Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting, CourseSmart eTextbook, 9th Edition

Written for Parenting and Parent-Child Relations courses in Child and Family Studies departments.

 

The user-friendly and research-based approach to this best-selling text provides the most comprehensive coverage on parent-child relations across the lifespan while balancing theory with clean prose, effective pedagogy, and useful strategies.

 

The Ninth Edition of Parent-Child Relations has undergone extensive updates and changes, most notably with the addition of Dr. Clara Gerhardt as co-author. Research and content updates to this edition increase the effectiveness and currency of the text. Key themes of the text are an emphasis on family systems theory and a systemic family development model to describe intergenerational family scenarios and lifespan challenges, as is the focus on the ecological, social, and cultural contexts in which parent-child relations occur. Some major parenting strategies are anchored by focusing on nurture and structure, and important discussions of ethnic diversity and family structures in the United States are explored. The Frequently Asked Questions provided allow students to see parenting concerns through the eyes of a parent or a therapist; the Parenting Reflections raise significant questions to promote critical thinking; and the Focus On feature further highlights important information and trends in the field.

 

For decades, this classic text has prepared countless teachers and practitioners by its proven and practical approach, utilizing family systems and systemic family development theory to explore how parent-child relations change across the lifespan in tandem with developmental changes occurring with children, adults, and the wider family system. The most comprehensive, thorough, complete, and current resource available to students as they prepare for working with parents and families, and for their roles as parents themselves, this best-selling resource carries on the essential message of its originator, Dr. Jerry Bigner, and will continue to nurture future family scholars and practitioners for years to come.

PART I Parent—Child Relations in Social Context

CHAPTER 1 The Ecology of Parent—Child Relations

CHAPTER 2 Cultural Perspectives

CHAPTER 3 Theoretical Perspectives on Parent—Child Relations

CHAPTER 4 Parenting Styles and Strategies

PART II The Work of Parenting

CHAPTER 5 The Transition to Parenthood

CHAPTER 6 Pregnancy and Childbirth

CHAPTER 7 Parenting Infants and Toddlers

CHAPTER 8 Parenting Preschoolers

CHAPTER 9 Parenting School-Age Children

CHAPTER 10 Parenting Adolescents and Young Adults

PART III Challenges for Contemporary Parents and Children

CHAPTER 11 Parenting in Single-Parent Family Systems

CHAPTER 12 Parenting in Blended Family Systems

CHAPTER 13 Adolescent Parents CHAPTER 14 Family Formation and Parenting in Same-Sex Couples

CHAPTER 15 Parent–Child Relations in High-Risk Families

CHAPTER 16 Best Practices in Parent–Child Relations