I'm not sure where the death of perenting comes in. There have always been bad parents. There should be no nostalgia for imagined better times in the past. I grew up next to a kid whose father beat him with a belt.
If you over praise your kid, you get a kid who only does things for praise. If you bribe your kid, you get a kid who demands rewards for everything. Surprise?
Parents should do the best they can, given their overall circumstances, the circumstances of the moment, their personalities and their kid's personality. There are no absolutes, as many people without kids of their own who post on web forums don't seem to realize.
