I don't even know how to ask this question precisely. Today in a developed country, the death of a child is an unimaginable tragedy that would send parents into years of grief and shock. In earlier times though, death of children was tragically common. I've seen infant mortality rates of 50% or something! How did people cope with so much death? In particular the death of children? Did they actually have a different attitude towards it - seems strange to ask but did they "love" their children less because they were more likely to lose them? Or did everybody in society go through life with major emotional/psychological issues?
Hi OP, this is a cultural question, so it would greatly assist anyone considering answering if you could specify which culture you're asking about. For example, the name of a cultural group / country / geographic region, plus a rough time period. Otherwise, this question is simply too broad, as it encompasses almost the entirety of human existence. Thanks!
Also, it may be worth cross-posting the question to /r/AskAnthropology or /r/AskSocialScience for their insights on this subject.