How did middle-class attitudes toward children change in the early nineteenth century? What might explain these changes?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. In the early nineteenth century, childhood came to be seen as a distinct stage of life requiring the special and sustained attention of adults.
2. The discovery of childhood led to new customs and fashions.
3. The new concern for children resulted in more intimate relations between parents and children.
4. Parental discipline shifted from an emphasis on corporal punishment toward emotional and
psychological methods of control.
5. One important explanation for the growing focus on childhood is the smaller size of families.
6. Birth control contributed to this demographic revolution.