More than a hundred years ago, families were much larger than they are now. It was much more common for families to own farms and to work as a cooperative group. There were more distinct gender roles; women worked in the home and men worked outside the home. Parenting was also viewed very differently. Parents did not involve their children in the number of activities now common in the United States. Today, children's primary roles are to receive an education and to play and be children. What has contributed to the shift in family size and the expectations of children