Authors: Verdene Ryder and Celia Anita Decker, Ed.D.

Parents and Their Children helps students learn the demands of parenting as well as its rewards. The text explores various family forms and functions, the cycle of family development, and how the parenting role changes through the lifespan as children grow. Conception, pregnancy, and prenatal development and care are discussed with an emphasis on abstinence to avoid unplanned pregnancies. Features throughout the text engage students in real-life parenting situations.

Table of Contents

Abbreviated Contents

Parents and Their Children, 8th Edition

• Front Matter
• Part One Decisions About Parenting
• • 1 - Parenting: A Rewarding Choice
  • 2 - Families and Parents
  • 3 - The Decision to Parent
• Part Two Positive Parenting
• • 4 - Becoming a Competent Parent
  • 5 - Developing an Effective Parenting Style
  • 6 - Moral Development and Character
• Part Three The Beginning of Parenthood
• • 7 - Planning a Family
  • 8 - Pregnancy
  • 9 - Prenatal Care
  • 10 - Decisions Facing Parents-to-Be
  • 11 - Childbirth
• Part Four Understanding Children's Growth and Development
• • 12 - New Parents, New Baby
  • 13 - Parents and Their Infants
  • 14 - Parents and Their Toddlers
  • 15 - Parents and Their Preschoolers
  • 16 - Parents and Their School-Age Children
  • 17 - Parents and Their Teens
• Part Five The Challenges of Parenting
• • 18 - Family Concerns
  • 19 - Family Crises
  • 20 - Child Care Options
  • 21 - Children’s Health, Safety, and Special Needs
  • 22 - Careers Related to Children, Parenting, and Families
  • Appendix A Erikson’s Theory of Personality Development
  • Appendix B Piaget’s Stages of Intellectual Development
  • Appendix C Immunization Schedules
  • Glossary
  • Photo Credits
  • Index