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As 21st century parents, we face a unique set of challenges.  The rise of modernity, like all eras before it, has both its upsides and its downsides.  In general, we know more about human beings and how they grow and develop than at any other time in history.  And yet, at the same time, we seem to be losing a whole host of "parental intuitions" that seemed obvious to parents of generations past.  On top of this, many aspects of our current cultural milieu are pushing us towards states of chronic stress and reactivity, which interfere with our otherwise naturally wise and loving hearts.  This post will take a look at some of current challenges we face as parents trying to chart a new course for ourselves, and our children.

There are many different styles of parenting in the world and often I am asked by parents which is the best for their child's development.  While there is no easy answer to this question, I will take the next two posts to describe some of the important things to consider when making this difficult choice and relay some of the science that was undertaken with exactly this question in mind.  But it is important to say that choosing a style of parenting is a very personal thing and it must feel right to you first and foremost.  We are all different people with unique strengths and weaknesses, we often live in very different communities, and sometimes we just want different things in the end for our children.  All of this will need to be kept in mind when choosing which style of parenting is right for you. 

Last post I started a conversation by looking at some of the factors that will likely influence you in your choice of parenting style.  With this in mind, let us now turn our attention to some of the research that does suggest that different parenting styles do tend to lead to different developmental outcomes for the children.