it has an amazing atmosphere!! I have been a loyal customer for a little over a year and have never been dissatisfied with any transaction!

Dj01satx_00

My kids just did a week long summer camp with Mr. Ron and team and I could not be happier with the whole experience. The staff is fun and professional… read more and my boys loved all the creative challenges and had a blast. We will definitely do it again! When I asked my kids how I should rate Lego camp, they agreed that it is a 10 out of 5!!

Lisa Miller
My son LOVES this place. ..him and dad are huge Lego collectors/builders, so this place has a lot of older Lego sets, collectables and newer stuff too. Very reasonable prices. The… read more owners are great, very helpful and super patient if he’s looking for a certain part.

jennifer Blackstone

Great atmosphere & amazing owners/workers.
Had my daughters 10th birthday party here, everyone had a great time. I didn’t need to lift a finger, they provided everything and did everything for… read more us. Highly recommend this place for a party whether you’re turning 5 or 55!

Elizabeth C

We attended a birthday party here and it was phenomenal! From 2-40, we were all engaged and all having fun! The party was awesome, but I can’t wait to come… read more back and just explore the store! Highly recommend, for all ages!

Ronni Gehron
Visited SAPB on a recent visit to San Antonio. What a nice place to find LEGO sets of all kinds. The selection is impressive to say the least. While he… read more does not carry the newest sets he has an extensive mini figure selection with nearly any pop culture figure made. And if there is a set you’re looking for and can’t find or a question, the staff is extremely polite and knowledgeable! This is a must-visit for all LEGO enthusiasts!

Brett McAfee

We hosted my son’s birthday party there. The experience was completely well organized and wonderful. Best and easiest kid birthday party ever. Highly recommended.

Ben Kindt

We were pleasantly surprised to find a Groupon for legos $20 worth for $10! My 6 year old was thrilled! The owner was very accommodating, and even threw in some… read more freebies on top of our deal. Awesome place, would stop by again if in the area!

katie cheatheam
Absolutely love this business. If you’re a fan of Lego, you will love this place too. Very friendly owner who will go to great lengths to find what you… read more want. Great to see customer service is still a virtue! Will definitely visit again!

Tommy Dale

My son was invited to a birthday party for his 9 year old friend here and he had a GREAT time! Unexpectedly so did I!! Ron the owner and party… read more host was wonderful with all of the guests and made this a memorable experience. My son and I highly recommend this place as a birthday booking for adults and/ or kids 🙂

Crystal Marie

What a great experience. We went as a family and knew the kids would enjoy it but were pleasantly surprised at how much fun my husband and I had! Just… read more building (your imagination!) and being creative and Mr. Ron has some sly ways of sneaking some great life lessons in there. Highly recommend for families, team building and even date night! Spread the word so a gem like this can stay in business and grow!

Tristin Burell

Read online “Children”, Maxim Gorky – LitRes

Characters

Prince Svir-Mokshansky – a man of indeterminate age, bald, frail.

Bubengoff – solid, held by the conqueror.

Mokey Zobnin – fifty years old, fidgety, lively and dreamy.

Ivan Kichkin – old, obese and unhealthy.

Pyotr Tipunov – sweet-voiced and peaceful.

Kostya Zryakhov – a plump young man, speaks dismissively, with unexpected delays.

Evstigneyka – disheveled personality, with crazy eyes.

Tatyana Zobnina – a widowed lady, portly, moves reluctantly.

Marya Viktorovna – a brisk and lively girl.

Drunk Passenger .

Old woman with petition .

Stationmaster .

Bykov – watchman.

Gendarme .

Telegraph operator .

Room for passengers of class I and II at a small station five miles from the provincial town of Upper Myamlin. One door is directly opposite the viewer, the other is in the left corner. Behind this door is the restroom. Zobnin fusses, unpacking bags, Tatyana and Kostya place bottles and snacks on the table.

Zobnin (concerned) . Therefore, remember, Tatyan: as soon as I bring him in, now you will meet him with a tray …

Tatiana . I’ve heard! Only – I won’t hold back for a long time: there’s more than a pood here …

Zobnin . Hold on! Must keep, if you are promised a bracelet! And you, Kostya, say congratulations, but more complicated, yes more loudly, he, go ahead, is deaf.

Kostya (disparagingly) . Okay, let’s say! I saw their brother … These are your concepts such that if the Prince is so sure – deaf or even more terrible.

Zobnin (dreamy) . Oh, if only it worked! It would be clever … n-yes! I walked around Kichkin… he’s getting ready at home, and I… (Anxiously.) Look, Tatyan, – first juniper for him, but a bigger glass that…

Kostya (with bitterness) . Ah, culture! Mozhzhevelova … to the prince! (Spits through her teeth on the floor, shaking her head in dismay.)

Zobnin (thoughtfully) . Well, bring him vitriol oil, or what? (Sure.) Nothing! Juniper – it will immediately hurt an unusual person! No matter what class you are, she, brother, will crush any stubbornness…

Tatyana (sighing) . Everything to loosen up…

Zobnin . Fool! We need a person to be gentle and affectionate with us, or is it not necessary? You – shut up! You try to be more beautiful…

Kostya (grunts) . Here, for this, Burgundy or champagne is required.

Zobnin (annoyed) . Leave me alone, go into the swamp! I listened to you, the other day I treated the investigator to this Burgundy …

Kostya (outraged) . Yes, it was Cahors, I tell you, and not Burgundy at all! Simple church wine!

Zobnin (shouting) . You’re lying! You embarrassed me! Where to be in a church cockroach?

Stationmaster (at the door) . Are you acting?

Zobnin . Getting ready. How far to the train?

Stationmaster . Another … hour thirty-seven. And my wife’s teeth hurt.

Tatiana . You give them fresh milk…

Kostya (mournfully) . Here! Oh my god…fresh milk!

Stationmaster . With milk, I’m sorry, I’m sick. (Dreamily.) No, something strong should be used against the teeth…

Kostya (confidently) . Necessarily! Heated cognac, and then – rum.

Stationmaster (smiling) . Cognac … yes!

Zobnin (gloomy) . Where will you get it? We’re on our own… (Sighing, the stationmaster closed the door.) I understand what you need! Wait, brother, – everything that remains will be yours …

Tatiana (Kostya) . You stepped on my tail…

Kostya (galantly) . Sorry! Spread a lot!

Zobnin (dreams) . Yes, but … if only it was possible! You, Tatyan, be cheeky. You are a widow, and he is an old man, a person harmless to you… And you, Kostya, too…

Kostya . Well, now, I have not seen the princes! There are three of them in Moscow on every street… But how do you know that he is deaf and an old man – I don’t understand that!

Zobnin (thoughtfully) . Why, how? The first thing is the Prince …

Kostya . Please don’t teach me! I have my own views…

Tatiana (Coste) . You lived in Moscow for two weeks, but you know everything … and how many princes, and what taverns … it’s even amazing!

Zobnin . Your conversation is lazy… sort of like a pregnant woman… right! You change it!

Kostya . Oh my God! I don’t understand, do I? (Spits through clenched teeth. ) A man thinks what is best, and you gnaw at his head… Let me garnish my thoughts!

Zobnin (looking around) . Well, well … go ahead! You have to put it on. Go ask the watchman for a broom.

Kostya (leaving, grumbling) . Broom! Not a broom, but a floor brush is used.

Tatiana (shaking off her skirt) . Oh, how I got dirty…

Zobnin (thoughtfully) . Here … he is twenty-five years old, but the mind of a child. Yes, and that’s it, if you look closely … n-yes! If only I could get around Kichkin… a prayer service… Oh, Lord, help your servant Mokey! Pray, Tatyana… here your fate is spinning!

Kostya (ran in and – joyfully) . Look, Uncle Mokey!

(Kichkin climbs into the door, wiping Kostya and breathing heavily, followed by Marya and Tipunov, with bags in their hands. Zobnin, laughing in embarrassment, shakes his head from top to bottom, Kichkin looks at him and snores loudly. Kostya, barely holding back laughter, makes some signs to Tipunov, he grabbed the beard in his hand and, covering his mouth with it, winks at Kostya. Marya, baring her teeth, looks at Tatyana, Tatyana angrily shakes off her skirt.)0074

Kichkin (to Zobnin, hoarsely) . Preempted?

