The Effect of Children on Parents

This pioneering book honestly confronts the interactions by which parents and children change, develop, and sometimes affect each other negatively. Taking a unique interdisciplinary approach, The Effect of Children on Parents, Second Edition, describes in great detail, with jargon-free language this neglected area of parent-child dynamics. This second edition contains an abundance of fresh information, including nine entirely new chapters that deal with such complex topics as the effects on parents of children with emotional, behavioral, and delinquency problems. The specific problems created by peers, professionals, minority status, and adoption also constitute new chapters.

Anne Marie Ambert

Contents Chapter 1. Child Effect: What Is This? An Introduction The Social Construction of Parents Organization of the Book Chapter 2. The Neglected Perspective: Children's Effect on Parents Failures of Traditional Perspectives Childhood Is Only One of the Stages in the Life Course Parenting: One Important Influence Among Others The Emergence of Interactional Theories Children and Parents in Historical Perspective The Culmination of Historical Changes Conclusions Chapter 3. Determinants of Child Effect on Parents Child Characteristics Parental Characteristics Characteristics of the Societal Response Conclusions Chapter 4. Areas of Parents' Lives Maternal Health Place/Space/Activities Parental Employment Financial/Economic Aspects Marital and Familial Relations Human Interaction Community Parental Personality Attitudes, Values, and Beliefs Life Plans Feelings of Control Over One's Life Conclusions Chapter 5. Children with Behavioral and Emotional Problems What Are Behavioral Problems? What Causes Behavioral Problems? The Effect on Mothers Children with Emotional Problems Effects on the Parent-Child Relationship Conclusions Chapter 6. Adolescents, Parents, and Delinquency Overview Effects of Delinquency on Parents Conclusions Chapter 7. The Effects of Children's Peers on Parents Peer Pressure and Support Peer Abuse The Effect of Peers on Parents Conclusions Chapter 8. Professionals and Parents Professional Authority Over Parents The "Schizophrenogenic" Mother Parent Blaming The Merit of Therapeutic Interventions Parent Effectiveness Training Researching Parents and Children Conclusions Chapter 9. The Effect of Adult Children on Parents What Adult Children Do for Their Parents Gender of Children and Parents What Parents Do For Their Adult Children Grandmothers As Child Caretakers Grandmothers As Mother Substitutes Abuse of Elderly Parents Conclusions Chapter 10. Immigrant and Minority Parents What Happens to Children? Intergenerational Conflict Intergenerational Continuity Specific Examples of Continuity and Discontinuity African-American Parents: The Effect of a Negative Environment Conclusions Chapter 11. Adoptive Parents How Is Adoption Socially Defined? The Professional Representation of Adoptive Children Transracial Adoption Stepchild Adoption Open Adoption Consequences of Reunions Conclusions Chapter 12. Let's Not Forget About Genes! How Genetic Inheritance Works How Do Genes Interact with Environment? Do Genes Mean That Parenting is Useless? Limitations to Parental Influence Conclusions Chapter 13. Conclusions: What is Wrong with Parenting Today? Cultural and Social Roadblocks to Effective Parenting Strengthening Parental Influence Parental Gratification: Why Not? To Conclude Bibliography Author Index Subject Index Reference Notes Included