1900 Parenting Styles

Every parent and child should have trust in their relationship with each other. There is a signifacant difference in the parenting styles in 1900 than the parenting styles in today’s society. In the 1900s, it was socially acceptable for parents, mainly the fathers, to punish their children in a forceful manner. “Fathers typically were there to punish and enforce the children” (Museum, n.d.). Today, if parents were to paddle their children in the behind, the beating would be viewed as assault. Mel Lazarus tells a story that reflects his past, and it appeared in the New York Time in 1995 that shows how having trust between parents and their child is more beneficial than threatening their children. While the fathers use physical abuse to placate
In an article on parenting styles, “Children were viewed as objects that are to be strictly shaped and moulded so that they may develop into efficient tools of society” (Parenting, n.d.). While those fathers are beating the boys, that is exactly what they are being viewed as objects. They did something wrong, so they were strictly shaped into place. As Lazarus describes in his article, “In a time when many of his generations saw corporal punishment of their children as a God-given right, he knew ‘spanking’ as beating, and beating as criminal” (Lazarus, 1995). While the two fathers continue to beat their children, Lazarus’ dad chooses to earn his son’s trust instead of beating him for his wrong
His father did not let him go unpunished, but did teach him more of a valuable lesson than his friends fathers did. Sometimes the unspoken is more powerful and meaningful than saying a million hurtful words. This led Lazarus to trust his father, “And I’ll never forget that it was also the day I first understood how deeply I could trust him” (Lazarus, 1995). Overall, Lazarus showed many important aspects through his personal essay. Even though it was accepted to punish with physical acts, his father believed in a different strategy that had an everlasting effect on his son. The pain is only remembered through harsh punishment, never the reason of wrong doing. While the other fathers’ used physical abuse to placate the crowd, Lazarus’ father teaches an unspoken lesson and care about his son’s opinion. Lazarus’ father took the right actions and now he trusts his parents and learned a life lesson without being humiliated