Children's Perceptions of Child Rearing Practices

This study originated out of a concern for families. The purpose was to look specifically at the family through the eyes of a six-yearold. At this time no adequate research exists in this area. Most research in the area of child rearing has looked only at the mother's views, but a few studies have included father's views. The child's views have been "at the bottom of the totem pole," if at all. Although ther~ are many methodological problems with the interview method and particularly with interviewing young children, the present study made use of the interview format in order to be related to recent mother interviews collected by Laura Wilson as part of a replication of Sears, Maccoby, and Levin's (1957) Patterns of Child Rearing.Family Relations and Child Developmen