When did things start to become more child orientated?

[Soubriquet]

In Victorian times for example, children were seen and not heard and dosed up so they didn’t cry.

Now we have toddler groups, first birthday shoots, birthing shots etc etc

When did things swing from “just shove it in a drawer and give it something to shut it up” to “let’s all go to baby group and see your lovely friends”

In the late 80s my sister and I were left in a playground in a small French village outside the pub while the adults went in and had fun for quite a few hours. I started getting the bus home from school age 7, the first day my mum left work early and followed the bus in the car, but then I was on my own. I had a little purse with my bus fare and house key in it, and no mobile obviously. My mum bought a fire blanket after my sister accidentally set fire to a frying pan making our dinner when she was about 10.

Plus my twins are both autistic, and while some people are judgemental twats, we can at least take them places with most people showing at least some level of understanding.

All things considered, I’ll take things as they are now.

I was born in the 70s. My mum did not classes and made friends there. I went to playgroups, had swimming lessons. Went out to eat in restaurants, just had smaller portions of my parents meals, don't remember a different menu.

Did NCT classes that should have said

When people realised there was money to be made.

1960s I think. But people are putting different definitions on this - the revolution probably started in the 60s, this was certainly the start of teenagers being a thing rather than you just being a child until suddenly you were considered an adult (apparently, sometimes both at once confusingly - so you'd go to school and be treated as a child, and then go to work as part of the same weekly routine and be treated as an adult.)

Also one of the first times children had access to their own money and were treated as consumers in their own right.

Children being treated as consumers via their parents (in the form of things like classes, children's meals, child-centred experiences etc that parents take their children to) came later, maybe 80s or thereabouts (it fits with other consumer-type changes of that time) but the shift from seen and not heard to person in their own right probably began in the 60s.

The whole freedom being curtailed for children in the 90s is more pronounced in the UK and US than other countries, and is thought to be linked to two high profile abduction/murders - James Bulger in the UK (1992) and I think Ethan Patz in the US? Although this was earlier, 1979.

Certainly there was not rolling news coverage 24/7 in the UK in the 90s. That didn't really happen until 10-15 years later.

Certainly there was not rolling news coverage 24/7 in the UK in the 90s. That didn't really happen until 10-15 years later.

Yes, I should have mentioned that the book was by an American author and US-centric (CNN started broadcasting in the 80s). I was living there when I read it and was amazed by how even more protective parents seemed than in the UK.

I don't wax lyrical about "free range" parenting because I was frequently cold, sometimes in genuine danger, and often didn't feel safe or listened to, so I don't advocate it. However I did certainly let my dc play out from age 8, as we were lucky to have several other children if a similar age in the street and they were all allowed to do it (Just in our street though).
I also had no car for ages so did take kids round shops all the time, and made them carry shopping in backpacks!
I do think its important that children realise mundane chores have to be done, but I remember a lot of parents saying how they only shopped online or did housework when small DC were in bed because the DC wouldn't tolerate it.
I also had a strict bedtime for DC as I had to have some adult time in the evening, but felt that was frowned upon as if we are bad mothers if we don't want our children around ALL the time.
We need to be able to have a balance. I know couples who have no relationship anymore outside of bickering over who ferries which child to which activities, or who has done what housework. It's like grown up fun isn't allowed if your children are under 12. I definitely see this more with the middle class families who have more money too.

@ifnotnow12 I can definitely relate to you last paragraph. This is something I'm very keen to change.