5 facts about how children were raised in the past

1. Little boys dressed like girls

Nowadays, with children's outfits, everything is simple: blue pants for boys, pink skirts for girls. No fantasy. But it was not always so. For example, from the 16th to the 19th centuries in Europe, boys wore dresses. If you don’t believe me, look at the portraits of the offspring of noble families of those times and try to understand where someone is.

You can say: oh, these Europeans, after all, they are not like people. But in fact, this custom had a purely practical basis. It’s just that zippers, buttons and other types of fasteners that would allow you to quickly take off and put on your pants had not yet been invented. And it was hard for parents and nannies to do this. The skirt could easily be pulled up at the right time.

When a male child was old enough—usually by the age of seven—he was taught to wear breeches or trousers. This rite in English it was called breeching.

Literally, it translates as "punch". Or the "trousering" of a man, if you like.

This custom continued until the 19th century. Take a look at the photos below. Do you think they are girls? And here it is not. On the left is the future US President Franklin Roosevelt in 1884, on the right is the tsar Nicholas II with his mother in 1870.

Not only the rich dressed their offspring in this way (there were simply more portraits of them), but also representatives of the poor. And dresses brought they are even more useful. The fact is that the pants from which the eldest grew up might not fit the younger child in length. Well, the dress was a universal wardrobe item.

2. Children were forbidden to masturbate in very original ways

You may have seen photos of such devices on the Internet. They are often referred to as medieval chastity belts. These designs were allegedly worn by knights on their women before setting off on the next Crusade. But this myth. The real history of this device is even stranger.

In fact, the device from the photograph is not a medieval instrument, but a relative remake. You see, from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century, masturbation was all the lights of medicine confessed extremely harmful activity.

Therefore, parents tried with all their might to protect their children, both boys and girls, from this occupation. And so that you don't masturbated, they put on such things - naturally, according to the prescription of doctors.

Some anti-masturbation devices represented are more instruments of torture than medical instruments. For example, the so-called jugum penis - a device that was put on a boy's penis and pricked him with spikes if he had an unwanted erection.

The anti-masturbation hysteria continued well into the 1930s. Among the patents filed in the US at that time are findFor example, here are the products:

What a blessing that in our days science has stepped far forward and such methods of education are no longer practiced. At least in civilized societies.

3. Also, don't kiss babies.

Modern parents often hug and kiss their children. But the parenting experts of the past would say that this is the right way to grow rotten and sloppy. A parent who really wanted the child well had to be harsh with him. Oh yeah!

For example, the behaviorist John Watson, in his 1928 book Psychological Help for Infants and Children, wrote: «maternal love is a dangerous tool that can inflict an unhealed wound that can make childhood miserable and youth nightmarish, a tool that could destroy your adult son or daughter's life, their professional future, and their chances for a family happiness". Therefore, he advised to refrain from all sorts of calf tendernesses.

Good Doctor John added: “Never let children sit on your lap. If necessary, kiss them once on the forehead when you wish them good night. In the morning, greet them with a handshake. If the child did a great job with a difficult task, pat him on the head.

Later, another parenting specialist, pediatrician Walter W. Sackett, Jr., in his 1962 book Raising a Child advised feed the children always on schedule and do not give them food, even if they cry from hunger.

In general, it is necessary to be stricter with offspring, stricter. Let them get used to it life - a harsh thing and you will not get anything just like that.

4. Alcohol was considered beneficial for a growing organism

Nowadays, it is considered reprehensible if a person under the age of 18 or 21 (depending on the legislation of a particular country) consumes strong drinks. But before, things were different.

Yes, in Medieval Europe giving children alcohol was absolutely normal. In Britain, for example, the popularity enjoyed the so-called small ale ("‎small ale"‎) is an unfiltered and thick drink with a strength of up to 2.8%. It was given to children, women and servants - that is, those who were not supposed to blow adult, male beer by status.

Dr. Michele Savonarola, personal physician of the Marquises and Dukes of Ferrara, who lived in the 15th century, in his book advised water children up to seven years winediluted with water. White was preferred over red. This supposedly improved the health of the child.

Medieval doctors advised pouring wine into a baby's mouth if it was too weak and quiet.

For example, when the son of Louis XIII was born to the king of France and Navarre, Henry IV, he looked suspiciously unviable. They began to pump wine into his mouth, the little one felt a taste for life and screamed at the top of his lungs, as befits a future monarch.

The German physician Bartholomeus Mettlinger, who wrote the treatise The Book of Children in 1473, advised still do not rush to accustom children to the bottle. He believed that it would be optimal to give wine to boys from the age of 14, and to girls from 12. Dr. Mettlinger explained his decision by the fact that this drink removes moisture from the body, as it has diuretic properties, and children need bodily fluids for growth.

In some regions of Europe, the tradition of treating children to wine continued until the middle of the last century. For example, in France only in 1956 was accepted rule prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 14 in school canteens.

5. Ventilating children outside the window was considered a practical alternative to walking.

Everyone knows that a young growing body needs fresh air. But what if you're tired and can't just put your baby in the stroller and go laps around the park for an hour? That's right, hang the child in a metal cage outside the window and go watch TV. Or read the newspaper.

In 1884 pediatrician Luther Emmett, author of the then extremely popular book Feeding and Caring for the Child, invented the so-called window crib, which was hung out of the window. According to the doctor, the child sometimes had to be "ventilated" in order to "renew and purify his blood."

Residents of England considered these baby cages are an extremely practical invention, they began to be massively bought up and installed in almost every home. In America, these devices also gained popularity. It is known that the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor established such a bed for his daughter Anna.

The cell had many advantages. It made it possible to provide the child with sunbathing and fresh air without having to take him out of the house. And if your window was locked tightly enough, you could send screaming baby "ventilate" and enjoy the silence. Minuses? Well, if it rains and you forget about the baby, he might catch a cold.