Each generation of parents has its own set of tips and advice for doing their job well. Here are seven that were circulating in the 1800s:
1. Put babies in cages hanging outside windows to give them fresh air.
2. Snacks between meals should not exceed one slice of bread.
3. Get rid of tapeworms with turpentine.
4. Avoid giving green tea to adolescents (believed to contain toxins).
5. Avoid anything green, including toys and clothing. And for good reason, in this case, the green dyes of the time contained arsenic.
6. Start baby’s gums as soon as their first teeth emerge. (It was thought that making a small hole helped speed up the teething process.)
7. Do not rock children to soothe them. In this case, the benefit was for the mother. Swinging on chairs was thought to harm women’s figures.
California Daily Newspapers
