The Anthropology of Childhood Cherubs, Chattel, Changelings

One theme we’ve been pursuing throughout is the notion that high human fertility is facilitated by the child’s relatively rapid transition from wholly dependent to semi-dependent status. Childhood, as a stage of development unique to our species, allows the child to develop slowly with relatively little attention from its mother, freeing her to bear another infant. However, being a child does not just mean that one can survive well with minimal care from adults; it also means, in a more positive sense, that one’s life is filled with play activity. From the perspective of the harried parent, children’s deep engagement with playthings and playmates is a godsend. However, keeping busy turns out to be only one of a host of potential benefits conveyed by play.