child discipline in the 1950s

However, the suburbs also reflected socioeconomic and racial homogeneity. Updated date: Mar 27, 2020 7:37 PM EDT. There were no drugs to muddle their minds, and because alcohol was hard for them to get, there was no binge drinking either. Parents tried to build their son's ego. Some of the awful things we used to do to kids include: Hitting kids is in the same category as doing drugstechnically illegal, but widely practiced and tolerated up to a point. Sure there was the James Dean 'rebel without a cause' attitude and the 'Teddy Boys' later to become 'Rockers' and nowadays known as 'Bikers', although I must add it's hard to find a modern day Biker without manners. 9. You could never leave the table at dinner time without asking permission first. There are many options children in abusive situations have in order to better their lives. Schoolroom discipline in the 1930s was abrupt and absolute. Fortunately, most five-year-olds have the discipline and maturity to deal with disappointments like that without too much fuss. The general thinking was "spare the rod and spoil the child." Dramatic, astounding physical punishments were routinely meted out to orphans and children who worked in the mills. They were also wildly popular and considered just one of those things, which makes you wonder what sort of things were doing to kids today that will horrify those kids grandchildren. To this day, the U.S. displays a divided attitude towards spanking and corporal punishment. Just as it isnt unusual to see three people smoking up the inside of a car in a public parking lot, so it also happens that parents will sometimes slap or swat their children in front of other people. So, the phrase "when your father gets home" was used by housewives frequently across the country when they tried to discipline their child. Sexual abuse of children was common in both Greek and Roman societies. What a dreadful thing to say to a child but it was something we heard it said to us then. Many people, especially those under the age of around 45 will often hear 'us oldens' say "If I'd have spoken to my parents like that, I'd have got a clip round the ear". Kids were . Teenagers with their own income, coupled with an allowance, were free to buy pretty much what they wanted, and a serious escalation of advertising aimed at teenagers began. Though the hickory stick is one of the most common symbols for old-school scholarly discipline, objects such as paddles, canes, straps, and yardsticks were also widely used. In the 1950s, the trend towards dads as care-givers hadn't even begun to take shape. This new hierarchy of adults meant the principal, not the teacher, started to dole out discipline. In fact, children were often meant to be "seen but not heard." Benjamin Spock's "Baby and Child Care," which was first published in 1946, greatly influenced how children should be raised. Though the fundamentals are still the same, parenting has changed quite a bit in the past 70 or so years. To save my head I raised my arm, which he then hit with all his might. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-117827-1"); Punishment would be administered by the father on return from work when the work-weary mother (all mothers were home based then) related the childs transgression. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, Beliefs, Values and Customs of Chinese Parents, How Child Rearing Practices Influence a Child's Development, The Effects of the Military on Child Discipline, The Effects of Having Strict Parents on Teenagers, The Psychology of the Mother-Son Relationship, Child-Rearing Practices in Different Cultures, How to Replace the Bulb in a Fisher Price Globe, The Psychological Effect of Child Discipline. Even as children, girls felt family and societal pressure to focus their aspirations on home, husband, and children instead of higher education. His controversial advice was that parents need not worry about spoiling their children. But . Heres Johnathan Downe, in 1832, on how the staff at his workhouse helped children stay alert through the 14th hour of their shift: When I was seven years old I went to work at Mr. Marshalls factory at Shrewsbury. Kids in the 1950s were given more freedom to do as they pleased. The same aunt later locked him in his room to punish him for hitting her own child (who was biting Augustus). Schools increasingly deployed police officers, zero tolerance didn't succeed in making schools safer. In the '50s, teachers and parents thought that punishing children reduced bad behaviour. If disobedient, children were whipped in public and forced to make public confessions at meetings. Had she only hit her child repeatedly, without leaving marks, she would have been on the right side of the law in all 50 states. Thankfully, though, medical advances and reduced social stigma surrounding mental health issues allowed for treatment to become both more focused and more widespread. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { var sc_project=1049552; Generation Ministries: Trends in American Child Rearing Practices to 1950, Ruth Baird Shaw: Going To School in the 1930s. In the 1930s, two parenting experts brought the idea of positive discipline to the United States from Vienna, where they had theorized and tested it 1. 