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The child's right to live was a more or less arbitrary decision of the parents, since they were considered their property and it was they who had the power to dispose of their lives. Another common practice was to maintain a passive attitude towards children, which often also led to death. In this case, the parents resolved the anguish caused by the children with death. During this period, children born with deformities were killed, the parents were not condemned, it was not seen as a bad thing. -
Once the child is accepted as a being with a soul, the way to get rid of its anguish is by abandonment, by giving it to the foster mistress, committing it to the monastery or convent, giving it to other foster families, sending it to other nobles' homes as a servant or hostage; or by keeping it at home in a situation of severe affective neglect. The most extreme and oldest form of abandonment was the outright sale of children. -
The child was considered as a "bad" being with punishable tendencies. Adults were concerned with molding him and, thus, avoiding the appearance of "dangerous" reactions, which in reality were his projections. Physical punishments were very common and had a double function: to purify the child and to unload the emotional weight of the adult. It is a time of ambivalence between the apparent concern for the education of children and the underlying attitude of a projective nature. -
The child was no longer so full of dangerous projections, and instead of simply examining his entrails with an enema, the parents came closer to him and tried to master his mind in order to control his inner self, his needs, his masturbation, his very will. Since the child was much less dangerous, true empathy was possible, and pediatrics was born, which together with the general improvement of parental care reduced infant mortality. -
This is the period in which educational treatises basically focus on the socialization of the child and, for the first time, parents take an interest in the child. The 19th century is, for the first time, the century of childhood and there will be a clear pedagogical concern for protection, beyond the charitable and beneficent model of the preceding centuries. On the other hand, educational work is done throughout the population. -
The relationship with the child at this time is basically empathic. The interest is no longer in dominating or socializing only, but in developing the characteristics of each child, understanding their needs and enhancing their skills. The parents' attitude is patient and dedicated so that the child grows up in a pleasant and caring environment. -
The 20th century has been the "century of the child", society begins to love, protect and consider children, and the school institution has a central role in their formation. There are changes in family structures, children are more sedentary, parents dedicate little time to their children because of their work, health services and children's education are much better and children are exposed to information and communication technologies.