But as families become smaller and double-income families increase, they find themselves increasingly shorthanded for both household chores and childrearing. For those tasks that cannot be taken care of by appliances or outside help (such as babysitters and daycare centers), spouses must consult to work out a solution. "Consultative parenthood is the wave of the future," says Professor Lin.
但隨著家庭規模縮小，雙薪家庭增加，無論在家事或教養子女上，都出現了人手不足的窘況，而機器或外在服務（如：褓姆、安親班）無法解決的部分，夫妻必須以協商方式解決，「協商式的親職關係將是未來的趨勢，」他說。