What drew you to the topic?

I don't really know.

I've been interested in various aspects of social and cultural history, trying to find out what kinds of changes have affected family life, including parental behavior, because I think that's an important avenue toward doing better with the kind of adult concerns we're encountering today.

So, again, I think it's a good entry into significant changes in the nature of normal life.

It's challenging, as you know, because getting data on the kids' aspect of this is inevitably difficult and provisional, and even parental attitudes are hard to pin down.

They don't necessarily articulate what really bothers them.

but as a major way for historians to contribute to a better understanding of family life, obviously.

And when you look back at historical markers over the last century, what do you see as the biggest changes in children's lives and what parents feel they're expected to do? Okay.