Concerning Children was published by Small, Maynard & Company in 1900. Gilman’s argument is characteristically bold: children are not the private possessions of their parents but social beings whose development matters to the entire community. Therefore, their care and education should not be left to untrained amateurs (mothers) working in isolation (private homes) but should involve trained professionals working in purpose-built environments.
Gilman critiques the prevailing assumption that “mother love” is sufficient qualification for raising children. Love, she argues, is not competence. A mother who loves her child but has no training in nutrition, psychology, or pedagogy will inevitably make mistakes that trained professionals would avoid. This does not mean children should be taken from their parents — but that professional support, communal education, and purpose-designed spaces for children are necessities, not luxuries.
The book was written before the development of child psychology as a discipline, yet Gilman anticipates many of its findings: the importance of peer interaction for social development, the damage of excessive parental control, the benefits of age-appropriate independence, and the value of structured play. Her proposals — professional childcare, communal nurseries, trained educators for the youngest children — were considered radical in 1900 and are now standard in most developed nations.
Collecting Concerning Children
First edition (Small, Maynard, Boston, 1900): Cloth boards.
Market values:
- First edition, fine: $150–$400
- Very good: $60–$150