Childhood Info Discussion & Task Childhood Challenge

Discuss Childhood

The two little boys portrayed in these paintings would have been looked after by women until they were 7 or 8 years old. This still occurs in many societies today. Do you think men and women are more equally involved in the upbringing of children in Britain today? In England today women can take maternity leave for up to one year after their baby is born, while the father can take up to two weeks.

 

Do you think that the father is just as important as the mother in bringing up a child? Why/why not? In some Scandinavian countries the father gets a much longer period of leave than they do in this country to help look after the child. Do you think this is necessary?

 

Your Task

A Visit to the Boarding School was painted in 1789 at a time when the role of parents in their children's lives was being questioned and brought to the public's attention. People were starting to question whether it was right to send children to boarding school and whether it might be better for them to be at home with their mother. Think about your education and imagine what it would be like to go to a boarding school or a day school or to be taught at home. Write an article which discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each system and include a conclusion as to which, in your opinion, is best.

 

Many of the children depicted here are shown wearing their best clothes and the Duc de Montpensier is shown with symbols of his wealth. Imagine your friend has commissioned you to make an image of them (it could be drawn, painted, sculpted or filmed) showing them to their very best advantage. Interview them, as it will be important to ask them how they would like to be shown, for example with what background, clothes and accessories. Make the work and upload it to this site so that others can see how they would like to be represented. Write a few words about the piece from your point of view.