# 7 bizarre parenting trends from history > From baby cages to radioactive toys, parents have always followed trends, some of them terrifyingly dangerous. - Title: 7 bizarre parenting trends from history · MadeForMums - Summary: From baby cages to radioactive toys, parents have always followed trends, some of them terrifyingly dangerous. Historical parenting practices that seem… - Keywords: parenting history, baby cages, smoking pregnancy, alcohol babies, cold water bathing, victorian parenting, radioactive toys, vernix caseosa, child development, medical history, public health, childhood concept - Source: MadeForMums — https://madeformums.com/features/strange-parenting-trends-in-history - Read time: 3 min - Topics: parenting history, baby cages, smoking pregnancy, alcohol babies, cold water bathing, victorian parenting, radioactive toys, vernix caseosa, child development, medical history, public health, childhood concept ## Parenting trends have always existed From gentle parenting to beige toys, parents follow trends every few months. But this isn't new, parents have been following childrearing trends for centuries. ## Childhood is a modern concept The idea of 'childhood' emerged over the last few hundred years, shaped by philosophy, education laws, and understanding of child development. Children's rights weren't codified until the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. ## Parents loved their children then too Before modern medicine and psychology, infant mortality was much higher, but this didn't mean parents loved their children less. They simply had different ideas about wellbeing based on what they knew. ## Baby cages hung from windows In the early 1900s, parents suspended wire and metal boxes from apartment windows so babies could get fresh air and sunlight to prevent tuberculosis. They were clamped to window frames for safety. > the slightest danger ## Baby cages were probably rare Evidence for baby cages is limited to a few newspaper articles from Virginia and New York, plus one patent filed in 1922. This suggests they were unusual enough to report on, not a widespread trend. ## Pregnant women smoked openly Around 30 percent of mothers smoked during pregnancy in the 1950s. It wasn't until 1964 that a report revealed smoking increased risks of stillbirth and low birth weight. ## Smoking in pregnancy took decades to stop Even after the 1964 report, it wasn't until the 1970s that medical policy changed and public health campaigns encouraged pregnant women to quit. Cigarette companies had previously used doctors in ads to suggest smoking was healthy. ## Whisky was medicine for teething A common folk remedy was rubbing whisky on babies' gums to ease teething pain. Alcohol was also given to help children sleep, though we now know it's addictive and dangerous for young bodies. ## Nineteenth-century medicines had drugs Many medicines contained opium, morphine, or cocaine. Parents often didn't know what was in products because there was no regulation, labelling laws, or approved manufacturers. ## Cold water hardened children Some doctors advocated dunking children in icy water to toughen them up. Dr. John Floyer praised the practice in his 1732 book, noting Russian children could stand barefoot on ice for half an hour. ## Cold water was used to treat fevers Doctors would douse feverish children with cold water to cool them down. We now know that fever is a natural immune response and shouldn't be aggressively cooled. ## Victorian babies were left in cribs An 1911 nursing handbook advised mothers to leave babies in cribs and only pick them up for feeding and cleaning. Holding them too much would make them 'spoiled' tyrants. > little tyrant ## But Victorian fathers were affectionate Research shows Victorian and early 1900s fathers were often very affectionate and playful with their children, contradicting the stereotype of distant, cold parenting. ## Radioactive toys were sold to children Before radiation dangers were understood, uranium marbles that glowed fluorescent yellow were popular toys. The A.C. Gilbert Company even sold a chemistry set with radioactive ore samples. ## The radioactive toy set was expensive The Gilbert chemistry set with radioactive materials cost $49.50, equivalent to around $650 today. It didn't sell well, likely due to price rather than safety concerns. ## Newborns were washed in lard An 1895 guide instructed parents to wash off vernix caseosa, the protective waxy coating on newborns, using water, soap, and lard. Modern NHS advice says to leave it on for protection. ## Key takeaway Historical parenting practices that seem horrifying now were usually well-intentioned, based on the medical and psychological understanding of their time.