This paper explores, from a historical and critical perspective, the way in which the image of a child, as a consumer and a citizen, was constructed in early 20th century Colombia, through a series of academic, political, economic and advertising discussions. A number of divergent and contradictory discursive strategies about the ideal child consumer are also shown. It analyzes the way the children’s market became a strategy for transgenerational consumption in which parents, children and incipient industry had to negotiate to adopt the dynamics of consumption and social values of the time.