Life Used to be Weirder: Babies In The Mail

Imagine living in the early 1900s, where everything was a little more unpredictable.

The world was still figuring out the whole “modern society” thing, but hey, who needs airplanes when you can send a baby by MAIL?

Back in the day, people actually mailed their children.

Now, we’re not talking about a cute, wrapped gift sent with a bow – no, we’re talking about babies being shipped like packages.

In the 1910s, thanks to the U.S. Postal Service’s odd and slightly terrifying regulations, parents could use the mail to send their little ones to relatives, or, presumably, just for the thrill of it.

The cost of sending a child ranged from $0.15 to $0.53, depending on the weight of the baby.

Yeah that’s right, a postage stamp for your infant. This madness was mostly due to rural communities where roads were bad and trains weren’t exactly reliable.

Some parents thought, “Why not just send ‘em through the mail? It’s quicker and cheaper than a horse-drawn carriage!”

Fortunately, this bizarre practice was mostly reserved for rural areas.

But the mail carriers? They probably had a good chuckle while they delivered the tiniest packages of all.

For the record, this method didn’t last long after some high-profile incidents (like babies being injured), the U.S. Postal Service quickly put the brakes on mailing children.

So, next time you find yourself stressing about getting a package delivered on time, just be glad you’re not trying to ship your toddler across the country.