Written to help parents and children recognize the importance of communication, this publication provides guidelines for parenting children from infancy through adolescence. Initially, discussion focuses on issues related to the nature of communication, parenting, good parenting, infancy, toddlers, and school-age children. Subsequent discussion describes pilot programs developed by the National Institute of Mental Health to improve early parent/child communication, stimulate positive development of the child, and prevent later behavioral difficulties. The infant satellite nursery, parent education in a pediatric clinic, toy demonstrator programs, and toy library programs are briefly described. Several issues related to the teen years, including understanding adolescents, coping with parents, aids to solving conflicts, and special areas of conflict (such as discipline, pornography, and substance abuse) are also briefly described. (RH)