Elizabethan Children

John White painting of native girl holding doll. Roanoke Va. 1585

Children were subservient to the adults in the family. They were raised to respect and obey their parents. It was necessary for boys to attend grammar school, but girls were not allowed in any place of education. Only the wealthiest people allowed their daughters to be taught at the home. Infant mortality was high during the Elizabethan era, so the children were cherished and loved by all members of the household. They were given many toys to play with - dolls, toy soldiers, hobby horses and the like.