1. Bringing up the Boomers Approximately 4/5 Boomers were born in hospitals. This dramatically helped to lower Canada’s INFANT MORTALITY RATE. Baby formula and prepared baby food replaced breast feeding and ‘adult food’ of the previous generation. The ‘baby bonus’ was introduced to help feed and clothe each child.

2. Children became the centre of the household, which was quite different from previous generations. Dr. Benjamin Spock was a behavioural psychologist who is praised by some as the leading child-care expert of the century. His book entitled the “Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care” (1946) sold over 50 million copies in 25 different languages.

3. Dr. Spock urged parents to trust themselves and to not constantly worry about spoiling their children. His basic philosophy was to “respect children because they’re human beings who deserve respect- they’ll grow up to be better people”. His books advised parents to let children develop at their own pace, rather than adhering to the strict rules of earlier behavioural psychologist, such as John B. Watson.

4. Suburban life in 1950’s Toronto Photographs of Toronto in the 1950’s and 60’s. http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/09/what_t he_suburbs_used_to_look_like_around_toron to/ http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/09/what_t he_suburbs_used_to_look_like_around_toron to/

5. TED Talk- “The Defining Moment for a generation in waiting” Dr. John Izzo 13 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NxOoeE JmjQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NxOoeE JmjQ Discusses how Baby Boomers have a responsibility to fix the world

6. Think about it! In your notebook, answer the following questions: 1. How do you think the experiences of growing up in the suburbs would affect baby boomers (attitudes, expectations etc) as children? 2. How do you think the experiences of the baby boomers in terms of child rearing, would affect baby boomers (attitudes, expectations)

7. 1960’s and 1970’s- how did these exciting decades affect the baby boomers?

8. 60’s Counterculture and the Sexual Revolution Woodstock- (6mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= Wyx053CNMaghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v= Wyx053CNMag Watch Documentary “The Source Family” to illustrate the search for a different spirituality in the 60’s/70’s

9. When we think of the colourful years between 1964 and 1972, we think of hippy’s, drugs, the Beatles, Vietnam, sit-ins, peace symbols… At this point half of the population were not legally adults but they were strongly influential. They in turn were influenced by television, the music industry and the magical world of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury scene.

10. Counterculture definition: when people express values and behaviours that conflict with societies norms. Members of the 60’s counterculture enjoyed the shock value of pushing personal freedoms beyond societal boundaries.

11. Many young Canadians actively participated in POLITICAL ACTIVISM through anti-war and anti-nuclear protests, women’s rights issues, human rights and environmentalism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yU0JuE 1jTk (Give Peace a Chance) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yU0JuE 1jTk

12. The Sexual Revolution In the 1960’s sexual behaviour and morals in Canada were changing quite dramatically. There were many more illegitimate births and personal and sexual freedom became more important. The birth control pill was an important part of the sexual revolution. It became widely available in 1961 and was one of the main reasons for the collapse of the baby boom.

13. Read article about birth control pill Watch documentary 1:26:50 & 1:11:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUc2eLe -ruI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUc2eLe -ruI Read article on ‘New Age Spirituality’

14. Think about it! How do you think the culture in the 60’s and 70’s has affected the baby boomers as they age? How would their experiences being part of this counterculture change their expectations of the world?

15. The baby boom generation and their children have benefited from growing up in periods of economic prosperity. Both generations have found themselves at the centre of society, the boomers in nuclear, suburban families and the echo boom kids as offspring of this “ME GENERATION”

16. By the year 2020, most baby boomers will be retired or close to it. The Generation Xers and Millenials will dominate Canadian jobs, professions and businesses. People are now wondering if they will be able to support the mass of aging boomers who will soon rely on them (me too!!).