ABSTRACT
A glance at the quotations offered above would lead one to assume that parenting is not a simple matter. For hundreds of years, writers of philosophy, fiction, and comedy have portrayed the child as a significantly stressful addition to the family unit. Nevertheless, it is also the case that the arrival of an infant usually brings a great deal of joy and enthusiastic anticipation. Or to offer yet another observation: “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it” (Mark Twain, in Byrne, 1988, p. 301).
