Photographic Essays: A Parents' Dilemma

For all the parenting literature within arm's reach, Natalie and David Bontumasi, who live in the suburbs of Chicago, know that no book can tell them exactly the best way to raise their sons Lucian, 4, and Eliot, 17 months. Reluctant to say “no” too often, the Bontumasis also worry about the costs of being overly permissive. Working for the right balance can be a wearying exercise, even for these most patient of parents.