Children in the Middle Ages
Children in the Middle Ages had many responsibilities. They were often seen but rarely heard even though they worked hard every day. Woman were often treated much like children and like children they were often seen, not heard despite their many responsibilities.
Children in the Middle Ages had many responsibilities. They were often seen but rarely heard even though they worked hard every day. Woman were often treated much like children and like children they were often seen, not heard despite their many responsibilities.
Children in the middle ages lived in towns and cities. Most woman had about six children and a quarter of them died before the age of ten. When having a child during the middle ages many people preferred to have a boy over a girl.
In the middle ages all different types of people wore different types of clothes. Young babies were wrapped tightly in what were known as swaddling clothes, which made them, look like ancient Egyptian mummies. Older children wore mini versions of adult clothes. Towards the end of the century they began to have special loose fitting clothes of their own. They also had many different types of rules that they had to follow. The only time families came together was to pray in the morning and evening. When their father was around children had to behave polity, not making a noise or speaking unless spoken to.
Depending on how much money they had, is what
type of education they got. Peasant children didn’t get to go to school.
Instead they had to help the family by doing some work. Only rich families
could send their children to school. The education in England can be traced
from the 7th century. It was centered on the training of boys as
monks, girls as nuns, and other boys as “secular clergy” those clergy who lived
in the everyday world and eventually ministered in parish churches. It was also
based on the learning of Latin and was usually taught in monasteries and
nunneries. Education began by learning the Latin alphabet and no boys or girls
would precede further then that. By the end of the 9th century it
often took form of learning to read and write English rather then Latin.
Most children began to do serious work when they reached about the age of 12-14. In the fall time, if available peasants would collect nuts and fruits. Girls learned how to do work around the house. Sometimes this was done at home, assisting in agricultural work or a craft, but it was common to send the kids away from home around the ages 12-14. In medieval Europe marriages had nothing to do with love or romance. They were used to affect family the economy and inheritance. All marriages were arranged, many parents would have tried to get their children to marry someone with a high status so the family could have gotten the share of the privileges. In upper class families girls married as young as 12 and boys as young as 14. Children from poor families might have more choice about who they married but by the time they were about 7 or 8 they had to start helping their parents by doing simple jobs such as chasing away birds when crops had been sown or helping to weave wool.
The rich ate well, which included: beef, mutton, pork, venison, birds, swans, herons, ducks, blackbirds, and pigeons. The church decreed that Wednesday, Friday and Saturday were fast days when people were not allowed to eat meat. Rich people usually had fish pounds so they could eat pike and carp. The rich ate breakfast in private and they ate dinner at mid-morning and supper at 5 or 6. In special occasions they had huge feasts that musicians entertained at. The rich ate their food from slices of stale bread called trenchers then if they didn’t finish that it would be given to the poor. Poor people ate a simple diet and for them meat was luxury and if they were lucky they could get to eat rabbit or pork. They only had one cooked meal a day and in the evening the mother mixed grain with hot water and she would also add vegetables and if available meat or fish to make a new kind of stew called pottage.
Children from noble families saw little of there parents. When the kids were really young nurses looked after them. Boys became pages and had to wait on lords and ladies. At age 14 a boy became a squire and at age 21 became a knight. Girls learned skills they needed to run a household.
Children in the Middle Ages did many jobs and tasks around the house like agricultural, work, and crafts. Kids now do chores around the house like laundry, walk their pets, and do the dishes.