Parenting in Ordinary Families: Diversity, complexity and change

Parenting during early and middle childhood and how it changes over time. Health and social service workers often have to decide whether parenting is appropriate. Similarly, policy-makers planning services for families need information about parenting norms and detrimental parenting. This report is intended to provide support for such decision-making, so as both to reduce the risks to children and avoid inappropriate censuring of parents. It examines parenting in Britain during early and middle childhood within different social and cultural groups. It also looks at how parenting develops and changes over time. • Part 1 reviews research from the last ten years, highlighting the important themes which emerge; • Part 2 describes specifi c aspects of parenting within these themes in early childhood using data from a sample based in and around Bristol. This publication can be provided in other formats, such as large print, Braille and audio. Please contact