ABSTRACT
Parents usually have abundant opportunities for talking with the pediatricians, and the pediatricians often serve as a crucial link in the provision of mental health services to our population. The parental stress can be as simple as disagreement between two partners about ordinary household rules. Most children express an interest at some time during their childhood in sleeping in the same bed with their parents. Generally when a child is referred to our child mental health department, our secretary calls the family and sets up an appointment for the child and the parents. Much of what appears to be incredibly intense conflict between parents and child has, in fact, this underlying dynamic. The parent feels rejected and hurt by the child and resents the child for not providing what is needed, namely, affection, support, comfort, respect. Major approach to resolution of problems of conflict between parents and children involves conflict mediation.
