Children of the Inca

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Girls' Lives

. . . . At around age 5, girls spent most of their time helping their mothers with their work. Again, there was a little time for playing with toys. Beginning at age 9, most of the time girls were spinning thread, gathering plants to use for dyes and medicine, gathering firewood, helping to cook food, caring for their younger siblings, and sometimes herding animals and helping in the fields. Around age 14, a ceremony is held to celebrate a girl becoming a woman, and they also get their permanent names. Girls continued to live with their family and help their mothers with her work.

Boys' Lives

. . . . At around age 5, boys spent most of their time helping their fathers with their work. Sometimes, they could play with toys in between work. By age 9, boys worked most of the time, herding llamas and alpacas, killing birds, gathering firewood, and working with others in the fields. Around age 14, boys are given their breechcloth in a public ceremony, which their mother wove for them. Wearing the breechcloth showed that he was a man and he got his permanent name. Boys continued to live with their family and help their fathers with his work.

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Babies' Lives

. . . Babies were carried around everywhere with their mother in a blanket tied to her back. They were nursed three times a day. After the mother stopped breastfeeding the babies, around age two, the baby was given a special ceremony where his or her hair was cut for the first time and he or she was given their childhood name. As soon as the babies could walk, they were put to work with their parents. Sometimes when the parents were working, the babies were put in a cloth-lined pit in the ground with a couple of toys.