A generation ago, parents relied on the likes of Drs Spock and Stoppard for childrearing advice. Most of all, they sought guidance from elders and peers. Being a parent was no easier then, but there was little external influence.
These days, it's a far more public activity. Mass communication has multiplied our knowledge about the impact of child rearing. Robert Winston's current TV series, Child of Our Time, typifies the pleasures and pitfalls of such exposure. It makes both compelling and terrifying viewing for parents.
Research, too, has heightened the scrutiny of parents. Now we can not only measure associations between negative parenting styles and children's troubled behaviour, but we are beginning to discover the mechanisms that link them.
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