Sunday, January 20, 2008

Colonial Behavior Plans

I think today I learned why children in the 1700s were taught to make samplers in school. Stitching calms children down, occupies their little hands while engaging them in an active activity. It's not passive like reading, so that even your most energetic Colonial little girl would feel she was getting her wiggles out with a needle.
Without tv to occupy children I imagine having them sew was a great way to keep them busy, quiet, and to keep them from running into the horses on the street.

1 comment:

diane said...

From the time they could hold the needles, colonial children were taught to knit so that they could help produce "stockings" for the family. Much easier and less frustrating to undo mistakes in yarn than fabric!

Modern children trying out 18th century slates for schoolwork also liked the ease of erasing errors. Some things never change.