Childrearing Attitudes in Appalachia Today: A Preliminary Look

20 Appalachian mothers reported more enjoyment of child-rearing when their children were small but had unrealistically high expectations of their infants. They were restrictive of their older children's activities. Physical punishment was the primary form of discipline, but reasoning and rewards were used as well. Since only 19% of the mothers invited to participate in the study actually did so, the results may not be representative of the group.