The Puritans

            Puritan child rearing practices are very diverse from modern childhood. In all probability there is much to learn about how different the Puritan and modern society truly are. The disparity between the roles of the father and mother are very obvious. When comparing the children from the two societies it is very apparent that the expectations of the two societies have changed dramatically. Throughout the duration of this paper the differences between the Puritan child rearing practices and the modern will become evident. .
             The Puritans were very much a community in every way. The Puritans fundamentally lived in the community, church, and family. People in the Puritan community made it a priority to make sure that the Parents were doing their job. The city fathers had the final say in how the child was being reared. Learning the English tongue was essential to a child's education. If the children could not speak the English tongue then they were unable to read the bible. Children were to be raised the way the city fathers saw fit or they would take the matter into their own hands. If the children were not successful it was because of the parents neglect, in no way shape or form was it the child's fault. Parents of Puritan children were supposed to have the upper hand and ensure that the child was respectful and not left to his or her self. It was the parent's job to keep the child from sin. It almost seems as if the children were not permitted to have a mind of their own. Although the father had the final say when it came to matters of the home, the mothers were vital when it came to raising a Puritan family. Even though the father was able to overrule the mother he was expected not to unless there was a very good reason. When children reached a certain age they were sent off to learn a trade. Even at the young age of fourteen years old they were expected to prepare for the rest of their lives.