1. So, the stereotypical nuclear family of the 1950s consisted of an economically stable family made up of a father, mother, and two or three children. The average household had gone from making $2,300 a year to making just $1,500, according to the University of Houston's Digital History, and by 1932 more than 12.5 million people were out of work. by Lucy McGregor / in Lifestyle. By the way, those last two totally contradict each other which always puzzled me when I was younger! Money doesnt grow on trees. You would never leave the Table without seeking permission first. Today, many look back at the '50s and see the corporal punishments that adults inflicted on children as unnecessary and unfair. During the 1950s, kids played together. For example, a grade school-aged child may have walked to school by herself or gone out to play in the neighborhood on the weekends with no adult supervision. This new hierarchy of adults meant the principal, not the teacher, started to dole out discipline. Six years of hardship and rationing meant that parents had little time for children being fussy about food. With only 34 percent of all women in the workforce, moms were the primary caregivers during the 50s. Boarding schools deliberately underfed children on the theory that it was healthy to get up from a meal feeling as hungry as when they sat down (also, its cheaper), and the general lack of understanding of human psychology allowed just about any weirdo to work out his or her pet theories on the red, welted backsides of children. However, research that came later seemed to prove that this was not the case. Lunch time for hungry pupils. However, with a swelling teenage consumer market, jukebox operators, radio stations, and deejays played to their teen listeners' tastes, and record stores stocked up on 45 RPM recordings of Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and more. Pranks just got a whole lot easier with these clever and witty texts. As always, I acknowledge that I have sourced my images from the Internet and made efforts to copy only those which are marked as available for re-use. With the establishment of the Federal Housing Authority (FDA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) home loan programs, many white middle-class American parents found it easy to borrow money from a bank and move out of cities and small towns into newly built homes in the suburbs. My mum found them entertaining and enjoyed reading them to us and telling us about how Victorian children were brought up. And another, from a magazine interview years later with a man named John Birley: [An overseer named] Frank once beat me till he frightened himself. 3. During the 17th-century, the French philosopher Rene Descartes introduced the idea of dualism, which asserted that the mind and body were two entities that interact to form the human experience. } catch(err) {}. Corporal Punishment In School. That started to change around the turn of the century. I think people talked in proverbs a lot more then. Studies have shown that the most effective way to foster healthy relationships with children and give them the ability to learn and utilize self-control is through positive discipline. A trustful parent doesn't hover over her child, make decisions for her or second-guess her child's ability to act independently. Read on to discover what parenting was like in the 1950s. Take it from the Old Testament, strict corporal punishment has been a popular form of discipline for a long time. The studies that came out of institutionalised environments for children at this time also suggested that mothers should be with their children 24 hours and that anything else could prove damaging for the child's development. Her articles have appeared in "Pittsburgh Parent Magazine" and the website PBS Parents. "https://ssl." You would not normally make the first comment other than to ask how a person was, you would sit politely when you had Guests ans wait for the question - and that was usually based around your Schooling! Not only do they spend more time with their kids than ever before, they're able to do so while simultaneously working outside the home. The 1950s were boomer years. Many parents were so fearful of Polio that they volunteered their children to be experimented on as "Polio Pioneers.". When the weather was nice, neighbors gathered in one back yard or another to cook, eat, and chat. To understand discipline techniques of the 1930s, we need to be aware of the other constraints at the time, mainly the economic collapse. The Golden Rule is the guiding light with positive discipline encouraging children to feel empowered, in control, and good about themselves while also building a positive parent-child relationship. Many of the jobs I fancied as a child (fireman, for one!) They produced films such as High School confidential, Blackboard Jungle, Teen Rebel, The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause, and more, which fed 1950s teens' rebellious spirit. Others have sought less onerous means. . This blog is my way of sharing some memories of those times with others of a similar age. Boys were encouraged to enlarge themselves, explore, and claim extra territory. I dont remember my parents saying it but older relatives would come out with it if they thought the children were talking to much or just annoying them. There is a rich history of parents ripping their hair out over their children's less-than-desirable behavior. From Puritanical subjugation to laissez-faire families, physical punishment to positive discipline, the best method of parenting has long been a debate. There were grisly stories written for children to shock them into behaving. try { Theres no pudding until your plate is empty/ youve eaten your greens. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 40+ Spring Letter Board Quotes to Refresh and Renew. In the first half of the 20th century, having a happy home lifeand a few kidswas an integral part of the American Dream. Personal judgments of individual teachers waned; their power from "in loco parentis" died. //-->. A child would be taught to say, "I would like," and was taught never to say the words, "I want." Discipline isnt, by definition, a bad thing. After World War II, teachers began to unionize. Some educators have believed in harsh discipline methods like corporal punishment, suspension or expulsion. They should tell their children they were special, feed them when they were hungry, put them to bed when they were tired, and discipline them with words rather than corporal punishment. My elbow was broken. