Charlotte Plehn Throughout the 1920’s in America, the concept of being a successful mother and raising a child correctly was something that plagued the minds of mothers, east coast to west alike. The boom of intelligence being brought to the table made for a tricky situation for mothers. “Who do I believe,” “Who can I trust?” were common conflicts that mothers would send into the Children’s Bureau for answers. The Children’s Bureau was a support system set up out of necessity for mothers by the federal government. This was established in 1912 when President William Taft signed it into existence, making it the first system of its kind to deal directly with the welfare of children. (Children’s Bureau, 2014) Early on, the Bureau mainly
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They were often overcompensating for the lack of knowledge they had on the issues that they were expected to solve. Mothers were very quick to improve and adapt when presented with a better way on how to do things with their prenatal or newborn, all for the health and wellness of that child. One mother, while writing the Bureau about her child’s diet, said, “I want to know if you think (the doctor) is right or not.” (Ladd-Taylor 1986, page 97). Another mother said the similar, “The doctor here told me he’d outgrow his anemia and coated tongue but I doubt it.” (Ladd-Taylor 1986, page 72) This continued draw away from doctors and towards other mother’s advice shows that there was certain aspect of child care that the mothers were not buying …show more content…
Without the help of the Children’s Bureau, it is likely that many mothers would have lost hope in the goal of being a successful mother and raising their children to the best of their ability. The social norms set in place during this time period are indicative of the needs and experiences that mother’s faced during their motherhood. Such as concern for their health on behalf of their unborn child’s, cleanliness and proper health standards, as well as reproduction and continuously increasing responsibility during motherhood. Over the 20th century the role of the mother adapted, with help of the Children’s Bureau, to fit the new and ever evolving narrative for the term,
They were often overcompensating for the lack of knowledge they had on the issues that they were expected to solve. Mothers were very quick to improve and adapt when presented with a better way on how to do things with their prenatal or newborn, all for the health and wellness of that child. One mother, while writing the Bureau about her child’s diet, said, “I want to know if you think (the doctor) is right or not.” (Ladd-Taylor 1986, page 97). Another mother said the similar, “The doctor here told me he’d outgrow his anemia and coated tongue but I doubt it.” (Ladd-Taylor 1986, page 72) This continued draw away from doctors and towards other mother’s advice shows that there was certain aspect of child care that the mothers were not buying …show more content…
Without the help of the Children’s Bureau, it is likely that many mothers would have lost hope in the goal of being a successful mother and raising their children to the best of their ability. The social norms set in place during this time period are indicative of the needs and experiences that mother’s faced during their motherhood. Such as concern for their health on behalf of their unborn child’s, cleanliness and proper health standards, as well as reproduction and continuously increasing responsibility during motherhood. Over the 20th century the role of the mother adapted, with help of the Children’s Bureau, to fit the new and ever evolving narrative for the term,