The article discusses the question of whether in European history it was possible to instill a love for the family tree, and the author understands both of these phenomena in a general way, stipulating the problematic nature of such an approach. Analyzing the formation of love in archaic culture, the concept of platonic love, the medieval concept of courtly love and the new European concepts of romantic love, the author comes to the conclusion that love could not be organically united with the family. He discusses the reasons for this, which have much to do with the discrepancy between the European individual and the family as a social institution. Accordingly, arguments from both psychology and sociology are used. In conclusion, the author’s “concept of creative love” is outlined.

The article presents the activities of the consulting center of the Moscow psychologicsocial university, describes and analyzes the results of monitoring the provision of consulting services by specialists of the center to modern parents on issues of upbringing, education and development of children.

The article highlights the features of child-parent relations between adolescents and their parents; it is shown that the full picture of child-parent relations, their complexity and specificity can be understood only by comprehensively examining families, in particular separately fathers, mothers and their children; it is demonstrated that not only the attitude of parents to children, but also the attitude of children to parents it is no less significant and can have an impact on the nature of child-parent relations and, as a result, on the well-being of the child.

The article presents the activities of the Consulting Center of the Moscow Psychologicsocial university, analyzes the results of monitoring the provision of consulting services by the center’s specialists to the parental community on development, education and upbringing of children.

The article reveals the specific features of the modern Russian family, focuses on the insufficient pedagogical competence of many parents and the need to provide them with targeted psychological and pedagogical counseling. On the example of the activity of the Consulting Center of the Moscow Psychological and Social University, the main directions of effective assistance to parents in matters of upbringing and education of children are described.