Zobnin (giggling) . Got wind?

Kostya (Marie) . Bon zhur-s! ^[1]

Tatyana (hisses) . Why are you talking to her?

Marya . Now it’s not jur at all, but suar! ^[2] What, they took it, huh?

Kichkin . Eh, Mokey, Mokey…

Zobnin (sighing) . That’s how, brother, Ivan Ivanovich … it happened!

Kichkin . Well, you’re a crook, aren’t you?

Zobnin . Yes, and you too … rogue! How did you…guess it?

Kichkin . I’m not a fool!

(The head of the station looks at the door, smiling. Zobnin, shaking his head reproachfully, threatens him with his finger.)

Tipunov (quickly) . Here’s the thing, merchants, there’s no place for talk here, talk is out the door! If it so happened …

Kichkin (sits heavily) . What is there …

Zobnin . Y-yes… Kostyantin – think…

Tipunov . Now we need to work together…

Kostya . Necessarily!

(Marya spins around the room, looks in the mirror and interferes with Tatiana in every possible way.)

Tatiana . What are you pushing?

Marya . Ah, sorry!

Kichkin . Eh, if I didn’t have shortness of breath … I would you, Mokey! (Shows his fist.) Scoundrel…

Zobnin (peacefully) . What will you achieve with swearing? I myself would have cursed as well as you … but what’s the point?

Kostya (gloomy) . It is necessary, uncle, to garrison . ..

Tipunov . It’s called garrisons, or whatever… well, it should be soon!

(Kostya whispers something to Marya, she laughs.)

Tatyana (to Zobnin) . Brother, – Konstantin, look, he is whispering!

Kostya (spit indignantly) . F-fu! Well … manners!

Zobnin . Zytste! (Sighing) What about Ivan Ivanov?

Pips . Very simple! (Writes with his finger in the air.) Zobnin and Kichkin’s timber industry company – nothing more!

Kichkin . Why am I in the back? I don’t want to…

(Kostya, quietly quarreling with Tatyana, makes faces at her, Marya giggles, Tatyana is almost crying.)

Taste development in babies: what do they like best?

The improvement of taste sensations in a small child is as intense as the development of all other senses. The first year of life is a decisive time that can predetermine a person’s taste preferences in the future.

In a small child, acquaintance with the world and the acquisition of basic skills is directly related to the development of the senses – hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste. From birth, the baby has basic sensory abilities that will improve throughout the first years of life. Subsequently, the active development of the nervous system, and hence the brain and the perception system, will provide him with a confident and accurate control of his feelings and sensations.

How many flavors does our tongue recognize? Sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Now, to these four main tastes, one more has officially been added, the fifth one is protein or umami (from the Japanese word “umai” – tasty, pleasant). This taste is typical for meat, fish and broths based on them.

Before birth

Cells capable of detecting various tastes begin to develop from the seventh week of pregnancy, and by the thirteenth week they are fully functional. At the sixth month of pregnancy, the baby swallows and “inhales” a large amount of amniotic fluid, the taste of which changes depending on what the pregnant woman eats.

MRI techniques have allowed specialists to learn more about the taste preferences of the embryo. For example, he swallows amniotic fluid faster if it tastes sweeter due to his mother’s glucose intake. This is a sign that he likes the sweet taste more.

This is how, by swallowing amniotic fluid, the child experiences for the first time what is called taste sensations, which come to him through the mouth and nose. Indeed, the foods that a woman eats change the taste and smell of the amniotic fluid. This exposure introduces the baby to the mother’s eating habits.

When a child is born, he already has some experience of recognizing the different tastes that will be part of his eating habits. For example, babies whose mothers ate a lot of carrots in the last month of pregnancy are likely to prefer this product.

Taste of the newborn

After birth, the baby continues to experience the tastes of his mother’s food through breast milk. Breastfed children agree to try different foods faster and more easily than those who ate artificial mixtures. Eating habits acquired during breastfeeding may persist into older age.

Experts call breast milk a “bridge” that connects the period of intrauterine development, when the child received information about the taste of foods through the amniotic fluid, and the time of introduction of complementary foods.

Sweet

From the first days of life, the baby prefers certain tastes. Favorite is sweet. Feeling the sweet taste, the newborn smiles, licks his lips and begins to make sucking movements. The sweet taste makes the child feel comfortable and safe. This calming effect is especially important in the first weeks of life.

Love for sweets is a big plus for a child’s development. She allows him to eat with pleasure, which means that in sufficient quantities, the first food product in his life is breast milk. Sweet and fatty milk contains more calories, which is very useful for an actively growing body.

Bitter

Bitter taste causes the strongest disgust reaction in the baby. Bitterness is created by plant toxin molecules and triggers defensive behavior. If you offer something bitter to a baby, he will spit it out and scream – this is an innate reaction, as well as sucking, swallowing, salivation. The last three reactions are directed towards eating, and the reaction to a bitter taste is directed towards rejection of inedible foods.

In addition, the signal associated with these reactions is transmitted to the hypothalamus, to the center of negative emotions, which gives rise to a strong negative experience. The feeling of bitterness is indeed a signal that the food is inedible.

An immune reaction to bitter taste has recently been described. It turns out that the receptors responsible for recognizing bitter not only cause taste sensations, but also activate the immune system. Therefore, it is correct when the medicine has a bitter taste – this is how it additionally activates the immune system, which will complement the action of the active substance of the medicine.

Salty, sour, fatty

But the baby reacts poorly to salty. Baby will like salted water closer to 4 months. The sour taste and the taste of umami (the taste of meat, fish and broths based on them) cause intermediate reactions.

The greasy taste seems to be more to the children’s taste. It is noticed that newborns drink more breast milk of high fat content.

Although most babies like certain tastes, every baby has their own preferences. Some genetic traits can influence taste recognition.

How taste preferences change

Distinguishing tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami) occurs through taste buds located on the tongue, mouth and throat. At birth, a child has more taste buds than an adult, so the baby perceives tastes sharply.

Sense of smell and vision also play an important role in shaping food preferences.

During the first year of life, the child mainly eats sweet food – breast milk. Breast milk is a source of various tastes and aromas, and this affects the development of taste sensations and contributes to the full formation of eating behavior.

Starting at 6 months, as complementary foods are introduced, the baby begins to become familiar with other taste sensations. Complementary foods should be introduced in a timely manner and include all food groups in accordance with age. Diversity in nutrition is very beneficial for a child. The sooner he learns to recognize different tastes, the better he can develop his sensory system. “Experienced” children are less likely to refuse to try unfamiliar foods and new dishes in the future.

Taste preferences are influenced by both genetic factors and the environment in which the child grows up and the environment in which eating takes place. At the age of up to one and a half years, the child quite easily agrees to try any offered products. If the food is tasty and the child likes it, then he feels good. Such food evokes positive emotions.

The foods that your baby will be introduced to in the first 18 months will determine their gastronomic preferences in adulthood.

In other words, children remember the characteristic taste of the product at a very early age, and the memory of it remains for a long time, influencing the formation of taste preferences in the future. Therefore, try to open different tastes for the baby, even if at first they did not impress him.

The foundations of eating behavior are laid from early childhood under the influence of parents and close relatives, who, with a competent approach, can teach even the most fastidious child to eat properly. It is in our power to diversify the world of the baby, including educating his taste in the broadest sense of the word.

Source:

Site for parents Naître et Grandir

Photo: UNSPLASH, Dreamstime

90,000 Updated departure – Kommersant newspaper No. 191 (6429) dated 10/18/2018
at the Territory festival, which is supported by the fund Prokhorov and the SIBUR company, showed a play by Gorky, staged by Timofey Kulyabin in the Novosibirsk “Red Torch”. The new place and new time of the action of the old play were rated by Alla Shenderova.

