The tender years doctrine once prevailed as the standard for deciding child custody. This rule dictated that:

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The tender years doctrine was a legal principle that presumed that during their tender years (a vague term, but generally considered to be of a young age), children, especially female children, were better off with their mother unless the mother was proven to be unfit. This doctrine heavily influenced custody decisions, favoring mothers for custody of young children.

The Tender Years Doctrine Once Prevailed as the Standard for Deciding