DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Introduction to the Second Edition F ifteen years ago when I began work on the first edition of Theories of Childhood, I knew it was a good idea. I had been a practitioner and college instructor for many years and knew that parents, child care teachers, providers, and students all increasingly struggled with what to do with the children. I never expected the response to the book that I have enjoyed in the past decade. At conferences and training ses- sions, I am frequently approached by students who say they never “got” theory until they were forced to read my book in college. I have appreciated feedback from the many commu- nity college, university, and graduate school instructors who thank me for creating a usable text for beginners. It is interesting that I have received comments and letters from many readers for whom English is not their native lan- guage. These practitioners have thanked me for helping them transition to caregiving in the United States. It is both hum- bling and gratifying to think that my own theory and practice struggles have helped colleagues to frame both for their daily work with children. It is also interesting to me that there was some question at the time about using the Margaret Mead quote in the introduc- tion. Objections were twofold. The editor did not like that the quote was from 1963 (still relevant?). And the source (Redbook magazine), we would mostly agree, is not a credible research tool for writing a textbook. I was new to the world of writing textbooks, and to me, Margaret Mead was credible wher- ever and whenever she made comments about the human condition. Today, with over 75,000 copies in circulation, I am more confident about Mead’s words and my insistence that we use 1 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL