Bizarre things people believed in by raising their children

Over time, the styles of parenting are evolving and changing because of the changing attitude towards children and their upbringing. Many of these changes are due to the fact that science does not stand still and progresses, in particular, it is about psychology. Some educational methods used by parents in relation to their children will terrify modern parents from the 21st century. Many parental techniques that were considered standard several generations ago, in modern times, would be viewed not simply as a strange upbringing, but as a full-scale cruel treatment of children. Look at how humanity has progressed in this area.

A demonstration of love can spoil a child

In the early twentieth century, women were advised to suppress natural instincts and not give too much attention to children, since if you bathe your child in your own love, you will spoil it. Because of this outdated advice, generations of mothers refused kisses and hugs with their children. Behaviorist John Watson in 1928 warned that manifesting too strong feelings towards the child can lead to undesirable consequences. According to him, maternal love is a dangerous tool that can inflict an injury that never heals, a wound that can make childhood miserable, and adulthood a nightmare. It is a tool that can destroy a child's chances of a normal career or family life. Watson said that parents should never allow a child to sit on their laps. If necessary, parents should have kissed the child once a day, on the forehead before going to bed. Parents had to shake hands with their children in the morning. They could pat the child on the shoulder or pat a little on the head if the child coped with an incredibly difficult task.

The sleeping child had to lay his head to the north

The nineteenth century is the period of pseudoscience. Known examples are phrenology, the practice of determining the characteristic features of a person's personality according to the shape of his skull, or iridology, a teaching that suggested diagnosing diseases in people by their pupils. During this period, people believed in a wide variety of questionable ideas, which, presumably, had roots in science. And these pseudoscientific beliefs also affected children. A study conducted by Dr. Henry Kennedy and published in his book in 1878 showed that children should lay their heads to the north if their mothers want them to grow up healthy.

Drinking wine during pregnancy was the norm

Modern mothers know that drinking alcohol during pregnancy is strictly forbidden, as this can lead to alcoholic fetal syndrome, but the relationship between alcohol consumption and pregnancy has not been thoroughly studied until 1973. Until then, women were free to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Moreover, they were not just not forbidden to drink wine during pregnancy. It was even recommended to fight morning sickness.

Even children drank alcohol

Not only pregnant women drank alcohol, already held mothers also gave their children alcoholic beverages. People of those times believed that alcohol has a serious beneficial effect on the body. Alcohol was such a popular drink that Harvard University in the seventeenth century had even its own brewery, and university students envied its products with an enviable frequency. Many children also drank alcohol, although it was diluted with water.

Children were not allowed to crawl

In the XVII-XVIII centuries, children were seen as miniature adults, and they were forced to grow up as soon as possible. Cradles were long and narrow. People believed that if the child does not press his legs under him, he will have to straighten them, which will make them stronger and allow the baby to immediately start walking. Crawling was considered an animal, so it was not allowed. The children were clothed in long robes that did not allow them to crawl. The dresses ended a few centimeters below their feet.

Mothers were blamed for everything

Mothers were personally responsible for everything, starting with the health of the child and ending with his appearance. Much of what the mother could do wrong for her child was based on what she feels and what she looks at. It was believed that a mother who looks at ugly things during pregnancy will make her child ugly. It was also believed that the mother can influence the child's health through her attitude towards him.

Children were bathed in fat

Today, people take a bath or go to the shower several times a week, but such a tradition has appeared relatively recently. The importance of hygiene was not fully understood until the end of the nineteenth century. At the turn of the twentieth century, attitudes toward hygiene began to change, but parents still received rather strange advice about how they need to bathe the baby. Books about the birth of that time advised to cover the child with fat, such as lard, olive or butter. Fat was necessary in order to remove the wax coating with which the baby was born. The baby could not be bathed in water with soap until he lived at least a week.

It was necessary to follow the wet nurse

Among wealthy families, it was very common to hire wet nurses, who saved women from all the inconveniences of breastfeeding. Even women who fed their children on their own, still hired someone who could help them. These wet-nurses were most often from poor families, so they were always looked at with suspicion. Parental guidance of the early twentieth century warned parents that they would not ignore the women who are sitting with their children.

Infants were taught to walk on a pot

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, parents tried to teach babies to go for a pot. Part of the reason was practical: in those days there were no disposable diapers yet, and the washing of tissue diapers took a lot of time, and it was not pleasant to call this occupation pleasant. It was also believed that controlling the child's use of food and sleep will teach the child that the world does not revolve around him.

There were no car seats for children

Seat belts in cars were not widely used until the fifties of the last century, and even then they were seen as accessories that can be purchased at will, and passengers were not obliged to buckle on. To date, additional precautions are taken regarding children who drive cars and if the child has not reached a certain height and age, he must ride in a special car seat. But for most of the twentieth century, driving in a car was a dangerous adventure, especially for children.

Trust yourself

You may feel like reading all the parenting books that you can reach, but you should remember that the techniques of parenting are constantly changing. One of the best tips for raising children you can find in the book of Dr. Benjamin Spock "Child and care for him." In his best-selling book, Spock reminds parents that they should listen to their instincts. You must believe yourself, because you know much more than you can imagine.