Recent literature has identified modern “parenting” as an expert-led practice—one which begins with pre-pregnancy decisions, entails distinct types of intimate relationships, places intense burdens on mothers and increasingly on fathers too. Exploring within diverse historical and global contexts how men and women make—and break—relations between generations when becoming parents, this volume brings together innovative qualitative research by anthropologists, historians, and sociologists. The chapters focus tightly on inter-generational transmission and demonstrate its importance for understanding how people become parents and rear children.

They have strong values—faith, family, tolerance, intelligence, and altruism among them. But, contrary to what one might guess, these people are not America's sage elders. This is the Millennial Generation. Born between 1982 and 2000, the oldest among them today are entering their 20s or in their teen years. They aim to rebel against society by cleaning it up, returning to old-fashioned values and relationships. Author Verhaagen describes why, nonetheless, parents are feeling more anxious and frazzled than ever before, even as they are faced with the task of raising what some predict will be our next hero generation. Verhaagen explains how research shows adults can help keep these young people on a positive path, stoke their ideals, and help them be resilient when the inevitable mistakes and obstacles arise. The Baby Boomers and older Gen Xers are parenting this new crew, aiming to ground them and instill great hope for the future. But Millennials face challenges greater than any generation faced before them. Many spend all or part of their childhood without a father in the home. Technology, including the Internet, is exposing them to adult material at increasingly young ages. They are subject to violent images that are more common than ever before in movies, television, and games. So parents still need to provide guidance. Verhaagen aims to help parents with research and advice, including how to teach determination, problem-solving, emotional smarts, and resilience. His text includes vignettes and his personal experience as a psychotherapist/father.

Over half of all births to young adults in the United States now occur outside of marriage, and many are unplanned. The result is increased poverty and inequality for children. The left argues for more social support for unmarried parents; the right argues for a return to traditional marriage. In Generation Unbound, Isabel V. Sawhill offers a third approach: change "drifters" into "planners." In a well-written and accessible survey of the impact of family structure on child well-being, Sawhill contrasts "planners," who are delaying parenthood until after they marry, with "drifters," who are having unplanned children early and outside of marriage. These two distinct patterns are contributing to an emerging class divide and threatening social mobility in the United States. Sawhill draws on insights from the new field of behavioral economics, showing that it is possible, by changing the default, to move from a culture that accepts a high number of unplanned pregnancies to a culture in which adults only have children when they are ready to be a parent.

Americans like to believe that theirs is the land of opportunity, but the hard facts are that children born into poor families in the United States tend to stay poor and children born into wealthy families generally stay rich. Other countries have shown more success at lessening the effects of inequality on mobility—possibly by making public investments in education, health, and family well-being that offset the private advantages of the wealthy. What can the United States learn from these other countries about how to provide children from disadvantaged backgrounds an equal chance in life? Making comparisons across ten countries, Persistence, Privilege, and Parenting brings together a team of eminent international scholars to examine why advantage and disadvantage persist across generations. The book sheds light on how the social and economic mobility of children differs within and across countries and the impact private family resources, public policies, and social institutions may have on mobility. In what ways do parents pass advantage or disadvantage on to their children? Persistence, Privilege, and Parenting is an expansive exploration of the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and background and the outcomes of their grown children. The authors also address the impact of education and parental financial assistance on mobility. Contributors Miles Corak, Lori Curtis, and Shelley Phipps look at how family economic background influences the outcomes of adult children in the United States and Canada. They find that, despite many cultural similarities between the two countries, Canada has three times the rate of intergenerational mobility as the United States—possibly because Canada makes more public investments in its labor market, health care, and family programs. Jo Blanden and her colleagues explore a number of factors affecting how advantage is transmitted between parents and children in the United States and the United Kingdom, including education, occupation, marriage, and health. They find that despite the two nations having similar rates of intergenerational mobility and social inequality, lack of educational opportunity plays a greater role in limiting U.S. mobility, while the United Kingdom’s deeply rooted social class structure makes it difficult for the disadvantaged to transcend their circumstances. Jane Waldfogel and Elizabeth Washbrook examine cognitive and behavioral school readiness across income groups and find that pre-school age children in both the United States and Britain show substantial income-related gaps in school readiness—driven in part by poorly developed parenting skills among overburdened, low-income families. The authors suggest that the most encouraging policies focus on both school and home interventions, including such measures as increases in federal funding for Head Start programs in the United States, raising pre-school staff qualifications in Britain, and parenting programs in both countries. A significant step forward in the study of intergenerational mobility, Persistence, Privilege, and Parenting demonstrates that the transmission of advantage or disadvantage from one generation to the next varies widely from country to country. This striking finding is a particular cause for concern in the United States, where the persistence of disadvantage remains stubbornly high. But, it provides a reason to hope that by better understanding mobility across the generations abroad, we can find ways to do better at home.

What Every Parent Needs to Know about Screens and Their Kids Maybe your kids are like many others―glued to their smartphones, social media, and streaming entertainment. While we may be aware that excessive screen time, especially social media, isn’t healthy, how do we teach young kids and teens to become screenwise? Prioritizing connection over correction, Parenting Generation Screen is a guide for parents that will equip you with key questions and conversations to help you process screen limits with and for your kids. You’ll learn how to dialogue in meaningful ways about social media, entertainment, and screen time so your children can learn to be wise in the digital world. Jonathan McKee speaks worldwide and writes about technology and social media for families―and has three kids of his own. In Parenting Generation Screen, he addresses such questions as: At what age should my child get a phone or screen? Can my child have a phone in their bedroom? How does social media affect my teenager’s mental health and sleep? What dangers are really lurking on social media? How can moms and dads best use parental controls? In this extremely practical book, you’ll gain confidence and find the answers you need to set boundaries, guide your kids, and help them navigate the digital landscape.

This book emphasizes a mother's role in the development of the child's brain and emotional infrastructures.