With warmth, wisdom and wit, Maggie Mamen explores the various myths associated with parenting, and creates a general parenting philosophy with three main goals: Loving children enough to set reasonable limits until they can set limits of their own; Giving ourselves, as parents, permission to be leaders in the family; Showing our children that there is hope for the future. The result is an approach that is useful for children of any age, from the cradle to adulthood. The book provides support and reassurance in the most important job anyone can ever undertake: Parenting for Life!