St. Nicholas Post-1900

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Near the turn of the century, significant changes began to take root in our conceptions of childhood and beliefs about child rearing, sparked by emerging theories in the fields of education and psychology that viewed the child as inherently good, capable, and no longer in need of strict instruction and discipline to thrive. 

The Child Study Movement, spearheaded by G. Stanley Hall, sought to apply experimental study to the sensory abilities, play habits, and cognitive abilities of children and emphasized play as an important method for learning in childhood as opposed to rote learning and memorization. Similarly, Maria Montessori, who established her first school in 1907, believed that education should be imposed not by parents or teachers, but directed by the child through their interactions with their environment and that gentle redirection should replace moralistic disciplinary strategies.

These new ideologies assumed benevolence in children and viewed the child’s progression through the modern world with optimism. Gone were the frightening, moralistic tales filled with danger, shame, and judgement, ushered in by nursery rhymes, games to foster for creative self-directed play, and imaginative fiction with themes of nature and friendship. 

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The Little Bear Who Didn't Like His Breakfast; May 1916; periodical illustration

This transitional work, containing themes both of morality and leniency, depicts the story of a young bear who refuses to eat his breakfast, despite much cajoling from his mother. Doting and worried, mother bear offers her son a variety of different food options, fretting that he may be ill, while papa bear, gruff and less tolerant, applies a stern scolding. While still promoting manners in children, gone are the foreboding suggestions of physical harm as punishment and the explicit directives about "goodness". Furthermore, the unwanted behavior the story targets, skipping breakfast, hints at the physical well-being of the child rather than social mores.

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The Rainy Day Box; May 1916; periodical illustration

Like many other examples from this era, the playful activities of the children in this illustration drive the narrative with the parents serving only a small role. The mother makes a single appearance in the text to unlock the box of toys, but otherwise receeds into the background and is not even depicted in the illustrations. The children engage in imaginative play in what appears to be a nursery. The behavior or manners of the children are not a concern whatsoever, with the poem culminating in a description of the fun the children had. The new child-centric theories of development are evidenced here, with the children largely trusted to direct their own playtime activities.

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Creep-Mouse; February 1917; periodical illustration

This long, but endearing tale about the mouse who wishes to become a beloved creature, exemplifies the more nurturing bond between parent and child that the 20th century conceptions of childhood helped to strengthen. With the focus on didactic training and strict discipline fading away, parents could inhabit a new role full of warmth, play, and storytelling. The illustration on the second page shows a father playing the creep-mouse game with his young daughter by a moonlit window. The text's reference to the fact that creep-mouse is beloved by "babies in the hovels" and "babies in the mansions" suggests that play was becoming a routine part of childhood regardless of socioeconomic status. 

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A Rainy-Day Game; February 1917; periodical illustration

This poem complete with silhouetted illustration of two siblings at play showcases the value placed on play in childhood during the early 20th century. The two children are allowed to fill idle time during a rainy day indoors with play that is neither practical nor educational suggesting that early caregivers believed pure leisure activities held value for the developmental growth of young children. Again, the lack of any reference to parental presence in either picture or text supports the growing belief that children were inherently good, capable, and no longer in need of strict instruction to thrive. 

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Nursery Verses and Pictures; March 1920; periodical illustration

This series of illustrated nursery rhymes and poems, each featuring a child engaging in a play or leisure-time activity, either with a peer or a parent, fully exemplifies the playful, carefree ideals of 20th century childhood. The first two pages highlight the special relationship between children and their pets as well as bonds between friends. The presence of pets suggests that parents had begun thinking of children as more autonomous individuals capable of forming meaningful bonds and managing more complex responsibilities. Evidence of the importance of playtime, physical play, and toys are also present in these pages.

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When Mother Was Ill; March 1920; periodical illustration

This endearing story about two children who entertain themselves while their mother is ill in bed abounds with examples of a child-centered approach to learning and play. With their mother incapacitated, the children interact with their environment independently, engaging in imaginative play, like sailing across a sea of carpet and pillows. While the children treat their mother kindly, bringing her breakfast and tea, they appear to do so out of love, not due to scolding or feelings of obligation. The illustration at the top left shows them skillfully carrying the breakfast tray, an echo of Maria Montessori's teachings about the importance of engaging children in practical tasks to aid in their development of fine motor skills and a sense of purpose and agency. 

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The Tiptoe Twins on Candlemas Day; February 1921; periodical illustration

This distinctly modern tale, given its complete lack of morals or lessons, follows two twin children on a winter outing. The twins encounter a family of bears, and the group works together to trick a hibernating groundhog into coming out of his den early. The open-ended nature of the story allows children the opportunity to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the characters' actions and the focus on naturalistic phenomena like hibernation and seasonal changes encourages engagement with the natural world, a common theme in more progressive 20th century ideologies about childhood.

St. Nicholas Post-1900