How Did The Life Of Children Changed During Shakespeare's Time

The lives of children and adolescents during the Elizabethan Era have changed from modern day. Parent and child relationships during Shakespeare’s time were stricter than they are today. Parents acted as guardians, not friends. Children were expected to obey their parents, work for their parents, and do whatever their parents needed. Since Shakespeare’s time, children now have a better chance to do what they want, are allowed to make their own decisions, and have learned to be independent.
As with parents today, during the sixteenth century parents provided their children with love, care, worry, and tried their best to give them the best life. However, unlike nowadays, children during the Shakespearean time period had to listen and do exactly what their parents thought was best. “If parents presented a child -a daughter- with a match that met their criteria, one of two things could happen. She

Conversations between parents and their children are important to stay connected and to keep a strong rapport. “Elizabethan children were expected to honor their parents by obeying them in all matters; children didn’t speak without first being spoken to” ("Family Life in Shakespeare's Time"). Juliet had a closer relationship to the nurse than her own mother. In the play, Juliet talked to the nurse; although, she didn’t address her mother. “Lady Cap: Nurse, where’s my daughter? Call her forth to me. Nurse: Now, by my maidenhead at twelve year old, I bade her come. What, lamb! what ladybird! God forbid! Where’s this girl? What, Juliet! Jul: How now? Who calls?” (23). Parents in Shakespeare’s time were demanding and straight to the point. When they wanted something, they received it at their hands. Many poor families were less strict than rich families. Poor families had to work together to receive what they wanted. Rich families weren’t as close to one another because they already had everything they wanted