Who among humans hasn’t experienced childhood? Or how many children are currently going through this stage of development? For some, it may be the most wonderful phase, while for others, it might represent a difficult time in life. This depends on the experiences and context in which it unfolds, especially considering that this stage prepares us for adulthood. Over the years, many questions and curiosities have arisen about childhood, particularly when comparing the past to the present, to understand how we should behave or how far humanity has progressed regarding this phase of life. I’m convinced many of us have wondered, for example: How has the development of children evolved over time? What significant changes has this stage undergone regarding behavior norms? What parallels can we draw between ancient times and the present? Which century was the most important for children’s development? Did families in the past handle parenting habits better compared to those of today? Where were children more valued? In which century did they receive the most affection and recognition? The questions are endless. Perhaps the interest lies in the fact that we might have children, nieces, nephews, or work with children—or maybe this stage captivates us so deeply that we want to learn more about it.

As the Spanish writer and poet Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana affirmed, «Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.» To avoid repeating possible neglect, indifference, abuse, and aggression, it is essential to recognize these gaps, observe and analyze the history and evolution of childhood—a process that has been progressive but slow. However, I’ll make an important parenthesis: history should be reviewed not only to acknowledge its shortcomings but also to highlight its best and most positive aspects, as this helps us move forward.

So, let’s discuss childhood—a dialogue that has emerged with various thinkers throughout history, leaving us with significant constructs and investigative contributions. Different authors have argued that most historical information about childhood comes from family accounts or reports of violence and abuse directed at children rather than specific reviews of children’s feelings, emotions, thoughts, or daily actions and contexts.

Adults play a critical role when engaging with children, as our approach to accompanying them prioritizes their individuality and feelings. Let’s open this first topic as a gateway to the world of children. To do so, we’ll draw from the works of scholars such as Philippe Ariès, a pioneer in childhood studies; James Bossard, who explored children’s worlds and emphasized the lack of a written history of childhood; the Italian Pietro Paolo Vergerio; the Spanish theologian Rodrigo Sánchez de Arévalo; Lloyd de Mause; Sergio Vergara; Manuel Delgado; and René Salinas, among many others. Now, let’s dive into the historical development of this subject to understand its delayed recognition.

Starting with Roman antiquity, society transitioned from clans, lineages, or gentile families to what we now commonly know as the nuclear family. This transition wasn’t rapid or easy; rather, it was quite complex. In Roman antiquity, newborns were placed on the ground to await their father’s approval. The father would symbolically lift the child off the ground to indicate acceptance into the family and clan, taking on the responsibility for the child’s upbringing. Conversely, children left on the ground were abandoned, facing certain death (infanticide). This also applied to the children of slaves at the time, demonstrating that blood ties were not prioritized.

By the 2nd and 3rd centuries, marriage emerged as an institution, and the term “spouse” came into use. Society shifted from communal to individual family structures, and children began to gain some importance. The church played a historically significant role, making concubinage morally unacceptable and elevating marriage to a sacred sacrament. This era marked the separation of sexuality from procreation seen in Roman times.

During the 6th century, families became increasingly centered around privileges and commercial interests. Families acted as “clienteles,” forming alliances with other client networks. The firstborn guaranteed the continuity of the family name and strengthened alliances. Larger families meant more power and labor resources. Women also became a form of currency to maintain power. However, this only applied to wealthy families. Poor families continued practices like infanticide, though it was no longer legal. The law prohibited such practices, and abandoned children were taken into guardianship. At this time, the law was represented by the church and the state.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, the marriage bed gained significance as the “lord and lady’s bed,” while other family members used simple, uncomfortable, and movable beds, indicating the growing importance of the couple. By the 12th century, schools appeared, although there was still little understanding of the developmental stages critical to human life. In the 14th century, noble children gained the right to burial, signaling a gradual acknowledgment of childhood’s importance. Italian humanists of the 14th and 15th centuries pioneered discussions on education. Saint Isidore differentiated several life stages, each lasting seven years: infancy (0–7 years) and boyhood or pueritia (7–14 years). This era also marked the first acknowledgment that children should be born within marriage. If a child was born before marriage but there was prior commitment, they were called “natural children.” Children from concubinage were labeled “illegitimate” or “bastards,” denied legal protection, and often faced cruelty and rejection for life. Baptism introduced children to society, and after age three, both parents could participate in their education, a responsibility previously exclusive to mothers.

Philippe Ariès argued that until the 16th century, there was no differentiated awareness of youth or social sensitivity to support the full development of childcare. He proposed studying childhood through a socio-cultural lens. From the 18th century to today, childhood history has been marked by both tenderness and severity. Historical accounts indicate that in France, children were raised with tenderness, while in England, they were raised with severity. Ariès identified two major periods: traditional society and modern society. In traditional society, love and affection were not prioritized; sentiments toward children were superficial. Children were often separated from their parents and raised by wet nurses or governesses in exchange for payment. In modern society, families began to revolve around children. Shorter Edward and Stone Lawrence focused on children’s material realities and daily treatment. Shorter traced the origins of the modern family, valuing children internally, though he did not prioritize individual well-being or emotional aspects. By the 18th and 19th centuries, modern families experienced an “emotional wave,” weakening external ties and strengthening internal bonds. In modern times, children became the center of family consideration. In the 19th century, mother-child relationships expanded from the middle class to the working class, improving quality of life standards. The contemporary era of the last half-century surpasses previous epochs.

For several decades, educators, psychologists, anthropologists, and sociologists have emphasized that children are not passive cultural recipients; instead, they actively construct, reproduce, and interpret the world (Thorne, 2012). Children are not isolated from other spheres of life. Understanding children as agents and subjects of history emerged significantly after the Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. This convention prioritized children’s best interests, recognizing them as rights-bearing individuals with the right to participate, freedom of expression, non-discrimination, life, survival, and development. It was from this year onward that children were understood as rights-bearing individuals. Throughout the 20th century, children were considered economically valuable subjects. After this extensive journey through centuries and reviewing the limited historiography available, we realize it has taken us over eighteen hundred years to truly listen to and respect children, giving them the opportunities, love, and care they deserve.

Bibliography

Flores, J. R. (2001). Los niños y su historia: Un acercamiento conceptual y teórico desde la historiografía. Pensamientocrítico. Revista Electrónica de Historia.

Sosenski, S. (2015). Enseñar historia de la infancia a los niños y niñas: ¿Para qué? Tempo e Argumento, 132-154.