Seeing the Lighter Side

Parenting and the History of Parenting

History of parenting

Godfrey’s Cordial: the ‘good old days’ when everyone drugged their babies

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In pursuit of a few consecutive hours of sleep, modern parents have been criticised for drugging their lively offspring with melatonin, antihistamines, cough medicine and a full range of ‘natural’ remedies. This is nothing new. More than 100 years ago, the most popular sleep drug was Godfrey’s Cordial. Young children who won’t sleep are not a new phenomenon; […]

Weird and wonderful gems of parenting advice from the 1860s

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We like to think we’ve improved on our collective knowledge of all things parenting over the past few centuries. In the past 150 years some parenting advice has improved vastly. Other vintage parenting advice is still thoroughly sound. Take a trip back through time – this is the kind of unhelpful parenting advice your great-great-great-great-great-grandmother would […]

When did parenting become a science?

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  I don’t remember much about my first few mothers’ group meetings. I juggled a baby who fed every two hours, protested loudly when tired but refused to sleep, the painful healing wounds of a 24-hour labour and emergency caesarean and an overwhelming anxiety that I was doing it all wrong. The main message I remember […]

Breast may be best but at least bottles won’t kill your baby these days

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There is evidence that fifty-four per cent of babies who are bottle fed die. Oh wait, no, that was seventeenth century Britain. Research indicates that out of 132 orphans who were bottle fed, only five survived. Um, no, that was eighteenth century France. Oh, that’s right, this is the year 2013. Feeding babies properly manufactured and prepared […]