Life in the 1880's for a kid was filled with interesting things to do. Going to school was a privilege that few children had. Working on the farm was necessary in order to survive and have enough food and money to live. Technology was poor as we know it today. The only source of light was kerosene lamps and fire. Yes, life was a lot different for a kid during this time.

    Homes were small, with no electricity or indoor plumbing. The only bathroom was outside called an outhouse.  Children had to share beds. Most  families had both parents living together. Breakfast usually consisted of bacon, corn mush and milk. After breakfast, they would go out to do the morning chores, like feeding the chickens, milking the cow and other farm duties. The kids had to dress in fancy, uncomfortable clothes that were layered and hot, because  Mothers were afraid of the kids catching a chill. If someone got sick, they would go in to town and fetch the Doctor. When the Doctor finally arrived, the person was usually so sick that they could not be cured. Most women, therefore, learned natural remedies for treating illnesses. Then it was off to school, usually on foot. The children  had to walk from a few feet up to 5 miles to get to school. They went to school 6 days and Sunday was their only day off. Of course, this day was  spent at church and relaxing with their family.
 
    Most schools were wooden and usually painted white, with a big, old bell on the top. Schools had outside bathrooms. Only a few schools had playground equipment. All schools had a water source and many times neighbors supplied the water. The floors were oiled to preserve the wood. Most schools were heated by a wood burning stove. The Dads helped chop the wood for the school. Almost all of the teachers were female, and she must be unmarried. During recess, the kids would go outside and play marbles, jump rope, hopscotch and hoops.  For lunch, kids carried their lunch pails or sacks. Lunch was usually a sandwich or leftover breakfast. Kids would swap food then just like we do today. Some teachers paid kids to do simple chores like fetching water or wood for the fire. Older kids helped younger kids with homework. For discipline, the kids would get paddled by their teacher. Teachers were respected for their work. The teachers had a lot of rules. For example, if a kid was found fighting or saying a profane word, they would stay in the closet for an hour. Also, if they were late for school, they had to stay in at recess. If they threw paper on the floor, they had to stay after school to sweep the floor. Education was free. They had a few textbooks that were mostly Arithmetic books, and paper, but mostly they used slates and teachers used blackboards.  Children received report cards. Usually, only white children went to school.