Intrusive Parenting In The Seventeenth Century

Beatings also occurred because of adult anxiety over their image as erotic objects. It was a crime for a boy to touch themselves but acceptable for men to have sexual intercourse with boys. Boys wore “metal anti-masturbation devices” to avoid being punished by being beating (DeMause, 1982). Adults thought if boys touched themselves they would lose their manhood. Boys were not allowed to give themselves an orgasm. To society, it was seen as unmanly and unhealthy. Ambivalent parenting ended in the seventeenth century. Ambivalent parenting was confusion to a child but as the time period went on, the parenting styles started to change for the better. The following parenting style was intrusive parenting. Intrusive modes of parenting styles were
Intrusive parenting is when parents invade children’s independence. Parents wanted children to be dependent on them. Intrusive parenting style was used in England, France and America (DeMause, 1998). During the eighteenth century, parenting modes had changed but it still contained harsh punishments. Children were not viewed as evil anymore in the eyes of the parents (DeMause, 1998). Parents were able to see and raise their own children without using methods like enemas or beatings to release the demon out of them. Parents toilet trained their children instead of using enemas. Even though, children received beatings by being hit, it was less likely for children to be whipped (DeMause, 1998). Intrusive parenting caused other issues with children. The punishments consisted more of shutting the child in the dark for hour or even days at a time (DeMause 1998). Everything was based on the child’s emotions. Adults believed that having fewer emotions was best for the child during this time. Children were punished when they showed
However everything was not negative and harsh. In order for children to experience growth, become a good member of society and to provide for their families, children learned new skills, and received education. The skills children learned were gender based but not class or race based. Education was not available to everyone in each society. It depended on the gender, class and sometimes race of the child. Each society had their own beliefs about what children should