GWEN IFILL:

Now we turn to our new series on the joys and challenges of Parenting Now.

Mothers, fathers and other caregivers have long tried to successfully navigate this tricky terrain, full of age-old dilemmas, as well as new questions. As parents' roles change, so too does the popular notion of the best way to raise children, as marketing, technology and cultural shifts provide daily challenges, achievement gaps open between boys and girls, and child care costs rockets out of sight.

We will be looking at all these topics and more this week.

Judy gets us started tonight with this conversation she recorded earlier.