This volume tackles key issues in the changing nature of family life from a global perspective, and is essential reading for those studying and working with families. Covers changes in couple relationships and the challenges these pose; parenting practices and their implications for child development; key contemporary global issues, such as migration, poverty, and the internet, and their impact on the family; and the role of the state in supporting family relationships Includes a stellar cast of international contributors such as Paul Amato and John Coleman, and contributions from leading experts based in North Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand Discusses topics such as cohabitation, divorce, single-parent households, same-sex partnerships, fertility, and domestic violence Links research and practice and provides policy recommendations at the end of each chapter

There is probably no responsibility in life more important, rewarding, frustrating and difficult as parenting. One's mistakes are reflected in another person yet one's positive influence can lead to the happiness of another person and perhaps many. There are guidebooks, home-made advice, magazines and movies about it. Yet few do it well it seems although many may wish to. And just how should it be done? Should music be played even before birth or special schools be sought out? How can values be taught by many who have none themselves? How should parents try to counter the environmental factors which play a role in their upbringing? Is each generation dumbing down and if so, what can be done about it. This book presents chapters which attack these issues and more in a scholarly format.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

This edited volume addresses one of the central issues of family studies - parenting. Terry Arendell uses the social constructionist and the feminist lens to examine current controversies and issues of interest to family professionals and students. This important new volume deals with the history and demography of parenthood, parenting styles and structures, and issues of parenting within the broader community and policy context.

Presenting a debate on the need for a national parenting policy, this volume asks whether the time is approaching for parents to be formally educated & even licensed before they can take on the responsibilities of child care?

This publication is an element of the Council of Europe's recent work in the field of positive parenting leading up To The Committee of Ministers' Recommendation Rec (2006) 19 on policy to support positive parenting. The authors review and analyse the major changes affecting parenting in Europe, arising from legal situations, research and practice. This work addresses the core issues related to positive parenting and non-violent upbringing, with particular emphasis on parents' entitlement to support from the state in carrying out their parental tasks. Five themes are focused upon: The legal situation And The results of research: what it means to be a parent according To The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, The Council of Europe and new scientific knowledge; current thinking on the use of violence and corporal punishment against children; responses to family policy, especially in terms of support programs and services for parenting and families; the particular problems and needs of parents and children in situations of social exclusion; And The relationship between parenting and drug-related behavior among children and teenagers. The book also includes the text of the Recommendation Rec(2006)19, "Keys for parents" and "Guidelines for professionals.

At a time when many boys are in crisis, a much-needed roadmap for helping boys grow into strong and compassionate men Over the past two decades there has been an explosion of new studies that have expanded our knowledge of how boys think and feel. In How to Raise a Boy, psychologist Michael Reichert draws on his decades of research to challenge age-old conventions about how boys become men. Reichert explains how the paradigms about boys needing to be stoic and "man like" can actually cause them to shut down, leading to anger, isolation, and disrespectful or even destructive behaviors. The key to changing the culture lies in how parents, educators, and mentors help boys develop socially and emotionally. Reichert offers readers step-by-step guidance in doing just this by: Listening and observing, without judgment, so that boys know they're being heard. Helping them develop strong connections with teachers, coaches, and other role models Encouraging them to talk about their feelings about the opposite sex and stressing the importance of respecting women Letting them know that they don't have to "be a man" or "suck it up," when they are experiencing physical or emotional pain. Featuring the latest insights from psychology and neuroscience, How to Raise a Boy will help those who care for young boys and teenagers build a boyhood that will enable them to grow into confident, accomplished and kind men.