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Pre-industrial families
When most families immigrated to Canada they settled in rural areas. Most often they lived off the land as farmers or fishermen. Men and women worked side-by side and when children were old enough they began working for the family. Children were considered an economic necessity. Some children left their family to work for other families on their farms or in their homes. Young people married later when they were able to afford to buy a farm, a shop and a home. -
Residential Schools
Between 1870 and 1996 First Nations children were taken from their homes and sent to residential schools. The goal of these schools was to assimilate the children to the ways of white Christian Canada. Close to 150,000 aboriginal, Inuit and Métis children were removed from their communities and forced to attend the schools. Many children suffered abuse while living in these schools. The children did not receive the love and care they would have if living with their families. -
Industrial Revolution
The development of technology led to many families leaving the farm and moving to urban areas. In 19th century more and more children were forced into the workforce. Children often worked in factories and mining. They were cheap labour. -
Victorian Parents
We often think of the Victorian era as one where parents were strict with their children but much of the parenting literature of the time tells us otherwise. Children were shielded from near adult roles. Children were showered with love. God and the value of a good Christian home were emphasized. Dads play a lesser role in the raising of children. The mother was expected to be of good character and be a role model for her children. The concept of adolescence is created. -
Urban Industrial families
As more and more machines were invented the division between home and work became more distinct. Men and boys left the home to go to work and earn income while women/female children stayed home to care for the family. -
Mandatory Education Laws
Compulsory education laws were instituted in 1871 in Ontario for all children under the age of 14. By 1905 all other provinces,except Quebec, expected children to attend school. Children often missed school for long period of time during planting and harvesting seasons. -
The Consumer Family
The husband was the sole breadwinner and the head of the household. Women were wives, mothers, and remained at home. Children attended school. While they still had chores to do, it was a much easier life for children. Families had fewer children as it was very expensive. Some women did work outside the home but this was often out of necessity - they had been deserted by their husband or were widowed. -
Behaviorism
During the “roaring twenties” there was a renewed emphasis on discipline, regimentation and sternness. Parents were told not to display affection to their children. A strong interest in science also influenced the way in which parents parented - strict feeding and sleeping schedules, toilet training at six months, and no hugging or kissing were expected. The only physical contact he advocated between parent and child as a brisk handshake each morning. -
The Depression
When the depression unemployment increased greatly. The unemployment rate was approximately 30 per cent and one in five Canadians depended on government relief for survival. For those who were able to keep their jobs, there salary was often reduced. Young children were often pulled from school to try to earn money for the family. Men often left there families to find work. Women were left to care for their children and homes. -
The Depression
During the depression the focus for parents moved to the physical care of children. Fun, relationships, and moral development were of lesser priority as families struggled to put food on the table. "The healthy family during the Depression was one that was fed, sheltered, and cared for by parents who loved each other and their children but didn't have leftover energy to demonstrate it in tangible ways beyond providing mere sustenance" (Curran, 1983, p121). -
World War II
Between 1939 and 1945 more than one million Canadian men and women served full-time in the armed services. More than 42,000 were killed. Women entered the workforce in high numbers to both support their families and the country. -
Permissiveness
After the depression child rearing practices moved towards greater permissiveness. Parents provided less direction to children as they were seen as "self regulating." Celia Stendler (1950, p.122) reflected on parenting during the 40’s by stating “Today the mother is advised to feed the baby when he's hungry, to delay toilet training until he's ready for it, to see that the baby gets a reasonable amount of cuddling and mothering, to let the baby initiate the weaning process." -
The Baby Boom
The timeframe between 1945-1965 is often referred to as the baby boom. After the war husbands returned home to their wives. There was a great sense of optimism in the country. Mothers left the workforce and returned home to care for the family. Over this period of 25 years, the baby boom produced about 1.5 million more births than would otherwise have occurred, an increase of 18%. This increase led to a change in the way children were treated - we became a very child focused society. -
Dr Spock - Common Sense?
The post-war era saw a swing back towards child centered families. Dr. Benjamin Spock's popular book, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care was first published in 1946. By 1976 the book had sold 28 million copies, making it the second best selling book in the 20th century. His approach to parenting was permissive he advised permissiveness but at the same time he implied that proper child care required a good deal of thought and time on the part of both mother and child.
