Daily life in colonial America revolved around family and farming. Families lived and worked on small farms, with fathers leading the household and mothers taking care of domestic duties like gardening, cooking, and childrearing. Children started working at young ages to help their families; sons typically took up their fathers' trades while daughters assisted their mothers. Education was limited, usually just teaching boys basic reading; girls' education was usually just what parents provided, and indentured servants and slaves had little to no access to schools. People married young, around 18-20, and women commonly had 7-10 children, making childbirth a leading cause of death.