Parenting Advice From 70 Years Ago Shows Just How Much We’ve Learned Since Then

That’s not how we did it back in my day.

Becoming a parent doesn’t free you from being told what to do by your own parent. And your mom or dad can’t resist schooling you on how differently you were raised in their hay day. As nice as their intentions may be, let’s state the obvious: Change can be a good thing.

And in the case of children everywhere, thank goodness some parenting norms from 70 years ago aren’t being practiced today. Mum’s Grapevine, an Aussie-based online platform for new moms, shared a photo taken from a page in a parenting book from 70 years ago, and today’s parents are very, very confused. The page shows a schedule for new parents to follow, and to say the advice is questionable would be an understatement.

Morning

The day starts promptly at 6 a.m. with baby being fed and changed. After that, parents are told to “hold out”—whatever the heck that means—and then leave baby in their cot to sleep. From there, things get really cringe-worthy. The book then suggests putting baby back down to sleep until 9 a.m., when they should be given a glass of water and time to “kick on bed without clothes on.” If parents are following the schedule in the summer, they should head outside between 9 and 9:30 so baby can sunbathe, and then head back inside for a bath.

We have limited context, so it’s hard to know the age the advice is targeting. But if it’s meant for a newborn, there are red flags all over it. For starters, baby should only be given water once solids have been introduced, which is typically around 6 months. Not to mention, from 6 to 12 months, babies don’t actually need water, but a few sips here and there will get them accustomed to drinking it. Meaning, a “glass” of water is excessive.

At 10 a.m., the schedule says baby should be “held out” again, and then put outside to sleep. Yes, you read that right. There’s a fine line between taking your baby outside for a stroll, and exposing them to the harmful rays from the sun—which is what “sunbathing” applies. Babies younger than 6 months should never be under direct sun and shouldn’t wear sunscreen, according to pediatricians. So looks like baby will have to wait until they’re a little older to work on that golden tan.

Afternoon

Perhaps babies slept longer back in the day, because after putting baby down for a nap at 10 a.m., there’s nothing on the schedule until 1 p.m. Around this time, it says baby should be given another drink of water and “kick and play” (with clothes on this time). Parents following these directions during the wintertime are then instructed to head outside for baby’s sunbath.

At 2 p.m., it’s time to feed and “hold out” baby once again, followed by an “outing” and “mothering” time. After those activities are done, it instructs parents to give baby a drink of orange juice at 4 p.m., followed by a second bath at 5:30.

Let’s take a moment to pause here. You should never give orange juice, or any juice to a baby under six months of age, except if your baby is constipated and then small amounts of prune or pear juice can be given, as directed by you child’s pediatrician. If you offer juices before the introduction of solid foods, you risk the child not taking enough breast milk or formula.

Also, nowadays experts advise against bathing baby so frequently. Most pediatricians agree that your little one only needs a bath about three times a week, let alone multiple times in one day.

Nighttime

At about 6 p.m., parents are instructed to feed, and, you guessed it, “hold out” baby once again. Once that’s completed, then it’s off to bed for baby—lights out, windows open, door shut and no pacifier, according to the schedule. There shouldn’t be any interruptions until 10 or 11 p.m., which at that time you can feed baby in a darkened room, change the diaper and put them back to sleep until the next day when the cycle repeats itself.

Well, all we can say is, some things never change; others do—and thank goodness for that!