This concept of “raising” a child comes to us from a rather intense tradition rooted in Roman culture. Children were presented before the head of the household, and if the father wanted the child, he would lift the baby up in his arms and hold him or her skyward—literally raising the child—and this meant the baby was welcomed into the home. If the man didn’t want the child, he would not raise him or her but would look away and leave the baby there on the ground, and then the child was put out for what they called “exposure.”
