15+ Weird Things That 100 Years Ago Were Normal in Most Children’s Lives

At the beginning of the 20th century, social inequality, disease, war, illiteracy and poverty were part of everyday life. A happy, carefree childhood and adolescence were the exception. But despite differences in living conditions, each generation of children contributed to history. Some have restored faith in Santa Claus, others have transformed sneakers into fashionable clothes and there have been those who have transformed tough men into loving and tender fathers who do not hesitate to change diapers and ask for paternity leave to stay at home and take care of their child.

O awesome.club conducted a search in the archives of old photos to find out what life was like for ordinary children during the 20th century and what they managed to change in this world in the last 100 years.

Until 100 years ago, every child dreamed of a bicycle to travel, if not around the world, then somewhere close to home. The bicycle was very expensive, but you could work as a messenger and receive it as a work tool.

Children from humble families made their own toys and entertained themselves with street games – for example, they organized marble disputes. In wealthy families, parents gave teddy bears and wind-up trains.

100 years ago, every child also dreamed of trying Coca-Cola. the popularity
of the drink grew when, in 1931, Santa Claus appeared on posters advertising the soda in a red and white suit with black eyebrows (the other Santas were completely gray). The company did not invent him, but changed and popularized the image of Santa Claus: now he no longer punished children, but simply shared the Christmas spirit, gifts and kindness with everyone.

In 1995, this Santa Claus appeared in a Christmas caravan of trucks. For millions of people around the world, this announcement became the first reminder of the upcoming holidays. In addition, it is also a charity project that collects gifts and creates a festive atmosphere for tens of thousands of orphanage children.

In the 1900s, only adults went to the movies: the ticket was expensive, around 25 dollars. To entertain people before the start of the film, some short drawings were played. Therefore, it can be said without fear that the first fans of Mickey Mouse were adults.

Walt Disney changed the situation by filming fairy tales for children and creating, in 1937, the animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfswhich became the most popular film, and remained so until the release of Gone with the Wind.

In the 1950s, television appeared: little by little, cartoons appeared, whose characters became the best friends and advisors for children. The animation broadcast time coincided with the daily schedule: in the morning it helped the children to wake up, in the evening it became a reward for good behavior during the day.

At the beginning of the 20th century, less than 20% of children attended school. And only 9% of them finished. Those who received higher education could be counted on one hand. The rest worked from an early age: they sold matches, firewood, went to factories and mines. They earned little and gave the money to their parents, among whom there were many lazy people.

There were those who worked in families. Some children, for example, helped in their father’s workshop, and the girls accompanied their mother to harvest crops and sell them in the market.

In the United States and Europe, there were already some public and free schools that accepted everyone. Reading, writing and arithmetic were his main subjects. Training lasted 8 years. Girls learned home economics, boys worked with wood. For many, this was the only opportunity to break out of poverty and become independent.

After the 1930s, a growing demand for highly qualified specialists began, and with it, the number of public schools and universities open to all increased. A school feeding system appeared, students received scholarships and were prepared to go to university. Laws were created that prohibited child labor and obliged parents to send their children to school.

If at the beginning of the 20th century children asked themselves “who would you like to be?”, after 100 years the question seems different: “who do you want to become?”. This underlines the enormous role played by the development of school education in the life of each one of us. Unfortunately, there are still countries where society lives in the past.

100 years ago, for children from wealthy families, clothes were sewn to order. In humble families, clothes were passed from one to another, some children were barefoot until late autumn. In the villages, materials were more accessible, so women often sewed and knitted something for the whole family.

Since the 1960s, society’s well-being has been growing, relationships within the family have changed. Children began to dress more elegantly and comfortably. Teenage fashion began to emerge.

In 1955, the film Misguided Youth was released, and teenagers began to wear sports sneakers, imitating the main character. Celebrities followed his example: Woody Allen posed for ballet, Led Zeppelin played tennis in a movie. In response, leather shoemakers invented the myth that sneakers deformed the foot.

In the 1900s, most children became seriously ill, and only half survived to age 15. In 2 years, more than 50 million people died in the world because of the flu. Whooping cough, typhus and measles claim hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Smallpox deprived of sight, rubella, ear, mumps led to pancreatitis which, in turn, turned into diabetes.

People who suffered from polio in their early years were paralyzed for life. Many have literally had to live in tubes like this one.

Medicines and a visit to the doctor were expensive. Most of the time, a child from a humble family fought the disease alone. The situation was aggravated by poor sanitation, hunger, lack of potable water and the fact that parents and children slept in the same bed or in the same room. Those who had the easiest way to reach a hospital were those who were injured while working in a factory.

In matters of health, “Grandma’s methods” were reliable. The situation began to change for newspaper reporters who began to compile simple medical advice into their articles for those who could at least read.

Compulsory vaccination of children and improvement of living conditions, including running water
in homes, access to potable water and the habit of washing hands have become a major advance. The second important step was the development of accessible pediatrics and the banning of child labor.

The height difference of children in the 20th and 21st centuries has to do with nutrition. In cities 100 years ago only a few lived in prosperity. Most weren’t always born when the family wanted them to, and the parents were more concerned about feeding themselves.

In the villages, the nutritional situation was better. Vegetables, fruits, meat and fish were easier to get (or steal). But incest remained a problem: many villages lived in isolation, and travelers from distant lands rarely made it there.

Since the 1960s, fresh and inexpensive food has started to appear in cities. Instant soups and fast food became popular. The school breakfast included pizza and hot dogs. It was believed that a small amount of these foods would not cause serious health problems.

Today, in many schools, even the sale of fast food and soft drinks containing caffeine is prohibited, and parents deprive themselves of something before saving on food for the child.

Schools are turning learning into games, baby foods contain all the vitamins and minerals a child needs, medicine is becoming more and more accessible, and in many countries there are special benefits for children.

Thanks to the Internet, the availability of information is growing: it is possible to study at a school or university anywhere in the world. Toys, clothes, entertainment: parents no longer spare time or money to acquire them for their children. A happy child today will make the world a little better tomorrow.

The number of parents receiving child care leave is growing. Many assume the responsibilities of the house and the education of the baby, so that the mother can take care of her professional career. Also due to these fathers, the number of opponents to any armed conflict has increased significantly.

There are many festivals that we celebrate with the whole family. We are not surprised when relatives travel thousands of miles to see us.

But the most important thing is that parents and children have never been so united. Unconditional love, the desire to speak the same language, mutual care, support and respect, the desire to spend more time together: these are the things that families strive for in the new century.

And do you agree with that conclusion? Leave your opinion in the comments below.