Photo: Tatyana Perova / “Territory”

Gorky wrote “Children of the Sun” in 1905, sitting alone in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The play has a twin brother – “To the Stars” by Leonid Andreev, which arose at the same time and in similar conditions. Both texts are the result of conversations between Gorky and Andreev, the writers even came up with a plan and the name of a common play: “The Astronomer” (about the isolation of the intelligentsia from the people), but they did not manage to work as a co-author. Having finished the text in prison, Gorky continued to finish it for a long time. In Soviet times, all versions were published in one collection, and this is quite an entertaining read: to watch how the heroes-schemes turn into people, moreover, into Chekhov’s people – for some scenes, Gorky frankly borrowed the rhythm and style of speech of the characters in “The Cherry Orchard” and “Three sisters. ”

It is not necessary to know all this when going to a performance by Timofey Kulyabin, but this knowledge is useful, otherwise the theater would not have turned the program into a booklet with detailed biographies of all the characters. There are six of them: the general’s son, scientist Pavel Protasov turned into an IT specialist developing an algorithm for cloud data storage; his beautiful wife Elena; his sister Lisa; medical biologist Boris Chepurnoy; his half-sister, millionaire’s widow Melania; designer and photographer Dmitry Vagin. There is also Fima (Valeria Kruchinina), who helps with the housework – the only one left from all the janitors, maids, women and men from the Protasov estate, who, in Gorky’s version, almost killed the scientists for sending cholera to the county. The county itself is not in the play: it takes place in California, on the Stanford University campus, next to Silicon Valley, on New Year’s Eve, 2000: it all starts on December 31 1999th, and ends on January 2, 2000.

Oleg Golovko, co-author of Timofey Kulyabin, has inscribed in a small space (in Moscow the performance was played on the Small Stage of the Theater of Nations) four rooms without walls, or rather, four studios, where beds and tables are put on rails, so that the action can take place alternately, then in parallel. But even if everything happens at the same time, then the digital clock above each room shows the same date, but different times: in one room it is 20:42, and in the other it is 8:42 on the same day.

Looking at the flashing dials, the viewer not only remembers, but, as it were, re-experiences all these millennial fears associated with the expectation of man-made disasters and computer failures. Only Pavel (Pavel Polyakov) is calm, a high-class IT specialist, in one of the scenes replacing Gorky’s text with a monologue of Steve Jobs (you can’t deny the project’s playwright Olga Fedyanina in wit), he knows perfectly well that the “millennium problem” is in his hands. Taking a sip of Red Bull, he quickly hits the keys, taking off his headphones with heavy rock, only when a photographer friend (Konstantin Telegin) admits that he is in love with his wife (Daria Emelyanova). However, he will interrupt the calculations only once, in order to throw away Melania (Ekaterina Zhirova), who is in love with him, who dared to touch the drive.

No, these people are connected not by friendship, but by the fact that they recently emigrated from Russia. Lisa (Irina Krivonos), Pavel’s older sister, managed to graduate from St. Petersburg LGITMiK and witnessed the explosion in the Moscow metro in 1996: she limps and from time to time torments everyone with the question of whether they will take into the future those unfortunate people who suffered during the terrorist attack – here is the text Gorky, written immediately after Bloody Sunday, shines like new. In general, there are many scenes in Kulyabin’s performance when it is difficult to distinguish the original from the “remake”, and the actors exist sparingly and truthfully, as in a close-up in the cinema – in fact, these are the same actors that shook Moscow, and then Europe in Kulyabinsk’s “Three sisters” played in sign language. This time, Andrey Chernykh’s Chepurnaya is remembered most of all, who smartly speaks Liza’s seizures like a doctor, calls himself a Khokhl and knows how to add not even an accent, but a note of Ukrainian speech to the monologue, which is why all phrases are filled with disturbing music.

“The time has come, a huge storm is approaching us all,” said Chekhov’s Tuzenbach. Gorky borrowed his heroes from Chekhov, and Kulyabin, leaving them as Chekhov’s intellectuals, changed the time and place. It can be said that the characters of his “Children of the Sun” realized the dreams of the heroes of the play “To the Stars” about distant planets: they flew away and are unlikely to meet again with a hungry, angry, dense people. That is why in the finale of the performance you feel a taste not of a theatrical, but of a real tragedy: it’s not about Gorky’s plot, where Chepurnoy hangs himself, and Liza goes crazy, but that they flew away and nothing can be corrected in this story.

Bitter tears.

Adults offend children undeservedly | Events | SOCIETY
“Each of us, parents, must fight for the child, for the best in him, without offending or humiliating him. Then he will grow up to be a good, successful and happy person,” Tatyana Okeanskaya, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Ivanovo Region, is sure.

The most vulnerable

Tatyana Balantseva, vlad.aif.ru: – Tatyana Petrovna, how often do your parents come to you and with what problems?

Tatyana Okeanskaya: – They contact us constantly, on average 25 people a week. Both parents and teenagers come. Questions and requests for help are different. Most of the requests come from mothers who cannot collect alimony from their ex-husbands.

But the most unprotected category is families with disabled children. For example, just recently, a mother of a special child told a monstrous story. In one of the Ivanovo bookstores, a visitor shouted: “Why are you walking around with your morons!”. It’s outrageous. This is not the only case. In general, most of the tragic situations are connected with these families. Such cruelty of the surrounding people destroys society as a whole.

They take it out on children

T.B.: – According to your observation, how comfortable is it for a modern child to live in the current conditions?

Т.О.: – If we talk about child abuse, such facts are becoming more and more common, unfortunately. I am now talking about physical, psychological humiliation, sexual abuse, neglect of the needs of the child (for example, when he walks in clothes that are out of season, or when he is limited in food).

In families, mothers and fathers take out evil on children or reproduce the form of upbringing that they once observed from their parents. A parent who was offended in childhood will, as a rule, behave in the same way in relation to his children.

Employees of the Ivanovo Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted a survey among parents: “Do you think physical punishment of children is normal. ” The vast majority responded positively and clarified: “I was punished, and I am punishing.”

But if you were punished, this does not mean at all that this method is effective. In addition, we must take into account that now is a different time and children are different. Modern children do not perceive this as a lesson, they become embittered, begin to hate their parents. They may leave home.

T.B.: – How to act?

Т.О.: – Only in words, explain, convince, prove, without exerting pressure bordering on violence. And be very attentive, catch any changes in the behavior and mood of children. Of the 250 crimes involving violence against children in 2015, 73 were crimes against the sexual integrity of children.

One third of all sexual violence is committed in families by cohabiting mothers. And not only for girls, but also for boys. And this is a big trauma for the child. I am sure that sexual promiscuity is connected with moral. Therefore, mothers who decide to establish a personal life need to be extremely vigilant when choosing a man.

Teacher, you are wrong!

T.B.: – Are there any complaints about teachers and class teachers who humiliate children?

Т.О.: – We often have to deal with such situations. Teachers most often offend students with a word. Unfortunately, in our Russian school this still occurs. Sometimes teachers cross the line of what is acceptable in dialogue, in communication with a student: they will say an offensive word (for the purpose of education), publicly scold. Children perceive it very painfully, they experience real stress. The task of the teacher is to find an individual approach to the child.

T.B.: – Are there conflicts over grades?

Т.О.: – And because of the grades too. The teacher should understand the following: if you give a mark, comment on why this mark is given. But comments (whether they are public or private) should not degrade the dignity of children. The most important thing is respect. Personally, I reason like this: in front of me is a person, no matter how old he is, I respect him a priori.

TB: – Probably another common problem: teachers label children.

Т.О.: – Under no circumstances should a teacher do this. Teachers should strive to practice an individual approach to each child, to find the best in him and to cultivate this in him.

Attitude towards students ultimately depends on the professionalism of the teacher. A teacher is not only knowledge of the subject. This is also a person who will not allow himself to humiliate another person and create a situation that will eventually develop into a conflict.

Sample or not?

T.B.: – How can a mother give advice to parents who are constantly busy: how to build relationships with a child?

