Parenting

Background

Before the 20th century, information on how one should parent was generally found in the counsel of older, experienced mothers and religious leaders. It was not until the work of pediatrician L. Emmett Holt, who wrote the Care and Feeding of Children in 1894, that a scientific approach to the study of parenting began to take hold. Holt's practical, stern book that recommended strict recipe-like control and routine remained popular for years, with new editions appearing until 1934, by which time numerous child psychologists, other doctors, and child study experts began producing a variety of works on parenting.

The focus of these early parenting books was a mix of psychology and medicine. John Watson, who established the behaviorist school of psychological thinking, brought public attention to ways parents mold a child's development. His book, the Psychological Care of Infant and Child, published in 1928, was based on his ethological studies of animal behavior, from which he drew extravagant conclusions that children could be molded into any kind of person a parent desired through consistent behavioral techniques. He admonished parents to treat children with emotional detachment but also with respect. This approach opened the door for questioning the puritanical, autocratic belief that corporal punishment was a necessary component of strict discipline; however, at the same time, he criticized parental responsiveness, warning that warmth and affection would “spoil” a child. Watson's belief that parenting is a science and should be regarded as an ongoing experiment in successfully rearing children became widespread through popular magazines, radio broadcasts, and speeches to educators and physicians. The U.S. Department of Health printed his views in parenting pamphlets.

Pediatrician Benjamin Spock opposed Watson's approach to scheduled, autocratic parenting. His highly influential book, Baby and Child Care, published in 1946, advised parents to regard each child as an individual and to provide loving guidance within an environment of firm, consistent limits. As a result of his writings, child-rearing was viewed flexibly, within the context of changeable family dynamics.

Throughout the last half of the 20th century, there has been a proliferation of eclectic, often contradictory parenting advice directed to those searching for ways to optimally rear a child. Theory and research has become segmented, with separate foci on specific areas such as discipline, medical issues, developmental problems, and developmental stages. This trend has provided deeper insight for professionals in the field, but it can be confusing for parents who rarely have the depth of knowledge or experience required [Page 756]to synthesize across studies. The highly publicized separate reports of factors supporting children's optimal growth may contribute to an increase in parental anxiety, particularly in those who become parents later in life and those who have fewer children.

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