ABSTRACT
In this chapter I present observations from two families, which I have selected because, in a particular way, they balance some of the demographic variables one must consider. In the first family, my initial observations involve a triad consisting of mother, father, and firstborn son; 3 7 months later a daughter was born. In the second family, the original constellation was father, mother, and first-born daughter; 38 months later a son was born. As you will see, these families, though matched for age, socioeconomic status, religion, occupation, cultural interests, and even training institutions, encompass great variability in parental behaviors, particularly on the interrogative and meaning levels of reality. On the level of what I call videotaped reality (what a camera would record), there is, however, considerable overlap.