Т. О.: – I use every minute to communicate with children: whether you cook, do laundry, go by minibus, take you to kindergarten or school. From early childhood it is necessary to talk with children, to help them comprehend everything that is happening around. I confess that I often argue with my thirteen-year-old son: it can be difficult to prove one’s case, especially in questions of “what is good and what is bad.” But I hope that the “sown” word will bear fruit. It is important that word and deed do not diverge, because children look at us and imitate us.

Therefore, in relationships with a child of any age, it is important not to lose trust. Children of any age need parents, our care. There is a free minute – call your son, daughter. Let them know that you are there, thinking about them.

It is good if children and parents have common interests and hobbies. For example, my daughter and I love to embroider, my son and I love to watch cartoons and films that we have loved since childhood, and in the summer we love to ride bicycles in the country.

Tatyana Okeanskaya has been the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Ivanovo Region since 2013, mother of two children. Born in Ivanovo. At 19In 1989 she graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Ivanovo State University with a degree in Philology. Teacher”.
She worked at school No. 56 in Ivanovo, Lyceum No. 67. Since 2011, she has been the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child in the Lyceum
No. 67.
She was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, for merits in the field of education she received the title “Honorary Worker of General Education of the Russian Federation”.
In 2011, she was awarded the “Order of Children’s Hearts” by the Education Department of the Ivanovo City Administration.

T.B.: – Why do children run away from home – because of the indifference of their parents or, on the contrary, excessive control?

Т. О.: – The reasons are different. And although the number of runaways from home in 2015 decreased by 20%, misunderstanding between children and parents, distrust can grow like a snowball and end in tragedy.

TB: – How to avoid this?

Т.О.: – We, parents, must understand: children do not listen – children watch. And we are perceived as a model or an anti-sample. Therefore, we must, first of all, take care of ourselves, our speech, our behavior. Children will reproduce our behavior. Therefore, if they upset us, it means that we have missed something somewhere.

But I can say that this is not catastrophic: the situation can always be corrected. The main thing is to see that a problem arises, not to look at it, to think about how to fix the situation. Of course, the process of education does not have an instant result. Sometimes we see the fruits of our upbringing years later. So you need to invest the best in a child, love him, talk with him and be an example.

Maxim Gorky — biography of the writer, personal life, photos, portraits, books

Author of the play “At the Bottom”, the novel “Mother” and the autobiographical stories “Childhood”, “In People” and “My Universities”, Maxim Gorky lived in poverty for many years, rented corners in bunkhouses, worked as a salesman, dishwasher and shoemaker’s assistant . After the revolution, he was recognized as “the main proletarian writer.” In honor of Gorky, they named Tverskaya Street in Moscow, the Literary Institute, and in 1934 he was appointed head of the Writers’ Union of the USSR.

“I was filled with grandmother’s poems”: childhood

Alexey Peshkov. 1889 Photo: Literary Museum of A.P. Gaidar, Arzamas, Nizhny Novgorod region

House of the Kashirin family. Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, Nizhny Novgorod

Alexey Peshkov. Nizhny Novgorod, 1889. Photo: D.Leibovsky / Museum of A.M. Gorky and F.I. Chaliapin, Kazan

Maxim Gorky was born on March 28, 1868 in Nizhny Novgorod. His real name is Alexey Peshkov. The father of the future writer, Maxim Peshkov, was a carpenter, and his mother, Varvara Kashirina, came from a poor bourgeois family. When Gorky was three years old, he fell ill with cholera and infected his father. The boy recovered, but Maxim Peshkov soon died. Mother married a second time, and Gorky remained in the care of her father Vasily Kashirin, the owner of a dyeing workshop. The future writer was raised by his grandparents. Vasily Kashirin taught Gorky to read and write from church books, and Akulina Kashirina read fairy tales and poems to him. The writer later recalled: “I was filled with grandmother’s poems like a beehive with honey; I think I was thinking in the form of her poems” .

By the 1870s, Maxim Gorky’s grandfather had gone bankrupt. The family moved to the poorest district of Nizhny Novgorod – Kunavinskaya Sloboda. To help his relatives, the future writer from childhood tried to earn money and was engaged in rags – he looked for things on the streets of the city and sold them.

In 1878, Gorky entered the Sloboda-Kunavinsky Primary School. He studied excellently, received awards from teachers for good grades – books, commendable sheets.

“It became difficult for me again at school, the students ridiculed me, calling me a ragman, a rogue, and one day, after a quarrel, they told the teacher that I smelled like a garbage pit and you shouldn’t sit next to me. <...> But finally, I passed the exam for the third grade, received the Gospel, Krylov’s fables in cover and another unbound book with an incomprehensible title – “Fata Morgana” as a reward, they also gave me a commendation sheet. <...> I took the books to a shop, sold them for fifty-five kopecks, gave the money to my grandmother, and spoiled the commendation sheet with some inscriptions and then handed it to my grandfather. He carefully hid the paper without unfolding it and not noticing my mischief.0007

Gorky was expelled from the school. They wrote in the documents: “I didn’t finish the course <...> on poverty” . After that, he was an apprentice shoemaker and draftsman, a dishwasher on a steamer, an assistant icon painter and a salesman in a merchant’s shop. Since childhood, Gorky read a lot, among his favorite authors were Stendhal, Honore de Balzac and Gustave Flaubert. The future writer was also interested in philosophy – he studied the works of Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche. Gorky entered his impressions of the books he read into his personal diary.

“I felt out of place among the intelligentsia”

Maxim Gorky. Late 1890s. Photo: Andrey Karelin / Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, Nizhny Novgorod

Maxim Gorky. 1898 Photo: Reproduction TASS

Maxim Gorky. Beginning of the XX century. Photo: Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, Nizhny Novgorod

In 1884, at the age of 16, Maxim Gorky went to Kazan to enter the local university. But the future writer did not have a certificate of education, and he was not allowed to take the exams. In the story “My Universities” he later wrote: “To the sound of the rain and the sighs of the wind, I soon realized that the university was a fantasy…” . Gorky had no money to rent a house. At first, he lived with friends, and then began to earn extra money in the Kazan port and rent corners in rooming houses along with the tramps. In his free time, he composed his first literary works: notes, stories and poems.

A few months later, Gorky found a job at Vasily Semyonov’s bakery, where Narodnaya Volya often gathered. There he got acquainted with the works of Russian revolutionaries, and soon joined one of the underground circles of Marxists. Gorky was an agitator, he held educational talks with the illiterate and workers. Despite all the activity during the meetings, Gorky was not taken seriously.

“Gorky was not destined to establish strong ties with [Nikolai] — Approx. ed.] Fedoseev, nor get to know Lenin at that time. Gorky had no friends in this environment. <…>. Among populist students, he was not an equal person, but only a “son of the people,” as they called him among themselves: he was for them, as it were, a clear proof of the “faith in the people” they professed. <...> Years of excessive physical work and the intensity of experiences undermined his mental strength. The whole world opposing him in its everyday and difficult situation contradicted all his long-standing expectations. The rejection of this alien world was experienced by him with all the depth.0007

1887 was a difficult year for Maxim Gorky. His grandmother died, he began to have conflicts at work, quarrels with members of the circle. Gorky fired. He was lucky: he survived, although he fell under the church court and was excommunicated. After that, Gorky moved to Nizhny Novgorod, where he began working as an assistant to a barrister. There he met the writer Vladimir Korolenko, to whom he showed his poem “The Song of the Old Oak”. Korolenko read the work and found many semantic and spelling errors in it. Gorky later wrote about this: “I decided not to write any more poetry or prose, and indeed, all the time I lived in Nizhny – almost two years – I did not write anything” .

In 1890, Gorky went on a hiking trip and visited the south of Russia, visited the cities of the Caucasus and Crimea. In his autobiography, he wrote: “I felt out of place among the intelligentsia and went to travel” . In the south, Gorky communicated a lot with local residents, engaged in traditional crafts for them: he fished, mined salt. On the way, he wrote stories and notes, poems, in which he imitated George Byron.

