The term parenting derives from the Latin parere, a word that can be defined as "Source, cause, origin, that from which something originates or derives." This word defines a large part of our lives. During the first two decades of our lives, our parents nurtured us, fed us, and clothed us. They also determined or influenced our housing, our food, our interactions, and what we dedicated our time to. Then, after about 10 or 15 years of independence, parenting returned to the forefront of our lives, but this time we encountered it from the other side of the equation - as parents. Raising children changes the structure of our lives and also changes us as individuals. For most of us, it is the most important activity of our lives.