100 Years Ago: The Craziest Parenting Advice Moms Faced
As a mother of three young children, I’ve encountered my fair share of bizarre parenting advice. But nothing compares to the outlandish tips that moms were given 100 years ago. Trust me, you won’t believe some of the things that were considered “best practices” back in the day.
1. The Quest for World’s Strongest Baby
Early 20th-century parents were obsessed with their babies being not only healthy but robust. They believed that a strong baby should be exposed to the elements early and often.
Open-Air Everything
This meant leaving infants outdoors to nap in freezing temperatures to “toughen them up”. According to the wisdom of the time, fresh air, even in winter, was an elixir for making the baby resilient.
Sand and Sun
Back then, parents were also encouraged to let babies play in the sand, but hold your breath—not just any sand, fresh beach sand was considered beneficial. Sand became the sandbox for building physical constitution.
2. Method to the Madness – Regimented Feeding
Inconvenient? Perhaps. But completely bonkers? For sure!
Schedule, Schedule, Schedule
In contrast to today’s more flexible feeding schedules, parents were advised to follow a rigid system. Feeding intervals were mandated to the hour. These regimented schedules left no room for the infant’s individual needs or mother’s intuition.
Ignoring Hunger Cries
Even more baffling was the advice to ignore a crying baby between these rigid feeding times. Imagine the stress of hearing your baby wailing and not being “allowed” to feed them.
3. Let’s Do Baby Warm-Up Exercises
Exercise isn’t just for fitness; it apparently was once for reflexes and muscles in newborns.
Stretching Newborns
Yes, you read it right! Physical exercises for babies were encouraged, molded in a military drill style. Exercises like stretching and flexing tiny limbs were thought to keep babies in the best of health.
Date with Dumbbells
Surprisingly, babies were also given mini dumbbells for muscle building. Baby fitness? Absolutely a head-scratcher!
4. Strange Formula Ingredients
Talk about questionable nutrition.
From Bone Broth to Beef Tea
Forget protein-rich baby formula. 100 years ago, they had recipes that included bone broth and beef tea! Yes, it sounds like something you’d see on a restaurant menu, not in a baby bottle.
Monstrous Milk Mixtures
Some were advised to concoct formulas including things like cow’s milk, barley, and even a smattering of flour. These concoctions were supposed to be the cornerstone of infant health, despite their less-than-appealing makeup.
5. The Ice-Cold Bath Routine
This one’s sure to make you shiver just by reading about it. Early-twentieth-century moms were instructed to bathe their babies in cold water to build resilience. The water had to be cold, not lukewarm, but genuinely cold.
Ice Baths for Health
Medical professionals of the time opined that cold baths could harden the infant’s constitution and create a robust child. It’s hard to imagine anyone willingly inflicting such intense discomfort on a baby today.
6. Night Terrors or Teaching Moments?
If you thought parenting was about comforting your baby, think again.
Controlled Crying
Today’s debate between cry-it-out and gentle sleep methods is nothing compared to the past. Parents were instructed to lock their crying babies in a dark room alone. The logic? It would toughen them up and make them more independent.
No Cuddles Allowed
Cuddling was frowned upon. To our ancestors, it signaled weakness and over-indulgence, leading to a dependency on parents.
7. Questionable Hygiene Practices
Stand by for some stomach-churning recommendations.
Spit Baths
Parents were told that using their own saliva was best for cleaning delicate baby skin. *Ew*.
Bacon Grease Diaper Rash
When diaper rash struck, one popular remedy was bacon grease. Honestly, I can’t decide whether this would smell amazing or just make me crave breakfast.
The Unbelievable Evolution
Let’s take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve come.
A century ago, advice seemed more a concoction of folklore than scientific evidence. Today, we’ve got an arsenal of research-backed tips, giving us a solid foundation for our parenting journey.
Ready to Share Some Laughs?
How do you feel about these bizarre practices? Share your reactions in the comments and tag a mom friend to join the fun! Though we might roll our eyes, these stories have a strange charm to them. They remind us that while parenting methods evolve, the loving heart of a mother remains steadfast. ✨
Let’s be thankful for today’s more rational advice while also having a good laugh at the past. Share this post with other moms to bring a little levity to their day. Happy Parenting, everyone!