Student Article
What Was It Like to Be a Kid in the Middle Ages?
Chaste (adjective): Innocent; having avoided sexual activity, often for religious or moral reasons.
Corporal punishment (noun): Physical punishment, such as hitting, used to discipline someone.
Original sin (noun): The Christian belief that all humans inherit sin from the biblical Adam and Eve.
Childhood in the Middle Ages was shaped by a complex mix of age, gender, class, and religious belief. Far from being a carefree time, many children were expected to work, learn household duties, or assist in the family trade from a young age. Apprenticeships — common from around age 12 — prepared children for skilled professions and required obedience, discipline, and a vow of moral behavior.
Gender roles and childhood play
While early play was relatively free from gender norms, expectations grew stricter with age. Girls were encouraged to remain chaste and cautious, while boys were given more autonomy.
Storytelling in medieval life
Although bedtime stories weren’t typical as they are today, people often shared thrilling tales and poems at social gatherings. These lively performances — featuring brave knights, daring quests, and magical elements — captivated children and adults alike.
Schooling and literacy
Educational access was varied: elite boys often attended cathedral or grammar schools and could enter university in their teens, while girls received instruction at home or in nunneries. Reading and writing Latin were elite skills, but many children had basic literacy in their native language and were trained to memorize texts.
Discipline and mortality
Medieval discipline reflected societal views of authority and moral development. Corporal punishment was common, though figures like Anselm of Canterbury argued for gentler methods. In contrast, theologians such as Augustine of Hippo believed in original sin from birth, which justified strict control over young behavior. Mortality rates were high. Between 30% and 50% of children died young, many in their first year. Hazards ranged from disease and fire to accidents involving livestock or water.
Medieval childhood and creativity
Children were still seen as capable of growth, both moral and practical. Records like the drawings of Onfim — a 13th-Century boy who left notes and doodles on birch bark — offer rare, personal insights into the medieval child’s imagination. Ultimately, the medieval world offered children structure, responsibility, creativity, and risk — all bound by the social and spiritual values of the time.
© Dr Emily Joan Ward / www.historyextra.com
Chaste (adjective): Innocent; having avoided sexual activity, often for religious or moral reasons.
Corporal punishment (noun): Physical punishment, such as hitting, used to discipline someone.
Original sin (noun): The Christian belief that all humans inherit sin from the biblical Adam and Eve.