I have one of those! The exersaucer!

That is fascinating.

Also, I want a baby cage. Please create a corner in which I can nap comfortably while getting fresh air.

It's actually really not a bad idea. The baby probably loves it - lots going on to look at and listen to and meanwhile, the house is freed up from baby clutter.

Awww...catraz

Gelderland 1440: toddler Jesus is learning to walk while mama weaves and papa woodworks. ≡ Click to see image ≡
From The Hours of Catherine of Cleves.

Love it, jouke.

And yeah, looking at most of the older artifacts, it does seem like "baby amuses himself while mother does more important stuff" is pretty standard.

Bookmarked to read later, I love articles and histories like this.

Ha, occhi, I'm glad you like it.
When I came across that picture I had a baby in a walker bumping around the house.
But also I'm from the Dutch province of Gelderland. So it's a wonderful idea that 5 1/2 centuries ago my ancestors were in exactly the same situation.

From the look of that scroll it seems that baby Jesus is quite a precocious child. Probably saying smartypants stuff like "I am the light". To which grownups of course respond by narrowing their eyes and saying "yes. you. are" and tickling his belly.
[quick online search]
Actually he's saying "I am your solace".
How fun that these illuminations already had text balloons like in modern day comics.

Whoa, hang the baby out of the window in a cage and hope the kid just sits there frozen with terror rather than moving around and making the cage unstable.

I liked it so much I nicked it for the front page!