<p>This collection serves to show how average children lived in the 18th and early 19th century. Children lived quite differently than kids do today. As infants, mothers tried their best to keep their children safe, but their child care methods were unconventional and sometimes unnecessary due to the lack of information available to them about child development. Families often had many children to counteract the high infant mortality rate of the time. In many cases, a parent would die young as well, leaving widows with no choice other than to give their kids up for adoption and hope that a wealthy family will take good care of their child. Growing up, there was a clear divide between girls and boys and their path in life. Both sexes were educated, but boys had the opportunity to learn more, while the goal for a girl was to be taught how to become a good wife. The strict culture prevented much free time for playing games and simply being a kid. Religion played a role in how children were raised and behaved. Rules and discipline kept them in line from as young as when they learned to walk. Each piece in this collection will further illustrate the contrast between colonial and modern day childhood.</p>