Parenting advice is wild because there is so much of it coming from so many different directions. As a first-time mom myself, I can’t help but feel like I’m doing things wrong. Well, I’m not doing things as wrong as this parenting book from 1926, which has such bad advice that I couldn’t help but do my own research to refute it.
1.“Some mothers, in an attempt to soothe the child allow thumb sucking or the use of ‘pacifiers.’ This is most objectionable; constant thumb sucking often causes deformity of mouth and jaw and crooked teeth.”
2.“It is now considered advisable to give cod liver oil, a preventative of rickets in proper amount to all infants before the end of the first month, preferably by the end of the second week.”
3.“Rules for the mother preceding birth: She should not attend plays, read books or frequent company which may destroy the peace of her mind or get her in an over-excited condition.”
4.“The most satisfactory bed is of enameled iron or brass. It is easily kept…The sides should be lined, especially for a new-born babe.”
5.“Mother and child are both exhausted after the birth, and both require a long, restful, unmolested sleep. Usually, for the first twelve to twenty-four hours, the newborn infant sleeps peacefully and continuously, and on no account should it be aroused, not even to be displayed by a proud parent to an expectant group of relatives.”
6.“The most satisfactory and safest treatment [for constipation] over any length of time is afforded by injections of hot water or camomile tea. Glycerine and soap enemas, when continued, are irritating to the bowel. One should always wait two days before resorting to an enema. The injection should be given with a bulb syringe, which holds about two ounces.”
7.“The little one’s best position during sleeping or waking hours is on his abdomen, with head turned so the cheek rests on the pillow, though there is no special objection to lying on his side.”
8.“A baby, during the first few weeks of life, should have two or three movements of the bowels every day.”
9.“One sure way to build up the vital resistance and overcome the tendency to contract smallpox, or any other contagious or infectious disease, is to train the child to have regular daily movements of the bowels.”
10.“Many authorities require a breast pump, but such instruments are likely to be too powerful and may cause injury.”
11.“Never let the youngster form the habit of going to sleep with the nipple in his mouth.”
12.“If any pus appears, the eyes should be carefully wiped every hour with a solution of 10 grains of boric acid to an ounce of water. Should the lids have the tendency to stick together, a little Vaseline should be rubbed into them each night.”
13.“At a rough estimate, it might be said that for several weeks babies can use from 18 to 22 hours out of every 24 hours very profitably in sleeping, or about 9/10ths of the time.”
14.“Babies do not need to be cuddled, and should not be; and it is best to keep them from an upright position as much as possible.”
What’s the most outlandish piece of parenting advice you’ve gotten? Tell us in the comments below!