parentcraft

English

WOTD – 15 May 2017

A father and son in Bangladesh

Etymology

From parent +‎ -craft.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛəɹəntkɹɑːft/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛəɹəntkɹæft/, /ˈpeə-/, /ˈpæ-/
• Hyphenation: pa‧rent‧craft

Noun

parentcraft (uncountable)

1. The skills and knowledge used by parents in raising children.
   • 1980 January, Gillian [Mary] Pugh, “Antenatal Services”, in Gillian Pugh, editor, Preparation for Parenthood: Some Current Initiatives & Thinking, London: National Children's Bureau, →OCLC, page 27:

     The Court report […] received evidence from some that parentcraft classes in hospital were helpful and from others that they conflict with primary health care, and particularly with the work of health visitors.

   • 2003, Linda Bryder, “Helen Deem and Paediatrics, 1939–56”, in A Voice for Mothers: The Plunket Society and Infant Welfare, 1907–2000, Auckland: Auckland University Press, →ISBN, page 132:

     Parentcraft included traditional female activities of cooking, home management and budgeting and child care, but also gardening and woodwork, and 'knowledge of civic and public affairs'. Both parents had a role to play in promoting home life and the family.

   • 2016, Teri Gavin-Jones, Sandra Handford, “The History of Antenatal Education”, in Hypnobirth: Evidence, Practice and Support for Birth Professionals, Abingdon, Oxon., New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 4:

     The expectations of pregnant women and their families is that within the pregnancy there will be some kind of antenatal education. This may be within an NHS [National Health Service] setting and taught by midwives (sometimes referred to as ‘parentcraft’) or women may seek private sector classes.