Weird 20th Century Childcare Inventions That Would Have Dropped Parental Rights Today

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

For a long time, the concept of "child" did not exist. It appeared only in the period of modern times. Mankind decided to take up the upbringing of children closely only at the beginning of the 20th century. It is surprising that things created at that time for posterity for the most part resemble some kind of strange tools.

1. "Pinocchio"

One of the most important parts in raising a young child is instilling the habit of walking. The vast majority of parents do it manually. But one Swiss engineer at the beginning of the last century came up with a device that made it possible to control the baby's legs from the side using wooden sticks.

2. Brand for the baby

Certainly, no one wants to receive another child in the maternity hospital. In order to avoid any confusing situations in the 1930s in the United States, special devices for branding children were used in New York. The insignia was installed on the baby's leg or buttock using a special lamp. This procedure was painful. A little.

3. Air arena

All children need fresh air! But what if you don't have the strength to go outside, and there is still so much to do at home? The answer to this question was found at the beginning of the last century in Europe. There, parents were offered to install special "air arenas" on the windows. Surprisingly, not a single accident with such a playpen has ever been registered.

4. Down with the strollers

When a child is sitting in a stroller, you can only move on foot. In the last century, the Swiss inventor Emil Eberl proposed an interesting alternative for prams. She became a baby stroller installed on the handlebars of a bicycle. The design is not the most reliable and stable, but very comfortable!

5. Alarm for baby

In the 1930s, a wave of child abductions swept across the United States. Against the background of these events, businessman Charles Rothenberg was able to develop and successfully implement a wheelchair alarm project on the market. If someone tried to get the child out of the stroller when the system was on, the gadget would make a terrible noise.

6. Rocking cage

American inventor Sheldon D. Vanderburg and the father of three children felt absolutely exhausted after work (like most family people). In order to simplify childcare, the American came up with a special rocking cage. Looks wild, but the kids don't crawl anywhere!

7. Children's gas mask

Do you think that strange things are created only in the USA? In 1938, the first ever infant gas mask was created in France. In fact, it was a real air bag with a rubber pump and a special filter. This invention, however, has not received widespread acceptance.

8. Road "suppressor"

Like all decent citizens, Caleb M. Prater hated children who screamed on public transport. At some point, he was finally put on the babies on the trains and the engineer created a special pipe with ventilation, where you could put a screaming child in order to drown out his screams.

9. "Chinese arena"

A huge number of interesting things were invented in China, but for a long time they could not think of a "humane" arena for young children. Instead of them, such elongated barrels were used to curb the young. The principle of operation of the device is frighteningly simple: the child was simply inserted into the barrel up to the armpits and hung. There was enough space inside for the baby to have a chance to defecate. There was also a small coal compartment inside to warm up the air in the barrel during the cold season.