“Don’t write to me in literature — Peshkov”

Maxim Gorky (in the center) among the employees of the Nizhny Novgorod Leaflet. Nizhny Novgorod, 1899. Photo: Klimov Museum of Local History, Podolsk, Moscow Region

Maxim Gorky (right) in a group of employees of the Samara Newspaper editorial office. 1895 Photo: Klimovsky Museum of Local History, Podolsk, Moscow Region

Maxim Gorky (right) with employees of the Nizhny Novgorod Listka newspaper at the editorial office. 1899th year Photo: Maxim Dmitriev / State Order of Honor Museum of A.M. Gorky, Nizhny Novgorod

In 1892, Gorky stopped in Tiflis, where he met the revolutionary Alexander Kalyuzhny. The writer read his works to him, and Kalyuzhin advised Gorky to publish and himself took his story “Makar Chudra” to the editorial office of the Tiflis newspaper “Caucasus”. The work was published in September 1892 under the pseudonym Maxim Gorky. According to Kalyuzhin, the writer explained it this way: “Don’t write to me in literature – Peshkov” .

Soon Gorky returned to Nizhny Novgorod to his former place of work. In his spare time, he continued to write short stories. Gorky read them to friends and acquaintances. One of my friends sent the story “Emelyan Pilyai” to the editorial office of the Moscow newspaper “Russkiye Vedomosti”. Soon the work was printed.

On the advice of Korolenko, when working on the following works, Gorky began to work out the images of the characters more carefully, tried to maintain a single style of narration. These changes are noticeable in the story “Chelkash”, about which Korolenko wrote: “Not bad at all! You can create characters, people speak and act from themselves, from their essence, you know how not to interfere in the course of their thoughts, the play of feelings, this is not given to everyone! .. I told you that you are a realist! .. But in the same time – a romantic! . Gorky sent the story to the well-known St. Petersburg weekly magazine Russian Wealth, where it was soon published.

On the recommendation of Korolenko, in 1895 Gorky became a journalist for the Samarskaya Gazeta and moved from Nizhny Novgorod to Samara. There he wrote about incidents in the city, theatrical events and secular life, published feuilletons under the pseudonym Yehudiel Khlamida. A few months later, the writer was entrusted with maintaining a literary section, in which Gorky published his works weekly. Soon he returned to Nizhny Novgorod, where he became the editor of the Nizhny Novgorod leaflet.

Gorky became a famous journalist. The large provincial newspaper Odessa News offered him to be a special correspondent for the publication at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition, which was held in Nizhny Novgorod in 1896.

“The great writer Maxim Gorky”

Maxim Gorky (right) and writer Anton Chekhov. Yalta, Republic of Crimea, 1900. Photo: Leonid Sredin / State Order of Honor Museum of A.M. Gorky, Nizhny Novgorod

Maxim Gorky (center) in the group of participants in the play “Petty Bourgeois” at the Moscow Art Theatre. Beginning of XX century. Photo: State Historical Museum, Moscow

From left: director Konstantin Stanislavsky, Maxim Gorky and actress Maria Lilina. 1900 Photo: Leonid Sredin / State Museum of the History of Russian Literature named after V.I. Dalia, Moscow

In the mid-1890s, Gorky mainly carried out journalistic orders. However, he did not leave literary creativity: he wrote stories, poems, worked on his story “Foma Gordeev” about the life of the Russian merchant class. In 189In 8, Gorky’s first collection, Essays and Stories, was published. After its publication, the writer began to communicate with Anton Chekhov. Chekhov gave Gorky advice and criticized: “Intemperance is felt in the descriptions of nature, with which you interrupt the dialogues, when you read them, these descriptions, you want them to be more compact, shorter, that way in 2-3 lines” . The writer liked Gorky’s fairy tales, including “The Song of the Falcon”.

In 1899, the newspaper “Life” published “Foma Gordeev”. The story glorified Gorky: reviews of it appeared in leading Russian magazines, a conference on the writer’s work was organized in St. Petersburg, and Ilya Repin painted a portrait of Gorky. In Nizhny Novgorod, Maxim Gorky took up social activities: he organized charity evenings, New Year trees for the children of the poor. The writer was constantly under police surveillance, because he did not stop communicating with the revolutionaries.

“I didn’t write to you because I was busy as hell with various things and was angry all the time like an old witch. The mood is gloomy. The back hurts, the chest too, the head helps them in this … Out of grief and bad mood, he began to drink vodka and even write poetry. I think that the position of a writer is not such a sweet position.”

In 1899, Gorky was expelled from Nizhny Novgorod for promoting revolutionary ideas in the small town of Arzamas. Before the exile, he was allowed to go to the Crimea to improve his health: the writer had tuberculosis.

At the same time, the Art Theater in Moscow began preparing a production of Gorky’s first play, The Petty Bourgeoisie. The premiere took place three years later during a tour in St. Petersburg in March 1902, but was unsuccessful. Soon after the release of the play, Gorky’s exile ended, and he returned to Nizhny Novgorod, where he completed the play “At the Bottom”. On the stage of the Art Theater in Moscow, the premiere of the performance of the same name took place in December 1902. The production was prepared by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. They carefully selected actors, spent long rehearsals. The writer himself also helped the directors. He wanted the performers of the main roles to get used to the images of tramps.

“You have to be able to pronounce Gorky so that the phrase sounds and lives. His instructive and evangelistic monologues <...> must be spoken simply, with a natural inner uplift, without false theatricality, without grandiloquence. Otherwise, you will turn a serious play into a simple melodrama. It was necessary to assimilate the special style of the tramp and not mix it with the usual everyday theatrical tone or with the actors’ vulgar recitation. <...> It is necessary to penetrate into the spiritual recesses of Gorky himself, as we once did with Chekhov, in order to find the secret key to the author’s soul. Then the spectacular words of tramp aphorisms and ornate phrases of the sermon will be filled with the spiritual essence of the poet himself, and the artist will be moved along with him.0007

The premiere of “At the Bottom” was a success, tickets for the performance were hard to get. However, the play was criticized in government publications, and was soon banned from playing in provincial theaters without special permission.

Maxim Gorky (left) and singer Fyodor Chaliapin. 1901 Photo: Russian National Museum of Music, Moscow

Participants of Wednesdays near Nikolai Teleshev. From left to right: in the second row – Konstantin Pyatnitsky, Wanderer and Maxim Gorky; in the first row – Leonid Andreev, Fedor Chaliapin, Ivan Bunin, Nikolai Teleshev and Evgeny Chirikov. Moscow, 1900s. Photo: Karl Fischer / State Historical Museum, Moscow

Maxim Gorky (standing with a hat) and revolutionary Vladimir Lenin (sitting with a hat). Island of Capri, Italy, 1908. Photo: Vyborg United Museum-Reserve, Vyborg

In the same year, 1902, Gorky headed the Znanie publishing house. He published realist writers: Ivan Bunin, Leonid Andreev and Alexander Kuprin. For publication, he tried to choose works that were understandable even to readers from workers and peasants. Gorky wrote: “The best, most valuable, and at the same time the most attentive and strict reader of our day is the literate worker, the literate democrat muzhik. This reader seeks in the book, first of all, answers to his social and moral perplexities, his main desire is for freedom. He adhered to the same principles in his works of the following years – the plays “Barbarians”, “Summer Residents” and “Children of the Sun”, in which he criticized the bourgeoisie.

On January 22, 1905, the First Russian Revolution began. Gorky supported the insurgent workers and wrote a proclamation “To all Russian citizens and the public opinion of European states”, in which he called for “immediate, stubborn and friendly struggle against the autocracy” . Soon the writer was detained and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Foreign artists reacted to Gorky’s arrest. The French “Society of Friends of the Russian People” published a call for the release of the writer: “The great writer Maxim Gorky will have to appear, behind closed doors, before an unprecedented trial on charges of conspiracy against the state <...> It is necessary that all people worthy of being called people defend , in the person of Gorky, their sacred rights” . Under pressure from society, already in February 1905, the writer was released. To avoid a new detention, Gorky left the country. For about six months he lived in the USA, where he wrote a collection of essays “In America”.

