Parenting comprises all the tasks involved in raising a
child.
It includes:
- providing food and drinks, and in the case of small children, the process of feeding or helping with that;
- providing a toilet and facilities for washing, and in the case of small children, the washing itself or helping with that, and providing diapers or helping using the toilet;
- providing clothing, and in the case of small children, putting the clothes on and taking them off or helping with that;
- providing shelter, furniture, medical care, love, entertainment, safety;
- arranging for a school to provide education, with parents providing additional education and guidance, including norms, and in the case of religious parents, religion.
Parenting may involve praise but also punishment, for instance putting a child over the knee for a spanking. The term "child training" implies a specific type of parenting that focuses on holistic understanding of the child.
See also