“Parenting is awfully frustrating and often a lonely place,” says Neufeld, a prominent Vancouver psychologist, especially when a child misbehaves. “When parents realize that they are their children’s best bet, it challenges them to their own maturity.” It gives them the confidence that they know what’s good for their kids, and that they should stand up to them—this is, in fact, an act of love required of parents. They become, in effect, the grown-ups their children need.