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. The strong gender roles of the 1940s . Among the group that grew up in the 1950s, approximately 40 percent of respondents said that they were able to walk to school alone starting in just 2nd and 3rd grade. ), No TV, no Games Consoles. In fact, children were often meant to be "seen but not heard." "Please" and "Thank you" were compulsory and unlike nowadays, if you didn't say it, it wasn't a case of the Adult saying what an impolite young child you were after you'd left, they would tell you face to face. The after-effects of the Second World War were still ongoing, for instance many goods were still being rationed in the . Parents trusted their children to keep themselves safe, instead of hovering over them in a protective manner. Because of this, discipline was harsh and quick, using fear of physical consequences to keep kids on the straight and narrow, with little worry as to how these methods would affect the children as they grew. He encouraged parents to be reasonable, consistent, open, and friendly with their kids not regimented or authoritative. All rights reserved. While middle-class white families took care of a teen's needs and often gave them an allowance, most teens still worked. Pictured: Not abuse in 49 states. The mother was arrested for this, but whats really remarkable is how many people see her on her way out and do nothing to stop her. Parenting trends come and go, and they're usually a good reflection of the society around them. Recent research has cast doubt on the supposed trend of rising juvenile crime at the time, but standardized rules regulating school discipline soon followed. We tend to draw the line at junkies shooting up in the park, but take a look at this: That video shows a mother dragging her child through a Verizon store on a leash. Discipline at home in the 1930s was viewed purely in the form of punishment for bad behavior, according to Ted Johnson in his thesis on child-rearing practices up to the 1950s. It was seen as ungrateful. During the 1950s, most parents tried, unsuccessfully, to make their children stop listening to Rock-and-Roll because they believed it caused juvenile delinquency and knew it challenged social and racial barriers. But you can make adjustments so that they have the opportunity to learn about who they are and be the best version of themselves within the boundaries you set.. Sadly, due to legal discrimination, this was not yet possible for people of color who were restricted to less desirable neighborhoods even when they had the where-with-all to relocate to better surroundings. But in most cases it's true what we say, you would never answer back, you would do as you were told because that's how it worked. Little girls were expected to be "nice." On the bus, it was expected that boys would give up their seat for a woman or anyone senior in age and also give up their places in line for the bus. Looking back to the discipline techniques of the 1930s shows us where society has been and where it is now, in terms of forming our kids into mindful, responsible adults 1. Even though the parents of the 50s were trustful when it came to providing independence-oriented freedoms, they were more likely than modern moms and dads to dictate and maintain the rules. Locke encouraged 17th-century parents to have children learn about consequences naturally, so that self-control and a desire to be accountable for their own actions is a by-product of guidance, not harsh discipline. Opening the door for someone, especially a woman or an adult, was necessary, as was letting her exit before the child did so. } else { By the early 1900s, some childrearing experts proposed new methods of pressuring children into good behavior. One method was called the scorecard, posted in the childs home and gold stars or black marks were placed where it said Rising on time, Cleaning up room, Writing to Grandma, and other tasks and duties (sound familiar?). Children had to stand up on any occasion when an adult would enter the room, even if that adult was the childs parent. Education reformer Horace Mann called it "a relic of barbarism" and argued that students should learn how to monitor their own behaviors. These were known as moral tales. The authority of teachers to discipline students came from a legal term from English common law, "in loco parentis," which translates to "in the place of a parent." Most left school much earlier, with many starting work at 14, and far fewer people had the chance to go on to further education. Every morning, when entering the classroom, a teacher would be greeted with a chorus of "good morning sir" or "good morning madam.". Today, physical punishment is prohibited in most schools in North and South America, Australia, and Europe, among other locations, though . It was quite common for a disruptive child to be rapped over the knuckles, on the . physical punishment could bring salvation to children. Similarly, while just 9 percent of children were raised by a single parent in 1960, 34 percent were in 2013. . His was one of the first works to promote a scientific view of child-rearing, and parents increasingly turned to advanced theories on parenthood to know how to discipline their children instead of turning to their friends or relatives for parenting advice. Wed have been glad of that when food was rationed. The 1950s brought a widespread fear that kids were out of control under the influence of comic books and movies and rock and roll. It was a major victory for students' rights. /* 160x90,50s60s */ If you attended school anywhere from 1950 all the way until 1970, you know that things were ever-changing as the decades rolled by. Corporal punishment was practised frequently, and this was taken for granted by the children's parents. "Please" and "Thank you" were compulsory and unlike nowadays, if you didn't say it, it wasn't a case of the Adult saying what an impolite young child you . In most contexts, this intrinsic helplessness motivates the protective instincts even of adults who arent related to the child. At school, the teacher would have a bell made of nickel sitting