European children of the 16th and 17th centuries lived very different lives from those of modern children. Fatality was extremely common among young people, which made them see them differently in society. Families were also made up of a greater number of people than today. To teach children discipline and morality, some parents and teachers have used reasoning to explain why a certain act or behavior is considered disrespectful. In contrast, other parents used harsh punishments, either because they disliked their children, or simply believed it was the only way to ensure that their child would never again commit the act that warranted such a consequence. Other children were extremely obedient and much loved by their parents. For some, reason was a solution when it came to disciplinary measures with their children. This was the path taken by the mother of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, as described in a letter written by Cavendish from Colchester, England, in the 1620s. Cavendish gently describes that her mother didn't use torture or threats to keep her and her siblings in line, only logic. They received explanations instead of beatings. This helped them actually understand why what they were doing was wrong, instead of just being told it was wrong. Because of this logical upbringing, she is obviously an advocate of this technique, which explains the details of her childhood in this letter. English and Catholic gentlemen also took pride in a sensible approach to child care. In Lancashire, England, William Blundell performed a dialogue with his nine-year-old daughter called "An Exercise for Children to Encourage Them to Speak" in 1663. This dialogue...... center of paper...... itution. This illustrates the trustworthiness he had for only children to do the right thing. Being a moralist and preacher, he is aware that adults will do corrupt things for money and power, but he sees the true innocence that remains in a child. While some still believed that children were a burden, the idea of ​​a loving family with few consequences still existed. Reasoning, harsh discipline, and love were all used as means to keep children obedient and in line. Whether through one of these techniques, parents constantly attempted to gain control over their children in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe. Harsh discipline was a practiced norm until more recent times, until it gave way to logic and love. The rationality of today's society owes its greatest debt to the sane minds of a more recent and refined European continent.