Every generation of parents has its own set of tips and advice for how to do the job right. Here are seven that circulated in the 1800s:

1. Put babies in cages hanging outside windows to get them fresh air.

2. Snacks between meals shouldn’t be more than a slice of bread.

3. Get rid of tapeworms with turpentine.

4. Avoid giving green tea to adolescents (which was believed to contain toxins).

5. Avoid anything green, including toys and clothing. That was for good reason, in this case, because green dyes at the time contained arsenic.

6. Lance baby’s gums when their first teeth are emerging. (It was thought that cutting a little hole helped speed the process of teething.)

7. Don’t rock kids to soothe them. In this case, the benefit was for the mom. Rocking in chairs was believed to damage women’s figures.