Change in the Care of Infants

Today in class we discussed how the care of infants has changed throughout history. I think that a lot has changed when it comes to how infants are cared for and viewed. Wet nursing is one topic in particular that we discussed has virtually disappeared in recent decades. In history wet nursing was viewed as a symbol of status. People were considered of higher status if they could have a wet nurse. However, there were still people who opposed to this method, and I agree with these people. One main reason that people in earlier times opposed to wet nursing was because of the higher mortality rate among infants that was a result. I don’t think gaining status is worth putting your child at a greater risk. It is difficult to understand why wet nursing became so popular; it was a different time, and people had vastly different values. Status was high at the top of the list. As science became more involved in the medical profession, the popularity of wet nursing declined. As discussed in class the medical profession began to replace traditional female lore. I think that this change in thinking was a good thing.

            Status is still very important today, but people show it in a different way. Status is shown through things like how early you start to educate your infant. In our groups we discussed how toys for infant development play more of a role than they ever have. Parents are so focused on educating their children from the moment they are born, and in some cases even while they are still in the womb. Things like baby Einstein are focused at educating infants, the idea is that you can never start educating your child to early. Another thing that we discussed in our group was the recent increase in the use of formula or powdered milk as opposed to breast feeding. Mothers now have this choice, a choice that they didn’t have before.  I think that this combined with the increase in the influence of doctors and science is what led to the decrease in wet nursing. Now, when I think of wet nursing, I think that it is a strange and outdated practice. I couldn’t imagine someone hiring a wet nurse these days. Parents are also much more concerned with making a connection with their children as early as possible. They want their children to be the best that they can be, so the idea of sending your child with a wet nurse would not be an appealing idea. These are some of the factors that I can imagine have lead to the decline in wet nursing, and also other changes in the care of infants.

Themes of Innocece in Childhood

In class this week we were asked to reflect upon our own childhood, specifically to think about how we remembered being treated by teachers, parents, and other adults. The questions asked were: where do you imagine they saw you on the innocence/depravity continuum, and why do you think they saw you this way?

When I was a kid I was very well behaved and well mannered. I think that most adults saw me this way because this was how I behaved. One particular memory that I have demonstrates the theme of perceived innocence in childhood very well. In my grade five year my friends and I decided to write our names on the school bus seat. Obviously we got caught and in trouble, and I remember my teachers shock when he sat us down to talk about it. My friends and I were never in trouble so this was a new experience for me. My teacher kept saying things like, “When I heard about this you girls were the last ones I imagined to be responsible,” and other things along those lines. I think this demonstrates the perspective that my teacher had of us. His shock showed that he assumed that we were not capable of something like that.

I think that most adults see children as being innocent. They always have such a hard time believing that children can do bad thing, like bullying. I also notice that in these situations an adult will often blame a child’s parents or upbringing, instead of the child. It seems it is easier to for some adults to place blame on other people than the actual child. This brings up the question “is a child born innocent?”And “can a child be evil or commit evil acts without outside influences?” These are hard questions to decipher because there really is no way to tell. A child could be born with the ability to commit evil acts, or it could stem from outside influences like parents and television. Nonetheless, when I look at the world, and reflect on my childhood, I notice a definite tendency for adults to think of children of innocent.

A Change in my Thoughts on Hyper Parenting

After thinking more about the concept of hyper parenting I have some different thoughts. The video we watched discussed that hyper parenting has increased in the last number of years, which I agree with. Technology has lead to a much closer relationship between parents and adolescents. However, after our discussion in class about our notions of childhood, I discovered a contradiction in the concept of the increase of hyper parenting. In my last post I discussed how, even since my childhood, I have noticed a drastic change in the things children are exposed to. They see violence, sex, and other adult concepts everywhere. They can easily turn on the television and see all of these concepts. I think that it is ironic that we are living in a world where parents have become much more protective and involved with their children, but in this same world I have noticed an increase in the amount of violence and adult concepts that young children are exposed to. The video also discussed how parents don’t let children experience the world for themselves, but at the same time children are allowed to play violent video games and watch inappropriate movies. To me it is interesting that some parents don’t want to let their kids experience their surrounding on their own, but they allow them to be exposed to content that is full of adult concepts. After today’s class I had this insight and am unsure about the increase in hyper parenting that is supposedly occurring. Hyper parenting seems to be moving in both directions. I have noticed an increase in parents being more protective and coddling their kids more, but at the same time I have noticed and increase in the violence and inappropriate things kids are exposed to.