on her desk, and whenever she rang it, she expected to garner the full attention of the class. For contemporary children, it may be difficult to imagine kids having fun in the 1950s. Congress passed the Gun-Free Schools Act in 1994, signed by President Bill Clinton. These books were a recent memory for our parents. In the aftermath of WWII's significant instability came the 1950s, suburbia, and the dream of a "picture-perfect" family. There were bomb and fallout shelters, and weekly "Duck-and-Cover" drills that required students to duck under their desks and cover their heads in preparation for what seemed to them an inevitable atomic attack. Even though the parents of the 50s were trustful when it came to providing independence-oriented freedoms . Based in Pittsburgh, Erica Loop has been writing education, child development and parenting articles since 2009. It is best write how things were back in the 1950's by just giving examples and the 'rules' which existed, most of which are long forgotten I'm afraid. Although the name "authoritarian" wasn't used in the 1950s, the style was. As of 2011, roughly one-third of fathers who have working wives engage in regular child care, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 3. Today, it remains legal in 19 states. Although parental discipline tended to be more authoritarian, in the 1950s, children generally . Students knelt on sharp objects or stood for long periods of time. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. In these bleak times, disciplining children was just an afterthought, says Ruth Shaw, an 88-year-old who chronicles her past in blog and book form. The only two stories I remember from it now are Naughty Little Suck-a-Thumb and Shock-Headed Peter. Male children were expected to be strong, responsible, and assertive, but also mischievous. In the past, things were so much worse that its frankly surprising the human race survived as well as it did. As far as sex goes, most 1950s teenagers were shy virgins. by Lydia Saad. The 1950s Family. Since the 1950s our government has worked to keep the children of this nation safe. The general thinking was "spare the rod and spoil the child." Some schools even issued dog tags to students so that families could identify their child's body in the event of an attack. 3. Child-rearing practices of the past were more than abusive; they were flat-out insane by modern standards. Source: Youtube. Discover research-based information and statistics about the various aspects of, While China has increasingly adopted Western influences, the traditional family structure is still highly valued and holds a prominent position in Chinese culture. Women often participated in abuse. That's not to say that children in any decade don't need supervision. } Under zero tolerance, a student who violated school rules faced mandatory penalties, adopted from the "broken windows" theory of policing. His father was a Yale graduate and a successful railroad attorney. I always felt I should be coming out with something definite and impressive. 2020 by kidsofthe50sand60s in 1950s, children, families, Uncategorized Tagged 1950s, 1960s, Books, . But the 1950s were not as peaceful or conformist as you might think. In fact, children were often meant to be "seen but not heard." Nevertheless, there does seem to be a census among eyewitness accounts of what it was like to be a child in the '50s that discipline produced a greater fear of authority than what exists today. A stitch in time saves nine. This led to Hollywood focusing more and more on this younger teenage market. Somewhat paradoxically, it involved a high level of trust granted from parent to child along with the simultaneous enforcement of a rigid, top down rule structure. Life continues. } ); You cant change whom your child is, says Sharon Silver, founder of Proactive Parenting. Detention was given for many misdemeanours, and children were never meant to speak back. Its worth remembering that our parents had been brought up by parents who had Victorian parents and some of the rigid expectations of children from that time were passed down through the generations. couldnt then be done by women, anyway. What Is A Dad And Whats It Like To Be One? For them, life was as dreary as ever, and even more complicated. . In fact, its unusual that she suffered any consequences at all. Going back to Buses and Trains and even walking down the Street, if you saw a Lady struggling with her Shopping, you would offer to help, even if that meant going out of your way to take them to he home. Suburbs were free, social, friendly, and family-oriented. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=8edc09e0-f007-40d4-9537-3dc3bad85b5c&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=4909803566751324701'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); Though most 1950s teens were virgins who had been taught marriage before sex, cars began changing their sexual behavior. After World War II, teachers began to unionize. Follow Childhood Memories of growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. Discipline at home in the 1930s was viewed purely in the form of punishment for bad behavior, according to Ted Johnson in his thesis on child-rearing practices up to the 1950s. The economy boomed, and everywhere individuals were feeling the need for family and security after arduous years of the war. Nevertheless, there does seem to be a census among eyewitness accounts of what it was like to be a child in the '50s that discipline produced a greater fear of authority than what exists today. They talked on the family phone for hours, kept diaries, rode their bikes, played games, watched TV, had sleepovers and dance parties. 9 Holding Your Baby . The negative effects of youth staying indoors, The history of boarding schools in the 1950s. Girls were not groomed or encouraged to attend college, and if their parents did provide them with higher education, it was with the expectation that they'd meet a suitable husband and have a career they could fall back on. Discipline was strict in schools, as boys got a caning and girls got slapped on the knuckles with a ruler. Due to the booming economy, the stereotypical boomer family had more money. 