Due to the exacerbation of tuberculosis at the end of 1906, Gorky left for Italy and settled on the island of Capri not far from Naples. His friends Fyodor Chaliapin, Ivan Bunin and Leonid Andreev visited the writer from Russia.

In exile, Gorky wrote a lot. He created the novel “Mother”, which he was inspired by the revolutionary events at the Sormovo plant. The work was published in its entirety in Germany, in Russia the abridged version was withdrawn from print. Gorky’s next work, the play Enemies, was not allowed to be published by censors. The plays “The Last” and “Vassa Zheleznova”, the novel “The Life of Matvey Kozhemyakin” and other works of the writer of these years were published in publications in Germany, France and the USA, almost immediately they were translated into foreign languages. During this period, Gorky collaborated with Vladimir Lenin and other communists, was a member of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP). In the official newspaper of the RSDLP, the writer published accusatory articles and pamphlets.

“Clouds are coming over Russia”

Maxim Gorky at his desk. 1900s. Photo: Yalutorovsk Museum Complex, Yalutorovsk, Tyumen Region

Honoring Maxim Gorky (sitting, third from right) in connection with his 50th birthday at the World Literature Publishing House. 1919 Illustration from Valery Shubinsky’s book “Architect. Life of Nikolai Gumilyov. Moscow: Corpus Publishing House, 2014

Maxim Gorky. Island of Capri, Italy, 1912. Photo: Museum of the Moscow Art Academic Theatre, Moscow

In 1913, in honor of the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty, Nicholas II announced a partial amnesty for political criminals, including Maxim Gorky. The writer was allowed to return to Russia. Friends and relatives dissuaded him. Lenin wrote: “I am terribly afraid that this will damage your health and undermine your efficiency” . Gorky postponed his return for several months. By December 1913, he finished the autobiographical story “Childhood” and went to Russia. The writer settled in St. Petersburg, where he again fell under police surveillance. Despite this, he continued to communicate with the revolutionaries, write articles about the fate of Russia and criticize the authorities.

“No one will deny that clouds are again approaching Russia, promising great storms and thunderstorms, hard days are coming again, demanding a friendly unity of minds and wills, an extreme strain of all the healthy forces of our country <…> There is no doubt that Russian society

In St. Petersburg, Gorky finished his autobiographical story In People, a continuation of the popular Childhood. In 1915, the writer began publishing the Chronicle magazine, in which Yuli Martov, Alexandra Kollontai, Anatoly Lunacharsky and others published their scientific and political articles. Among the writers who published here were Vladimir Mayakovsky, Sergei Yesenin, Alexander Blok. Soon Gorky became the editor of the Bolshevik publications Pravda and Zvezda.

During the First World War, the writer worked on a cycle of stories “Across Russia”, which was based on his impressions of his first travels in southern Russia, the Caucasus and the Volga region. Gorky published anti-war articles in newspapers and magazines. At the same time, the writer founded the Parus publishing house. Ivan Bunin, Vladimir Korolenko and others published their works in it.

Gorky took the February Revolution of 1917 with caution. The writer criticized the Provisional Government for being disorganized and politically heterogeneous: “We must not forget that we live in the wilds of a multi-million mass of the layman, politically illiterate, socially uneducated. People who don’t know what they want are politically and socially dangerous people” . In May 1917, Gorky began publishing the newspaper Novaya Zhizn, where he published his articles reflecting on politics in the Untimely Thoughts section. After the October Revolution, the writer criticized the actions of the Bolsheviks and Vladimir Lenin.

“Lenin, Trotsky and those accompanying them have already been poisoned by the rotten poison of power, as evidenced by their shameful attitude towards freedom of speech, the individual <…> Blind fanatics and unscrupulous adventurers rush headlong allegedly along the path to the “social revolution” – in fact this is the path to anarchy, to the death of the proletariat and revolution. <...> Lenin is followed by quite a considerable part of the workers – so far – but I believe that the mind of the working class, its consciousness of its historical tasks will soon open the eyes of the proletariat to the whole unfulfillment of Lenin’s promises, to the whole depth of his madness”

In July 1918, Gorky’s newspaper was closed for criticizing the authorities, and articles from the Untimely Thoughts cycle were not published in the USSR until perestroika. Then the writer, right in his apartment in Petrograd, created the “House of Arts” – an organization that became the prototype of the future Union of Writers. The creative studio of Nikolai Gumilyov operated here, members of the Serapion Brothers literary association held meetings, Alexander Blok gave lectures.

In 1919, Gorky was appointed head of the evaluation commission of the People’s Commissariat of Trade and Industry. He was assigned to supervise the work of antiquarians who cataloged confiscated private collections. The writer himself became interested in collecting – he began to buy old Chinese vases, Japanese figurines.

On the initiative of Gorky, in the same 1919, the publishing house “World Literature” was organized, in which they began to print works of Russian and world classical literature with comments by literary critics.

“Periods of happiness and misunderstanding”: personal life

Maxim Gorky and wife Ekaterina Volzhina with children – Maxim and Ekaterina. Nizhny Novgorod, 1902. Photo: Literary Museum of A.P. Gaidar, Arzamas, Nizhny Novgorod Region

Maxim Gorky and actress Maria Andreeva posing for artist Ilya Repin at the Penaty estate. St. Petersburg, 1905 year. Photo: Karl Bulla / Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

Maxim Gorky with his son Maxim. Paris, France, 1912. Photo: S. Shumov / State Order of Honor Museum A.M. Gorky, Nizhny Novgorod

When Gorky worked as a journalist at Samarskaya Gazeta, he met Ekaterina Volzhina – she worked as a correspondent for the same publication. In August 1896, they got married. Volzhina was the only legal wife of the writer. Gorky lived with her in marriage for seven years, they had two children – son Maxim and daughter Ekaterina. Volzhinoy Gorky wrote: “I love you not only as a man, husband, I love you as a friend, maybe more – as a friend” .

In 1902, during a rehearsal of Gorky’s play “At the Bottom”, the writer met actress Maria Andreeva, wife of the official Andrei Zhelyabuzhsky. Together they lived for more than 15 years and maintained relations until Gorky’s death. Andreeva wrote: “There were periods, and very long ones, of great happiness, intimacy, complete merging – but they were replaced by equally stormy periods of misunderstanding, bitterness and resentment” .

In 1920, Gorky met with the former maid of honor, Baroness Maria Zakrevskaya-Budberg. She became the last muse of the writer, he dedicated the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” to her. Budberg translated Gorky’s works into English and edited his manuscripts. They broke up a few years before the death of the writer, in 1933. After that, Budberg left for London, where she lived with Herbert Wells. In the Soviet Union, writing about her relationship with Gorky was forbidden: she was a spy and an employee of the NKVD.

Emigrant and head of the Union of Writers of the USSR

Maxim Gorky at the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers. Moscow, 1934. Photo: Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

Maxim Gorky among the pioneers. 1930s. Photo: Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

Meeting Maxim Gorky at the railway station. Mozhaisk, Moscow region, 1928. Photo: Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

In 1921, Maxim Gorky left for Germany. The official reason in the Soviet press was the writer’s deteriorating health, but in fact he left the country due to disagreements with the ruling party. However, all Gorky’s expenses abroad were paid by the RCP (b). The relationship between the writer and Vladimir Lenin improved, they began to correspond again. Gorky informed Lenin about his treatment: “I am being treated. Two hours a day I lie in the air, in any weather – here our brother is not pampered: rain – lie down! snow – lie down too! and humbly lie down” .

In Berlin, Gorky founded the journal Beseda, in which he published Russian émigré writers. The publication was rarely published, and soon closed. The literary critic Henri Troyat wrote: “There were too many differences of opinion between those who left Russia to flee the dictatorship of the proletariat and those who preferred to remain in the country” . The writer was criticized in the émigré press for his connections with the Soviet government. In response, he published an article in the Manchester Guardian, where he said that he supported the Bolsheviks and regretted the critical articles written in 1917-1918. Many of the writer’s friends, including Ivan Bunin, stopped communicating with him. Gorky wrote: “I watch with amazement, almost with horror, how disgustingly people are decomposing, “cultured” only yesterday” .