Our Conceptions of Childhood

Today in class we talked about the romantic notion of the child as opposed to the notion of the “evil child.” We discussed how the romantic notion of children came about around the same time as the industrial revolution began. We also discussed how the romantic notion of the child is still present in today’s society. We still see childhood as a time of innocence. Then we compared this notion of innocence in children to the notion of the “evil child.” We see children portrayed as evil in countless movies and other representations. In class we were asked to choose a movie and answer the question “what does this video say about certain cultural ideas about childhood?” My group chose the video clip from toy story that included the character Sid. In the movie he is portrayed as one of the evil forces to overcome. His parents are clueless about the extent of his violent nature and he is an expert at manipulating them. He just pretends that he is the perfect child when he is around them and they have no suspicions. Why would they, children are often thought of as innocent and angelic beings. We thought that this part of the movie affirms the widely accepted cultural concept that parents believe their children can do no wrong. We also came up with the idea that the character Sid demonstrates that violence can be learned through video games, television, and movies. This supports the point that Postman makes. He believes that television is the end of childhood; that it teaches children adult concepts therefore killing the period of childhood. I agree with this. Looking back at my own childhood I remember that there were certain television shows and movies that I wasn’t allowed to watch because they contained thing inappropriate for children. When I look at children today I see a drastic change in the last few years. Children are allowed to watch shows like Family Guy and they play games that involve death and extreme violence. I agree with the fact that there should be restrictions on what children are allowed to watch. A show like Family Guy contains very adult concepts. In my group it was brought up that a lot of parents might allow children to watch these shows because they don’t think that they will understand the adult concepts. I think that the things shown on these shows have more of an impact on kids then parents think. Children should learn about the world through their own experiences, and watching television shows that include violence and other adult concepts almost alienates them in a way.

            I think that it is interesting that quite often in the last couple of decades children are portrayed as evil. I think that this ties into the concept of the romantic notion of childhood versus the concept of the “evil child” that we talked about today in class. In all the movies that children are portrayed as evil the adults around them are always unsuspecting. They don’t believe that and innocent young child could have the capability of committing such horrible things. I think that the use of children as evil beings in movies reflects how our culture looks at childhood. We look at children as being images of innocence and grace and I think that movies use this to play on suspense and uncertainty in movies. When I watch a movie involving an evil child I never really believe that the child is really to blame. I have also noticed in movies that children are often shown to be possessed or manipulated. To me this also reflects the way our culture thinks of childhood. They are so innocent that they can be mislead, and this affirms an attitude that parents seem to have towards their own children. This attitude goes back to the idea of hyper parenting; parents believe that they have to guide their kids in every way possible and this often leads to the kids not experiencing anything for themselves. Our conceptions of childhood affect the way we interact with them.

The Phenomenon of "Hyper Parenting."

This week we watched a video called “Hyper Parents and Coddled Kids.” I found the video really interesting and thought it had a lot of really good points. It discussed how in recent years there has been an increased trend in “hyper parenting.” Hyper parenting is when parents are over-protective and over-ruling in their children’s lives. The video talked about how kids have and over dependence on their parents to make decisions. It talked about some things like parents calling their kids bosses, and I think this is an extreme, but I do notice it in our present society. I notice that parents can be over protective of their kids, leading to some over dependence on them in their adolescence and early adulthood. Some parents are scared to let their children experience anything because they don’t want to put their kids in danger. I think that this leads to adults who are scared to take risks and don’t understand the real world. A parent can’t keep their children from every danger and I don’t think they should because it robs them of the learning experience.

I asked my parents if they thought their generation was less dependent on their parents then mine was, and they both thought that we are. They said that their parents still helped them out a lot, but my generation gets more help than they did. When I look at my own childhood and my life so far my parent were and still are very present in my life but not in a bad way. They didn’t parent to the extent of hyper parenting. They were always there to help me, but the always let me make my own decisions. They also let me experience a lot of different things in my childhood, and I was able to learn through my own experiences and mistakes. I think that this is very important in childhood.

We were asked to reflect upon why we thought that hyper parents and coddled kids are appearing at this time in history. I think that as technology develops, parent’s ability to “coddle” their children does as well. The video talked about electronic devices, such as cell phones, lead to this phenomenon. Now that everyone had cell phones and email it is much easier for parents to be in contact with their children at all times. We also talked about how our conception of what childhood actually is has changed a great deal throughout our history. We have a concept of childhood now as a time of learning and growth, which I agree with. I disagree with the idea that this means parents need to interfere more. The video discussed how children have the ability to learn on their own from their experiences and environment. Having said all of this, I also have to remember that I am not a parent and that I don’t know how much my thoughts would change on this topic if I do one day become a parent. I do know that my parents were great role models to me, and I feel as though I can talk to them about anything. I would want to model myself as a parent after them.