Child Raising in European History

Disputes on how children should be raised have always existed. There is the common argument of nature versus nurture, and the many others that have risen. Europe contained some of the first modernized civilizations. This was where techniques on raising children began to develop. In early modern Europe the opinion of children dictated how they were raised.

Actually, some Europeans believe that children are gentle, innocent gifts. As a diplomat and a father, Christoph Scheurl understood that “by the grace of god that [his son would] be six years old.” When Scheurl uses “grace of god” in his notes he acknowledges the idea of children as holy beings. In his observations he saw his son “say grace…so that he [was] not looked on as a child.” Scheurl believed that children grow and learn from observation. His son obviously saw adults saying grace and decided to act the same way. Scheurl’s opinions are credible because he was a jurist diplomat. Also, he was writing about his wonder and love for a son in notes to himself. There would be no reason for him to have lied. Due to Scheurl’s opinion of children being a gift from god, he is likely to treat him as such. The protestant reformer Martin Luther felt the same love for his daughter. After her death he wrote to a friend stating that “the force of our natural love is…great.” When Martin Luther referred to “our” he was referring to humankind in general. He believes that the love for a child comes with the birth. In other words, the love for a child is instinctive. Martin Luther describes his daughter as “obedient and respectful [.]” His love for his daughter resulted in an obedient and respectful person. Martin Luther was a holy man and did not believe in lying. Also, his statements were written in a letter to a friend about his daughter’s death. He must have been close to his friend in order to express his sadness. During the 1620’s women were responsible for the raising of children in England. Margaret Cavendish was raised by her mother during such a time. Her mother “naturally did strive to please and delight her… not to cross and torment” her. From this Margaret Cavendish learned “graces and virtues.” The mother taught them “the deformities of vice.” Margaret Cavendish’s tone in her letter is positive; she does not use sarcasm or humor. Therefore she was thankful to have been raised by her mother. Margaret Cavendish is the duchess of Newcastle. In gaining the title her honesty would have been a contributing factor. Some believed that raising a child with kindness and love could create a respectful, obedient, and kind person.

In contrast to raising a child with pure love, some used punishment as a tool. The Domostroi is a Russian manual on household management that was created in Moscow in the 1550’s. In the manual it said “a man who loves his son will whip them so often that when he grows up he may be a joy to him.” This technique was used in the idea that scolding as a child, would make them more obedient in the future. The hope was that the “he who discipline[d] [would] find profit in him.” The idea that a child is born as a good person was not present. Instead there is more of the belief that whipping is needed to create the desired person. The information in this manual is trustworthy information because publishing in the 1550’s was monitored. King Henry IV of France also agreed with the idea of whipping a child as punishment. He told the governess to “whip [his son] every time…he [was] obstinate or misbehave[d].” He claimed to have “profited” when he “was often whipped.” As a child King Henry IV was also whipped, which explains his support for the technique. The punishment was evidently enough to influence him into remembering his wrongdoing. The purpose of him repeating this technique was to turn his son into an obedient child. King Henry IV’s letter to his governess is a valuable resource because he was dictating the way he wanted his child to be raised. William Blundell’s “An Exercise for the Children to Embolden Them in Speaking” is a dialog in which an angry father is telling his daughter how to be holy and obedient. The father wanted her to “become a good girl; pray and mend.” The word “mend” means to fix or to sew. This represents the role of