In 1924 Gorky left for Italy and settled in the city of Sorrento. By this year, he had finished the autobiographical story “My Universities” about his life in Kazan, the novel “The Artamonov Case”, and then proceeded to create the epic “The Life of Klim Samgin”. Gorky wrote to journalist Konstantin Fedin about this work: “It will be a cumbersome thing and, it seems, not a novel, but a chronicle of the 1880s – 1918” . He worked on the book until the end of his life.

In 1928 Gorky celebrated his sixtieth birthday. At the invitation of Joseph Stalin, in May of the same year, he came to the USSR and traveled around the country, during which he met with fans, attended literary meetings. In 1929, the writer again visited his homeland. This time he visited the Solovki camp, talked with its prisoners, and delivered a speech at the International Congress of Atheists. In the next few years, Gorky came to the USSR several more times, but finally returned there only at 1933 years. Many writers did not accept his decision.

“We talked among ourselves: he [Maxim Gorky — Approx. ed] is about to explode. But all the employees of the “New Life” disappeared into the prison walls, and he did not say a word. Literature died, and he did not say a word. I somehow accidentally saw him on the street. Alone in the back seat of a huge Lincoln, he seemed to me separated from the street, separated from Moscow life and turned into an algebraic symbol of himself. <...> An ascetic, emaciated being, living only by the desire to exist and think. Maybe, I thought, it was the senile withering and stiffness that began in him?

Gorky received a solemn reception in Moscow. For life, he and his family were given the former mansion of millionaire Sergei Ryabushinsky in the center of Moscow, a summer house in the village of Gorki in the Moscow region, a house in the Crimea. Even during his lifetime, a street in Moscow and his native city, Nizhny Novgorod, were named after the writer.

At the initiative of Gorky, in the early 1930s, the journals Literary Education and Our Achievements were created, the book series Life of Remarkable People and the Poet’s Library were published, and the Literary Institute was opened. On August 19For 34 years, the First Congress of Soviet Writers was held in Moscow, at which the charter of a new body, the Writers’ Union of the USSR, was adopted. Gorky became its first leader. At this time, he almost did not leave his dacha in Gorki. Foreign writers and poets also came there: Romain Rolland, HG Wells and others.

In May 1936, Gorky returned from the Crimea and caught a cold. He fell seriously ill and went to his dacha in Gorki. Joseph Stalin visited the writer there. Maxim Gorky died on June 18, 1936. After the autopsy, his brain was removed and given to the USSR Research Institute of the Brain for study, and the body of the writer was cremated. The urn with the ashes of Maxim Gorky was immured in the Kremlin wall.

Interesting facts

Maxim Gorky (right) and writer Leo Tolstoy. Yasnaya Polyana, Tula region, 1900. Photo: Sofia Tolstaya / State Museum of the History of Russian Literature named after V.I. Dalia, Moscow

From left to right: writers Maxim Gorky, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak, Nikolai Teleshov and Ivan Bunin. 1900 Photo: Leonid Sredin / State Order of Honor Museum of A.M. Gorky, Nizhny Novgorod

Maxim Gorky. Moscow, 1930–1936. Photo: Ivan Shagin / Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow

1. Maxim Gorky was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature, but was never awarded. The last time he was presented for an award was in 1933. Then the list of nominees included three Russian writers at once: Gorky, Merezhkovsky and Bunin. The award for “strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose” was awarded to Bunin. For him, like for Gorky, it was the fifth nomination.

2. Gorky communicated with Leo Tolstoy. The writers first met on January 1900 years in Moscow in Tolstoy’s house and soon began to correspond. Tolstoy closely followed Gorky’s work. He wrote: “A great merit will always remain behind him [Gorky]. He showed us a living soul in a tramp. <...> The only pity is that he invents a lot… I’m talking about a psychological invention” .

3. Gorky visited the Solovki and the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal, where prisoners worked. The writer called the Soviet camps “an unprecedented, fantastically successful experience in the re-education of socially dangerous people” , and in the 1930s he edited the collection “The White Sea-Baltic Canal named after Stalin: The History of Construction, 1931-1934”.

Everything for children, or the bitter fruits of babycentrism

Actual

Babycentrism is a phenomenon when the desires and whims of the child are put at the forefront. This is a real disease of modern society. All for children! Moreover, not only atheistically minded, having one, maximum two children, parents live this way, oddly enough, even some parents with many children contrive to subordinate their lives to the will of their children. They work hard at three jobs each, but not in order to dress, put on, feed, but in order to be “like everyone else”. For children to be “like everyone else”.

To live “like everyone else”, to be “no worse than others” is the motto of our soviet past, when the well-being of a family was determined by absolutely certain things that were available in an apartment. Wall, Czech tiles, chandelier “Cascade” – three whales of Soviet welfare. 10 years of saving up on the wall. Slept on the floor – saved. Worn in queues, “caught” that same prestigious chandelier. Established the most unimaginable connections with acquaintances of acquaintances in order to buy Czech tiles. It once seemed that with the disappearance of the deficit, this psychology also disappeared. But no, she was reborn, though in a different capacity. Now all forces are mobilized for children. It is a sad sight when parents rush around their children, trying to give them everything they asked for, infringing on the interests of the family as a whole. It is even sadder when a single mother is exhausted, realizing the thesis erected by herself: so that my children do not need anything.

Maybe these are echoes of our childhood, not spoiled by abundance. For some modern parents, it fell on the Brezhnev-Gorbachev era, for some, on the coupons of the Yeltsin period. But what can I say – we did not have such toys, nor such clothes, to go to rest on the sea is fantastic. But now the inaccessible has become real, and often subconsciously, parents, as it were, play out their childhood again, trying to realize their own unfulfilled dreams in excessive pampering of their children. Babycentrism is often a form of satisfying parental vanity, sometimes a child doesn’t need it as much as parents do – to flaunt an expensive brand of clothing, the name of a prestigious school or an expensive resort. But what does it lead to?

A classic situation: a girl grew up only with her mother, her father was absent in their life. The daughter was deprived of much of what her classmates had, this caused her a lot of suffering. She envied, felt flawed. At 20, she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Without a husband. But she decided to “outplay” her mother and said to herself: “My child will not need anything,” and started the race with her promise. As soon as the daughter began to consciously express her wishes, she immediately rushed to fulfill them, because she gave her word that her child would not need anything. But the child grew, and with him the demands grew. By the age of five, the girl had already firmly learned that the meaning of a mother’s life is to provide her with everything she wants. It is enough to say “I want” and mom will break into a cake, but she will buy it. Finally, when the girl went to first grade, her mother took out a loan to buy an iPhone for her seven-year-old child for thirty-five thousand! After all, a girl should not feel flawed. But the matter did not end there – classmates began to bring tablets with them. It was a serious blow to the pride of the girl, who wanted to be not just like everyone else, but better than everyone else. Now she asks for a tablet, and the poor mother does not know how to get out of this situation – she has not yet paid off the loan for the iPhone, and her daughter urgently needs to buy a tablet, but not just any, but cooler so that the poor child does not feel flawed . And soon my daughter’s birthday, and as a gift she wants a bike with 20 speeds. They live in a provincial town, where it is difficult to find a well-paid job. Mom and grandmother are exhausted, each earns money as best as she can, it seems to work just a month and it’s normal, other people live on that kind of money and the five of them live, there are not enough stars from the sky, but they don’t beg: they are full, and shod, and on the table both meat and fruits. But this family is not enough. Adults barely survive, just to please the girl so that she does not suffer from deprivation. Pasta and porridge are not for her – the girl eats exclusively yogurt, pizza, sushi and red caviar, and bread for her is bought in a private bakery for a hundred rubles per loaf. And now there is a real disaster in the family: it’s impossible to buy a tablet before the loan for the iPhone is paid off, the mother is killed because she cannot keep her word to herself, and the baby is now suffering, and the girl is depressed, because that for the first time in my life the thing I longed for was not available. She walks around sad and silent for days on end.

