A STUDY CONCERNED WITH THE CHILD REARING PRACTICES OF MOTHERS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN UNDER SIX WAS UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE NORMATIVE DATA ON BREAST-FEEDING, BOWEL TRAINING, AND DISCIPLINE AND TO RELATE THE DATA TO FAMILY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. FACTORS CONSIDERED WERE OCCUPATION OF THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE, LEVEL OF INCOME, AND EDUCATION OF THE MOTHER. DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM CLUSTER SAMPLES FROM TWO AREAS, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA IN CALIFORNIA. EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINE INTERVIEWS WITH MOTHERS IN THE STATE AND 812 IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY WERE CONDUCTED, USING A QUESTIONNAIRE WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ON CHILD REARING PRACTICES. RESULTS OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DATA SHOWED THAT WOMEN WITH SOME COLLEGE EDUCATION HAD A HIGHER RATE OF STARTING TO BREAST-FEED, BEGAN BOWEL TRAINING LATER AND WITH LESS SEVERE METHODS, AND DID NOT USE PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT AS MUCH AS OTHER MOTHERS. THE LEAST EDUCATED GROUP OF MOTHERS (LESS THAN EIGHT YEARS OF SCHOOLING) SHOWED THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS. THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATION OF MOTHERS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON CHILD REARING PRACTICES. FAMILY INCOME WAS THE LEAST IMPORTANT SOCIOECONOMIC FACTOR. FOUR APPENDIXES INCLUDE COMPARISONS OF STATEWIDE AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SAMPLES, SAMPLING ERRORS, A FACSIMILE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (MS)