This talk will address the emerging field of epigenetics that provides the growing body of knowledge on how genetic information is conveyed from genotype to phenotype through dynamic genome-environment interactions. The concept of the epigenome as a biological chronicle of our life experiences, which captures the essential and/or recurring impacts of the environment in epigenetic modifications via chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation changes, will be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on behavioral epigenetics–how the epigenetic state might be changed by behavioral programming and psychological stress, whose effects can be overridden in the early stages of life. Namely, the interaction between the epigenome and family environment or early social experiences, as well as the mediating role of the epigenome in “how experiences get under skin” will be discussed. These general points will be illustrated by results from ongoing research on the associations between the epigenome, as captured through genome-wide DNA methylation profiles, and parenting, with a special emphasis on maternal care. The potential effects of parenting-related epigenetic modulations on children’s developmental trajectories will be discussed.