Introduction

Abstract

This is a book about being a parent in the 1980s. It looks at the kind of society in which parents are bringing up their children, and at the types of families in which children are growing up, but its chief concern is with what could be done to make being a parent and bringing up children easier, more enjoyable and more satisfying than it is for many parents at present. Parenthood today is a demanding and at times stressful, lonely and frustrating experience; and if society continues to put high expectations on parents, then it must also provide sufficient support to enable them to fulfil their obligations with knowledge, understanding and enjoyment.