Parents who love their children sometimes harm them. They harm them by physically or sexually abusing them and by failing to provide the nurturance that children have the right to expect. They neglect and abuse their children because they lack the necessary combination of knowledge, patience, empathy, and problem-solving capabilities. Intervening effectively requires a careful assessment of the parents' lives, both past and present. This article provides an overview of the overarching problems maltreating parents bring to their interactions with their young children.