Parenthood is the state of being a parent. Traditionally, it means being a father or mother of the biological child.

When adoption is involved, the parents are the legal father and mother of the child. Responsible parenthood is the will and ability to respond to the needs and aspirations of the family. Responsible parenting is defined as the series of decisions couples make to ensure the best possible life for the family and for the community to which the family belongs. It is the ability of the parents to raise children in the Filipino way and to satisfy the social, economic, and religious responsibilities of a family. Parenting also includes the inculcation of values and instilling of discipline. There are several points when thinking of parenthood: 1. Happiness and stability of the marriage. The relationship of the couple should be satisfactory because a childs arrival may only become another source of marital stress and misery. 2. Physical and emotional readiness of both partners for parenthood. A wife should be physically and emotionally prepared to give birth to a healthy child and the husband should be mature enough to carry out his responsibilities. 3. Financial stability. The cost of living gets higher as the new born child completes the family and it depends to his parents. Responsible parenthood includes the process of deciding how to choose our partners, when to form families, when to have the first child, child spacing, how many children to have in all, etc. But responsible parenthood does not end with decisions about how many children to have and when to have them. Responsible parenthood includes all the decisions we take to ensure the best possible lives for ourselves and our children. Duties and responsibilities of parents sion of physical care and love The duty and responsibility starts during the prenatal stage. The physical, emotional, and mental health of children depends on the quality of prenatal care they received. Parents should be role models in inculcating discipline in their children. Children should be trained to think and reason out for themselves and be able to distinguish between right and wrong. They should learn to accept limitations, to appreciate the value of freedom with responsibility and understand the requirements of living happily and peacefully with other people

EFFECTS OF SMALLER FAMILY 1. More parental attention and love for the children 2. Happier and more emotionally stable 3. Financially stable 4. More time, energy, and money left for other pursuits 5. Children tend to be well-nourished, heavier, and healthier EFFECTS OF BIGGER FAMILY 1. Nutritional intake per member tends to be smaller, malnutrition tends to be higher 2. Disadvantaged in terms of physical development 3. Prone to infection and parasite infestations 4. Exercise self-deprivation and sacrifice 5. Stiff competition among siblings