Mother and child
After a woman became a wife, the role of mother soon followed. This role completed the family unit. Between the ages of twenty and forty-five a woman's life was marked with the role of motherhood. It was normal for a woman to be pregnant or nursing for most her life during this time (Brewer, n.d.). It was typical for families to have several children. The average woman had nine children and they were normally born about two and a half years apart (Brewer, n.d.). Women were able to allow some time to elapse between children due to nursing which was the colonial form of birth control. The children typically nursed for about two and a half years, which helped the mother not get pregnant for some time (Brewer, n.d.).
Of the nine children that the average woman had, only about five to seven survived to adulthood (Brewer, n.d.). The death of children under the age of five was extremely common and painful for families to cope with (Brewer, n.d.). It was common for families to believe that they had caused the death of their child from their sin. The puritan faith that was practiced by the colonists preached that God the father would not give punishment to the parent who sinned; God would punish the child in a way that brought pain and suffering to the parent who sinned (Holliday, 1960). Puritan parents were taught to care for and love their children, but not too much, because it would become a sin to love their offspring if the love grew too strong. If a mother loved her children to fiercely, God would become jealous and wrathful and may punish the mothers’ sin by taking the child away (Holliday, 1960). This fear was especially present during the period of waiting to baptize the children. It was typical to wait five days to name and baptize children once they were born (Holliday, 1960).
The hardship of incessant and constant child bearing was a terrific burden on women both physically and emotionally. Women were almost constantly being weighed down physically by pregnancy and nursing. Women also faced emotional hardship from the death of her children, as this was extremely common (Holliday, 1960). However, in colonial days a large family was viewed as an asset, not a liability. Large families supplied the colony and family with many workers. The birth of boys meant workers in the field, farms, sea or shops. The birth of girls meant workers in the home (Holliday, 1960). Due to the low demand for education and the fact that food and clothing were made in the home, new children were always welcome, at least to the father (Holliday, 1960). It never occurred to the father that it would be better to bear five healthy children and raise them to adulthood and bury none, than to bear and raise five children and bury five (Holliday, 1960).
It is believed that even though the women felt burdened by the frequent child bearing, they strove to make themselves feel that each child was a blessing, as any other feeling would be a sin against God (Holliday, 1960). Although women held the burden of bearing the child alone, it was not uncommon for men to be present in the raising of the children. According to records of the colonial days there was much cooperation between man and wife in the training of the children (Holliday, 1960). The role of wife and mother in colonial days went hand in hand. It was uncommon for women to marry and never bear children. One of the main purposes of marriage was to produce children that would eventually become workers in the colony. The birth of children completed the family. They would eventually grow up and be able to participate in the work of the colonists.
Of the nine children that the average woman had, only about five to seven survived to adulthood (Brewer, n.d.). The death of children under the age of five was extremely common and painful for families to cope with (Brewer, n.d.). It was common for families to believe that they had caused the death of their child from their sin. The puritan faith that was practiced by the colonists preached that God the father would not give punishment to the parent who sinned; God would punish the child in a way that brought pain and suffering to the parent who sinned (Holliday, 1960). Puritan parents were taught to care for and love their children, but not too much, because it would become a sin to love their offspring if the love grew too strong. If a mother loved her children to fiercely, God would become jealous and wrathful and may punish the mothers’ sin by taking the child away (Holliday, 1960). This fear was especially present during the period of waiting to baptize the children. It was typical to wait five days to name and baptize children once they were born (Holliday, 1960).
The hardship of incessant and constant child bearing was a terrific burden on women both physically and emotionally. Women were almost constantly being weighed down physically by pregnancy and nursing. Women also faced emotional hardship from the death of her children, as this was extremely common (Holliday, 1960). However, in colonial days a large family was viewed as an asset, not a liability. Large families supplied the colony and family with many workers. The birth of boys meant workers in the field, farms, sea or shops. The birth of girls meant workers in the home (Holliday, 1960). Due to the low demand for education and the fact that food and clothing were made in the home, new children were always welcome, at least to the father (Holliday, 1960). It never occurred to the father that it would be better to bear five healthy children and raise them to adulthood and bury none, than to bear and raise five children and bury five (Holliday, 1960).
It is believed that even though the women felt burdened by the frequent child bearing, they strove to make themselves feel that each child was a blessing, as any other feeling would be a sin against God (Holliday, 1960). Although women held the burden of bearing the child alone, it was not uncommon for men to be present in the raising of the children. According to records of the colonial days there was much cooperation between man and wife in the training of the children (Holliday, 1960). The role of wife and mother in colonial days went hand in hand. It was uncommon for women to marry and never bear children. One of the main purposes of marriage was to produce children that would eventually become workers in the colony. The birth of children completed the family. They would eventually grow up and be able to participate in the work of the colonists.