Outsourcing Parenting: A Historical Perspective

The mid-20th century saw a significant trend towards outsourcing parenting responsibilities. With a notable decline in breastfeeding rates, only about 25% of mothers engaged in this practice during the forties and fifties, reflecting a societal shift where education and childcare were largely left to external institutions like schools and churches. This period marked a hands-off approach to parenting, characterized by an implicit trust in whatever services were provided for children, including television and religious education, indicating a perception that parenting was less about active engagement and more about delegation.

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