The Concept of Childhood Is a Modern Invention

In medieval Europe, children were treated as small adults from around age seven — expected to work, dress, and participate in adult society without a distinct developmental stage. The concept of childhood as a separate, protected phase of life emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, shaped by Enlightenment philosophy and later by industrialisation and compulsory schooling.

Source: Centuries of Childhood — Philippe Ariès