Parenthood. It is singular and commonplace, liberating and constraining, energizing and exhausting, self-denying and self-defining, a test, and a gift. No other life experience offers as many highs and lows or dredges up as many conflicts from the past or creates as many conflicts in the present - or gives us so many opportunities to develop and fulfill ourselves as individuals. Parenting is formative for parents, not only for their children. Growing with Your Child is a book that explores and celebrates parenthood as a significant force in adult development. Elin Schoen documents for the first time the many ways in which children can transform their parents' psyches - not just their lifestyles - throughout their lives. She demonstrates that each stage of a child's development offers a new potential for the parent to develop too. It is not unusual for parents to find themselves at a loss when trying to describe what having a child has meant to them. This book is the result of one mother's struggle to find those words for herself and for all mothers and fathers - to articulate as fully as possible her appreciation for the most satisfying, character-nurturing, soul-expanding adventure life has to offer - parenthood.