There are times when parents wonder if they are doing the best thing for their children. Parents have different methods of raising children. Some are strict, while others are a bit more lenient and freer. There are 4 types of parenting styles, which one do you fall into?
Some parents are always around their kids to offer guidance, these types of parents have been referred to as helicopter parents.
Other parents prefer to take a more distant approach and let the kids figure out things on their own.
Good parenting styles, however, bring out the best in the child, helping them reach their full growth and development potential.
Diana Baumrind reported that kids’ behaviors are highly correlated with specific parenting styles.
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The 4 Types of Parenting Styles and Their Effects on Child Development
- Authoritarian parenting
- Authoritative parenting
- Permissive parenting
- Uninvolved parenting
So, which is the best parenting style for you and your kids? Let’s take a closer look at what the four parenting styles are:
1. The Authoritarian Parent
The authoritarian parenting style focuses on enforcing her rules. They do not often consider the child’s views and believe whatever they say goes.
One phrase that can be associated with authoritarian parenting is “my way or the high way”. Their focus, therefore, lies in the complete obedience of the child.
Whenever there is a problem that needs solving, the authoritarian parent doesn’t consider the child’s opinion and sets rules that must be followed, failure to which results in punishment.
Note that the word is punishment and not discipline. Punishment is giving consequences, while teaching discipline involves letting the child understand their actions and how to solve their problems.
Thus, the child of the authoritarian parent finds himself or herself following rules for most of their young life.
But there is a downside to being too authoritarian. Studies show that such kids are more likely to develop self-esteem issues as their opinion is not valued.
They are also more prone to becoming aggressive and hostile toward others. This often comes from the pent-up anger that they feel toward their parents.
As a defense mechanism of avoiding punishment for doing something wrong, such kids may also develop lying behavior.
2. The permissive parent
The permissive parent is also one of the 4 types of parenting styles. Another way to describe a permissive parent is lenient, perhaps even too lenient.
While the parents set rules, they often fail to enforce them or give consequences for breaking the rules.
Permissive parenting involves letting the child learn to do things on their own. When there is a serious issue, the permissive parent will step in to solve the problem.
Often when kids do something wrong, the permissive parent will forgive them and say, “Kids will be kids”. They tend to relate with their child more as a friend than an authority figure at home.
Permissive parents may also give back privileges if the child cries or begs for them.
There is also little effort to discourage bad behavior and encourage good behavior.
Ironically, such kids may end up developing self-esteem issues as they often grow up feeling unprotected and uncared for. They may also have behavioral problems and struggle with rules and regulations when they grow up.
Other issues may include obesity and dental cavities as parents fail to enforce good behavior.
3. The Authoritative Parent
The authoritative parenting style focuses on building a good relationship with the child. While they may enforce punishment for breaking rules, they do take the time to explain to the child why the rules exist in the first place. Think of it as parenting styles democratic.
The authoritative parents are nurturing, and they will take time to listen to the kid’s opinion and involves the child in the decision-making process.
The authoritative parent will also make use of positive reinforcements to encourage good behavior while using consequences to discourage bad behaviors. The aim is to prevent a behavioral problem from developing.
This type of parenting encourages open communication and kids feel heard.
And there are several benefits of this approach.
Firstly, kids raised by authoritative parents tend to be happier and have few self-esteem issues. They are also more likely to express themselves and their opinion.
Ultimately, such children are more likely to be successful as they are better at problem-solving.
4. The Uninvolved Parent
Uninvolved parenting is characterized by a lack of involvement in the child’s life, These types of parents are also called neglectful parents. Often such parents will not take time to help with homework and will not ask about their kid’s day.
As a result, the parent is often unaware of the activities of their kids. Some features of parenting styles uninvolved are a lack of nurturing, guidance, and parental care.
It is as though the children raise themselves. While the parents may often be neglectful, it is not always their fault as they are sometimes caught up with their work.
Other times, the parent has a mental health issue and may even have a substance abuse problem, which also causes them to be unavailable.
There is also a chance that the parent is simply not knowledgeable about child development.
The downside to the uninvolved parenting style is that the child often feels neglected. Thus, this style of parenting often causes self-esteem issues. They also have behavioral problems, tend to be frustrated, and feel unhappy.
Final Thought
What is The Best Parenting Style?
According to research, authoritative parenting tends to produce more self-reliant, independent, and happy kids that perform well not just in school but also in life.
It is important to always keep in mind that even children raised authoritatively can develop self-esteem issues and bad behavior. However, they are far less likely compared to those raised in a permissive, uninvolved, and authoritarian way. Working mom guilt is a normal feeling for moms working full-time or part-time outside the home.
