“To be sure, changes in American family structure have been fairly continuous since the first European settlements, but today thesechanges seem to be occurring so rapidly that the shift is no longer a simple extension of long-term trends. We have passed a genuine watershed: this is the first time in our history that the typical school-age child has a mother who works outside the home.” FirstsChildrenLongHas BeensHomeSeemsAgeTodaySchoolMotherTermChangeWorkSimpleFirst TimeStructureWork OutGenuineLong TermTrendsTypicalExtensionsSettlementAmerican FamilyWatersheds Book:All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure Source: All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure
“In the past the intrinsic pleasures of parenthood for most American families were increased by the extrinsic economic return thatchildren brought. Today, parents have children despite their economic cost. This is a major, indeed a revolutionary, change.” ChildrenTodayPastParentPleasureEconomicReturnCostMajorsDespiteRevolutionaryParenthoodAmerican FamilyRevolutionary Change Book:All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure Source: All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure
“Recognizing that family self-sufficiency is a false myth, we also need to acknowledge that all today's families need help in raising children. The problem is not so much to reeducate parents but to make available the help they need and to give them enough power so that they can be effective advocates with and coordinators of the other forces that are bringing up their children.” NeedsGivingChildrenSelfEnoughHelpingProblemTodayForceParentAvailableMythAcknowledgeRecognizingRaising ChildrenNeed HelpSelf SufficiencySufficiencyCoordinator Author:Kenneth Keniston
“Today's parents have little authority over those others with whom they share the task of raising their children. On the contrary,most parents deal with those others from a position of inferiority or helplessness. Teacher, doctors, social workers, or television producers possess more status than most parents.... As a result, the parent today isa maestro trying to conduct an orchestra of players who have never met and who play from a multitude of different scores, each in a notation the conductor cannot read.” TryingChildrenLittlesDifferentPlayTodaySocialParentResultsDealsTeacherPlayerSharePositionTelevisionMetsAuthorityTasksDoctorsWorkersContraryProducersScoreMultitudesOrchestraHelplessnessInferiorityConductorSocial WorkerMaestro Author:Kenneth Keniston
“In the end, the fate of children depends on our ability to use technology constructively and carefully. The connection of childrenand technology is not simply a matter of seat belts, safe toys, safe air, water and food, additive-free baby foods, or improved television programming. These are all important issues, but to stop here is to forget that today's children will soon be adults. Technological decisions made today will determine, perhaps irrevocably, the kind of physical and social world we bequeath them and the kind of people they become.” PeopleWorldKindChildrenMadeImportantEndsMatterUseTodaySocialWaterAbilityDecisionForgetTechnologyIssuesFateAirTelevisionBabyDependsSafeAdultsConnectionsDetermineSeatsProgrammingToysTechnologicalBeltsImportant IssuesDecisions MadeSeat BeltsAdditives Book:All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure Source: All Our Children: The American Family Under Pressure
