being a child in the Victorian era

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/

It was normal In the Victorian era for a family to have ad least ten children's although most died before hitting their teenage years. It wasn't just poor families who had the tragedy of children's death it effected the rich too as the hygiene levels were so low that mainly children were effected by small pox and diphtheria. Although you would be able to tell which children came from wealthy families as they had clean clothes weren't under weight and had an education as they went to school and didn't work as the poor children had to. The less fortunate children were servery under weight more than likely didn't have shoes and clothes were un kept and broken. Children from poor families had to work as they needed as much income as possible which is why I think families grew so big as its seen as abnormal to have such a big family in this generation as I myself have 2 siblings and feel like that's plenty.  Also children were paid less than adults so businesses preferred to use them so they would save money, a lot of Victorian deaths were in the work place hands/limbs getting caught in machinery especially children as they have smaller attention spans and hands are smaller so would be easier for them to get trapped. In this generation it would be seen as cruel to send children into a dangerous work place instead of gaining an education but it was normal for that period. Its insane to think that children as young as 5 years old contributed to the families income.

What I find interesting is that Estella would of been one of these children as her parent Magwitch was a criminal so she would of had to work and earn a living and would had been living in a orphanage. But as Mrs Havisham likes to portray she saved Estella to give her a better life and  introduce her to high society when infact she stripped Estella of happiness as money and possessions doesn't make a person happy the life of a child in the Victorian era wasn't as a child's in this generation no worries and freedom it was in fact full of work and hardship infact their life from the start was almost a burden if they escaped death by disease or work based they still were under privileged and un educated unless they were rich.