SCHOOLS strive to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to get through life successfully.

But for generations there was no formal training of any kind for one of the most testing activities we face -bringing up children.

People tended to follow in the footsteps of their own parents and relatives, copying the methods they had employed.

Today the pace and complexity of life along with the demands of work have imposed pressures on many parents which mean they spend less time with their children than they used to.

And that's one of the reasons why the Safe Parenting Handbook put together by Lancashire County Council is such a good idea. More than 35,000 copies of the book have been produced for distribution through local organisations, primary schools, doctors and hospitals.

It covers all kinds of subjects, from baby-sitting and bullying to drug abuse - common problems which all kinds of parents are likely to face.

They are far bigger issues today than they were for the parents and grandparents of today's mums and dads.

And there is a real need for such handbooks rather than merely leaving teenagers with toddlers to fend for themselves - and then wringing our hands when they fail to cope.