'Speak when you're spoken to', another expression us oldens often say. Gallup Vault: 1950s Nostalgia for Corporal Punishment. I can remember this photo being taken (Can't remember what I did yesterday though! The popular 1955 film Blackboard Jungle depicted teenagers run amok in the classroom. Cars provided a teenager with independence and a teen couple with a place to spend time alone away from parents' prying eyes. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Parents had little time for fun or family activities, and the prevailing science of the decade heralded children as "self-regulating," meaning that left to their own devices, children would regulate themselves in such a way to perform as necessary in society. United States Census Bureau: One-Third of Fathers with Working Wives Regularly Care for Their Children, Census Bureau Reports, The Center for Effective Discipline: Spanking: Facts and Fiction, American Psychological Association: The Case Against Spanking. Because of the privacy they offered, 1950s teenagers loved and frequented movie theaters and drive-in movies. Disciplining children in the 1950s has often been regarded as strict, harsh and oppressive. 'Gospel Oak Primary School Memories 1952-56' retells the classroom tales of the 1950s through photos, biographies and stories of the students themselves. Although the practices were being introduced in the '30s, they did not gain wide acceptance until the '80s when the definition of "spoiling children" had changed dramatically. Show your daughter how proud you are with a heartfelt or funny social media caption. // Leaf Group Lifestyle, The Disadvantages of Physical Punishment for Children, How to Argue Fairly With Your Adult Children, Down the Lane: Childrens Manners and Etiquette in the 1950s, Internet FAQ Archives: Scientific Child Rearing. Manners and etiquette was just a part of the 1950's lifestyle, it was more disciplined, you wouldn't see so much rubbish in the Street, you would find it hard to find untidy front gardens, people wanted to show others that they had things sorted, they were leading a decent life, did the right thing and the Children's manners were one way of showing this. He once knocked me down and threatened me with a stick. Children had to say "please" and "thank you," and if they didn't use these words correctly, they would be informed by adults that they were being rude. Nevertheless, there does seem to be a census among eyewitness accounts of what it was like to be a child in the '50s that discipline produced a greater fear of authority than what exists today. There was a greater consensus that good manners were more important in society back then and this impacted how people disciplined their children. Blended Family Statistics: A Deeper Look Into the Structure, Blended families, also called stepfamilies or remarriage families, are one of many modern family types in the world. Eat your crusts or your hair wont curl. The 1950s Family: Structure, Values and Everyday Life. pageTracker._trackPageview(); Every morning, when entering the classroom, a teacher would be greeted with a chorus of "good morning sir" or "good morning madam." In 1975, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Goss v. Lopez that schools could not suspend a student without a hearing. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. So keep reading to discover ten weird parenting tips from the early 1900s. Authoritarian parenting methods include high levels of discipline, direction and structure, according to the Youth Development Initiative of the Texas A&M System. Children were precious assets and the center of the family. Child laws were very relaxed back then and even doctors did not know the full exhaust for what was good for them. Not subscribed to Fatherlys newsletter yet? my mum used to say China, Im sure adults used used a variety of countries! Schools increasingly deployed police officers to monitor their halls. When wearing a hat, it would be suitable etiquette to take it off when going indoors, into a shop or when talking to a lady on the street. 10 Funny April Fools' Pranks You Can Do Over Text. I promised myself when I was a teenager in high school that I would never say that to a child because at that time I didnt believe they could possibly be the best years of your life. . on WordPress.com, Happy St Davids Day or Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus, Foundation Operation X for languages, cultures and perspectives. This Is How Parenting Has Changed Since the 1950s, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), People Who Use These Words May Suffer From Depression. According to the Pew Research Center, while 73 percent of U.S. children under the age of 17 were living with their married parents in 1960, only 46 percent of that same demographic was living under the roof of still . // Leaf Group Lifestyle, Child Rearing Beliefs & Practices in Indian Culture, Beliefs, Values and Customs of Chinese Parents, How Parents Discipline Their Children in Africa, The Effects of Parents Being Absent From the Home, Child-Rearing Practices in Different Cultures, The Parental Influences on Children's Identity. This new form of music gave teens an outlet for their rebellious energy. Parents gave their boys more mobility, authority, and respect, but in the end, parents also expected their boys to settle down and have a family. Children were beaten at school for minor infractions, then beaten again for the same infraction at home. We actually had to learn a whole list of them for the 11+ exam! His was one of the first works to . Here's how to flirt with and eventually capture the heart of each astrological sign. When it comes to a child, abuse is something that cannot be taken lightly.

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