SummaryA redefinition of family relationships in increasingly psychological terms has been an important development in industrial capitalist societies since the nineteenth century. This paper explores the role of professional ‘experts’, especially doctors, psychologists, kindergarteners and the like, in changing patterns of childrearing and possibly increasing stress on parents. The implications for women have been considerable. As mothers, they have borne the brunt of the professionals' advice, but they have also entered the professions and formed lay groups concerned with particular aspects of childbearing and rearing. The paper discusses the theoretical significance of these developments in terms of understanding the role of the professional middle class in social cha