In this story, told by the girl’s mother on the Internet, the classic mistakes of parents are in full view. First, the very position of the mother. The slogan “Everything for children” is fundamentally wrong, it is inherently anti-pedagogical. Every person has the right to care and love, not only a child. And the task of parents is to teach children not only to receive, but also to give, otherwise an egoist will grow up, accustomed to receive everything from life and not able to sacrifice anything for the sake of others. Secondly, the mother attributed her experiences to her daughter and, in fact, with her own hands, formed her dependence on the presence of prestigious things. After all, if the mother hadn’t focused the girl’s attention so much on the need to be “no worse than others,” then the girl would have much easier experienced the absence of a tablet or computer in the family. Third, one of the most destructive mistakes is the pursuit of other people’s wealth. There is a saying: stretch your legs according to your clothes. That is, live according to your income and capabilities. It was very unwise for a mother to get into such a loan for the sake of the mythical “be no worse than everyone else.” It is impossible to keep up with everyone, there will always be someone who has more, better, more expensive. This situation is very reminiscent of the story of Ellochka the cannibal, who competed with the daughter of the American billionaire Vanderbilt. Not to mention the fact that giving a child a phone worth 35 thousand to school is not entirely smart.

Finally, it is very unreasonable to run after everyone who “wants” a child. The more you give to children, the more they want, and then they begin to demand. And they want everything they see. if all the requests of children are satisfied without exception, then no millions will be enough for parents. But, the most interesting thing is that children do not feel any gratitude for such hyper-concern: they take all the attempts of their parents to “provide for everyone” as a matter of course and begin to see in their parents not close people, but employees of the factory of desires. This, by the way, is an ancient and widespread phenomenon at all times. How many of these unfortunate grandmothers are around us, who raised and raised a bloody little girl like that, plowed at two or three jobs to put on shoes, clothe, feed, and now the bloody girl either drinks every day and drinks away her mother’s pension, by the way; or waits – will not wait until the mother dies in order to sell the apartment and buy a better car. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt spoke very truly about children’s whims:

Parents and caregivers! Beware of your children with all care from the whims before you, otherwise the children will soon forget the price of your love, infect their hearts with malice, early lose the holy, sincere, ardent love of the heart, and upon reaching adulthood they will bitterly complain that in their youth there is too much cherished them, pandered to the whims of their hearts. Caprice is the germ of heart corruption, the rust of the heart, the moth of love, the seed of malice, an abomination to the Lord.

But there is another bias in the education of attitudes towards things. The direct opposite of the first, although much less common. When parents deny their children everything, forcing them to get by with the most necessary things, and then to a small extent. Such children have few toys (there is nothing to indulge), clothes are mostly worn or bought in a second-hand store (they will ruin everything anyway), even from food, parents take all the most delicious for themselves, leaving to the children what they rejected for themselves. Such parents do not celebrate their children’s birthdays, do not go to the cinema and cafes with them, do not give them gifts for Christmas. What for? And so they will.

Strange as it may seem, such an upbringing equally gives society flawed people with no less developed egoism than in the first case. A child who was infringed in everything in childhood and adolescence, growing up, does not become kind, benevolent towards relatives and others. He adopts parental behavior: the main thing is to provide for himself, and the rest will manage. In addition, people with such an upbringing often feel resentment towards their parents, they consider themselves deprived and believe that now, having become independent, they finally have the right to “take their own”. And such a person lives for himself. He is not interested in the needs and concerns of either his children, or his spouse, or the same parents. He spends only on himself, cares only about himself, and from relatives requires increased care for himself, compensating for the attention he lost in childhood. Still, we show our love through actions, making gifts to a person, congratulating him on his birthday, on Angel Day, on Christmas or another holiday, we tell him that he is dear to us, that we remember him, love and respect him, and that who has not seen acts of love in relation to himself, he will not learn love and will not learn to give it to others.

Those fathers and mothers who find the golden mean will raise their children correctly. On the one hand, they will not indulge every whim of their children, on the other hand, they will allow children’s dreams and desires to come true in a harmless way, exactly as much as necessary so that the child grows up as a self-sufficient prosperous person and does not turn into an all-consuming monster. If a child dreams very much about some toy that is within the means of the family, then why not give it for good grades or for a birthday? Dreaming of going to a water park? Why not? Dreams at least sometimes should come true. And a child who hears “no-no-no” to all his requests grows unhappy.

It is necessary not only to give the child his share, but also to teach him to share treats, not only with his brothers, but also with his parents, grandparents. The older generation is very fond of playing out such a scenario: the grandmother asks the child for a candy or other goodies, he is ready to share and holds out a delicacy to the grandmother, but she happily waves her hand: “Yes, I don’t want it, my dear, eat it yourself!” This is not education. Education will be when the grandmother actually takes this candy and eats it. That is, the child will actually face deprivation for the sake of another, with a victim for real, and not with a game of sacrifice. But like this “Eat yourself!” the motto “Everything for me!” is only fixed in the child.

The best option is for children to understand that parents are not their slaves, but equal people who have the right to their own desires. Here is the story of a woman with three children: “I remember my children were very surprised when I bought four cakes instead of three. “And the fourth to whom?!” I replied: “Me. I also want to”. And this “I want too”, said several times, taught them, stretching out their hand to a tasty one, to ask: “Mom, do you want it?” Sometimes they themselves will come up to me and ask: “Mom, will you?” I’m not lying, if I want, I say so – yes, I want. I don’t want to, I say no, I don’t want to.” In another family where four children were brought up, the father, the head of a large enterprise, practiced this method of education: sometimes he brought home one apple or one orange, put it on the table and said: “After dinner, we will divide it among all.” He could buy each child ten kilos of these apples or oranges, but he only bought one. And when his mother-in-law once reproached him for this, he replied: “Who knows what times will come. Perhaps they will have to share one apple for everyone, let them learn to think not only about themselves. ” Now these children have grown up, they all have their own children, but this is a very friendly family in which everyone supports each other, does not leave them in trouble. And here is the story of another woman: “We lived not to say that in abundance, but rather in lack. Our sons, who were then 4 and 2 years old, really asked for a typewriter on the control panel, and at the family council it was decided to give them such an expensive gift for Christmas, the typewriter at that time cost 550 rubles, and the entire family income was about 6000 rubles a month. Christmas has come, the gift has been given. How reverently they treated her! They could not stop looking at her, they played very carefully and strictly in turn, without quarreling who was the first. A week passed, and suddenly – oh, a miracle! The godparents gave them exactly the same car, only in a different color. And what do you think? Both cars instantly lost their value in the eyes of children. In two weeks, they turned them into a pile of spare parts. This was a very good lesson for us: children should not buy a lot of expensive toys, they stop appreciating them, stop appreciating the efforts of their parents – just think, they broke it, they will buy it again! And since then, we buy toys for children only for holidays: Angel Day, birthday, Christmas, Easter.

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Modification of Bitter Taste in Children

Subjects

Stimuli

Table 1

Procedures

Statistical Analyses

Forced-Choice Pairwise Comparisons

Preference Ranking

Overview

Table 2

Urea

Bitterness

Relative Preference

Caffeine

Bitterness

Relative Preference

Tetralone

Bitterness

Relative Preference

Sodium Gluconate

Relative Preference

Accepted Formulation of Medication and Use of Sport’s Drinks

How to Use, Benefits, Flavors, and Recipes

Digestion and gut benefits

Bitters for digestion and gut health

Immune and inflammation benefits

Bitters for immune function and inflammation

Sugar and appetite control benefits

Bitters for sugar and appetite control

Liver health benefits

Bitters for sugar and appetite control

Bittering agents

Aromatics

You only need a few drops

Before you make your own, learn the basics

Common bittering agents include:

These aromatics — to name a few — can include:

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Taste development in babies: what do they like best?

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Taste of the newborn

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How taste preferences change

Bitter tears.

The most vulnerable

They take it out on children

Teacher, you are wrong!

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“I was filled with grandmother’s poems”: childhood

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