The Aztec devoted to children, and parents were expected to take special responsibility for their discipline and instruction. From the day of birth, children were brought up to respect their elders, to revere the deities, and to be obedient, well mannered and productive. While Aztec society offered opportunities for individuals to rise socially and professionally, especially in the military and priesthood. Children tended to inherit the profession and status of their parents. The individuality of a person was always subordinate to the life of the family, the school, the calpulli, the professional organization, and society as a whole.

The arrival of a newborn child was a special occasion. Upon delivering the baby, the midwife shouted war cries to honor the mother for having fought a good battle, for having become a warrior who had "captured" a baby. The midwife then spoke to the baby, as if addressing an honored but tired and hungry traveler, exhorting it to rest among its parents and grandparents, and telling it of the transitory nature of life. The umbilical cord of a male child was kept and eventually taken by an adult warrior to be buried on a distant battlefield. The female cord would be buried by the hearth. The ceremonial cutting of the cord was also accompanied by formal speeches describing the roles of men and women and exhorting the infant to work and do its duty. Among the nobles or wealthy merchants, the arrival of a child was the occasion of elegant speeches and visits. The most powerful families would receive visitors from far and near, sometimes for as long as 20 days after the birth of a child. The most important guest would be greeted with gifts of fine clothing including woven caps, or skirts. Even the most humble visitors would be given food, drink, or pulque( a alcoholic beverage). But at all levels of society, the hosts would provide for visitors in proportion to their economic status.

A very important event after birth was a visit from a soothsayer, who would be summoned with their Book of Days, the tonalmatl. They were responsible for reading favorable or unfavorable day signs, and for determining the configuration of cosmic forces that would affect the child's life. It would be important to know the very instant in which it was born. The books would be opened and, if it were a bad day, perhaps the dominant ill effects would be modified by other, more beneficent signs associated with that moment. The soothsayer would then assign a time four days hence for the baptismal rite to take place.

The final episode in the new-born's rite of passage was the formal baptism. The baptismal ceremony was prepared by placing a basin of water upon a reed mat, and by laying out instruments appropriate to the sex of the child. If male, there would be a miniature bow and arrow laid upon a "shield" made from a tortilla of amaranth-dough or there would be tools that coincide with the family profession. If it was a girl, they would lay out a spinning wheel, a batten, a reed basket and spinning bowls, as well as a miniature skirt and shift. The child was bathed, massaged, and presented four times to the sky and to the cleansing water. Older children would then run through the streets crying out the name of the new child. The baby was then returned to the cradle. A great feast and gifts were then offered by the parents to the assembled relatives.

Between the ages of three and four, children were introduced to basic household chores. Boys carried light loads of water and girls were given elementary instruction in weaving or the preparation of food. Later, boys carried heavier bundles, and by the age of six or seven they were involved in activities outside the home, such as practicing with fishing nets or gathering reeds. Knowledge of specialized crafts such as pottery, metal-working, and basketry was transmitted from father to son and mother to daughter, beginning between the ages of eight and ten.