M.Ed. / "Change" is a concept that our society is daily confronted by. These changes bring new demands for both parents and child in education. It is therefore necessary that adaptation be made to the traditional educational practices in order to meet the current demands. Research by Gottman (1997:30) has found that a strong emotional bond between parent and child is an answer for the current demands. This study looks at the changes that have taken place in our society in the last couple of years. The effect of the changing society on Afrikaans toddler parents' parenting style and what is needed to equip toddlers better in the future, is investigated. Against this background the following research questions are asked: What is the influence of the changing society on Afrikaans toddler parents' parenting style? - Which parent styles do Afrikaans toddler parents currently makes use of? What role does "emotion coaching" play in Afrikaans toddler parents' parenting style? A literature study was carried out to portray the main changes that society is confronted by. Attention was given to the characteristics of the toddler period. The concept of emotional intelligence was discussed and different parenting styles were looked at. Special emphasis was placed on Gottman's parenting styles, which mainly has bearing on the way a parent deals with their child's emotions. This is a qualitative, therefore exploratory and descriptive study which aims to give insight into the parenting style of modern Afrikaans' toddler parents in an urban context. Data was collected by making use of a literature study, focus group interviews and by selfevaluation questionnaires. The gathered data was arranged by using an inductive and descriptive method of analyzing the data.