Historical Parenting
The Expert Opinion
In 1878, in The Physical Life of Woman, Dr. Goerge H. Napheys used the the work of Dr. Henry Kennedy to express the childbearing views of his era. Dr. Kennedy’s research showed that in order for a child to maintain good health, the baby must sleep facing the North. Kenndey’s reasoning behind this view was that there are electrical currents that are known to be “in one direction around that globe.” Kennedy felt that these electrical currents were in someway connected to the body’s nervous system.
In the 1920s, in a book entitled Searchlights on Health: The Science of Eugenics” by B. G. Jefferis and J. L. Nichols, pregnant women are encouraged to avoid thoughts of ugly people, as well as those with diseases and deformities. This book along with many other books of its time referenced the word “eugenics”. This word holds a much different meaning to us today, however in previous times the word held was a positive one that meant the development of strength and qualities for future generations.
Although these literary texts were written during a time of scientific thought and development, in many ways these ideas lacked sufficient evidence. This is a clear indication of the ways in which science is heavily influenced by opinion with little regard for facts. This in many ways leads me to wonder whether or not the parenting norms accepted today are in someway built on the accepted facts and ideas of previous times.
In 1916, mothers were encouraged to show as little affection as possible. In fact authors like Drs. Lena and William Sadler advised when to hold their babies as little as possible. They also suggested that it is best for babies to be held to a structured life of schedules and discipline. Many felt that is was best to raise a child in this manner, so they would not disrupt the parents’ lives. The Sadler’s also suggested that crying was essential in order for a child to develop good lungs, so there was no need to pacify crying children.
Dr. Rima Apple, the author of Perfect motherhood: Science and Childbearing in America was able to provide sound insight as to why the parenting of previous times was not as ridiculous as we might think. She insists that the way childrearing was done in past times made sense considering its time. Studies from the Center of Disease and Control showed that in 1900 approximately, 10 to 30 percent of all American babies born died before the age of one. In many cases, babies dies of thinks like poor drinking water, consuming unpasteurized milk, measles, and whooping cough, all of which a preventable today. Fearful that their children might die, parents often took any advice given to them in order to keep their children healthy and alive. Also, men felt that being published authors helped them when they moved to different regions. Men felt writings helped contribute to their qualifications and validity when moving to a region where they were not well known.
In the 1920s, in a book entitled Searchlights on Health: The Science of Eugenics” by B. G. Jefferis and J. L. Nichols, pregnant women are encouraged to avoid thoughts of ugly people, as well as those with diseases and deformities. This book along with many other books of its time referenced the word “eugenics”. This word holds a much different meaning to us today, however in previous times the word held was a positive one that meant the development of strength and qualities for future generations.
Although these literary texts were written during a time of scientific thought and development, in many ways these ideas lacked sufficient evidence. This is a clear indication of the ways in which science is heavily influenced by opinion with little regard for facts. This in many ways leads me to wonder whether or not the parenting norms accepted today are in someway built on the accepted facts and ideas of previous times.
In 1916, mothers were encouraged to show as little affection as possible. In fact authors like Drs. Lena and William Sadler advised when to hold their babies as little as possible. They also suggested that it is best for babies to be held to a structured life of schedules and discipline. Many felt that is was best to raise a child in this manner, so they would not disrupt the parents’ lives. The Sadler’s also suggested that crying was essential in order for a child to develop good lungs, so there was no need to pacify crying children.
Dr. Rima Apple, the author of Perfect motherhood: Science and Childbearing in America was able to provide sound insight as to why the parenting of previous times was not as ridiculous as we might think. She insists that the way childrearing was done in past times made sense considering its time. Studies from the Center of Disease and Control showed that in 1900 approximately, 10 to 30 percent of all American babies born died before the age of one. In many cases, babies dies of thinks like poor drinking water, consuming unpasteurized milk, measles, and whooping cough, all of which a preventable today. Fearful that their children might die, parents often took any advice given to them in order to keep their children healthy and alive. Also, men felt that being published authors helped them when they moved to different regions. Men felt writings helped contribute to their qualifications and validity when moving to a region where they were not well known.
Literature Consulted:
- Conway, Jill K. and Linda Lealey. The Female Experience in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century America: A Guide to the History of American Women. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 19851982. Print
- Spock, Benjamin. The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce. 1946. Print
- http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/dont-think-of-ugly-people-how-parenting-advice-has-changed/275108/