Exploring the Four Major Parenting Styles

Parenting Styles play an important part in molding the attitude and behavior of their children. The way a child talks and behaves with others reveals the environment he’s growing up in and how his parents are bringing him up. So who your baby will be and how he will grow up all boils down to you! After all, in the crucial first few years of life, your child isn’t just developing communication skills and language, he is building the foundation of his personality.

The primary influence over his environment is your parenting style!

While it takes a range of techniques and practices to raise a child that is well-equipped for adulthood, you will find some recurring themes through this parenting advice: letting your child make decisions, spending time with your child, and keeping a happy family. Catering to your child’s needs, cuddling, reading a book or any activity that involves nurturing will do a lot to improve your baby’s temperament, emotional well-being, personality, and ability to cope with stress. One of the interesting things about being a parent is that there are noticeable differences in how different parents raise their children.

Your parenting style can impact everything – from how your child feels about himself to how he behaves in public. It is necessary to make sure your parenting style encourages healthy development because how you interact with your child and how you discipline him will influence the rest of his life.

Below you will find the four major parenting styles that researchers have identified. 

1. Authoritarian parenting from the very name, we can gather the idea that this type of parenting focuses on imposing authority on the child without any exception. In this case, children have to follow whatever their parents say. Parents with this parenting style don’t allow children to face obstacles or problem-solve in any way. Instead, they set the rules and reinforce the consequences with little regard for their child’s opinion. Authoritarian parents punish their children instead of disciplining them. So instead of focusing on how a child should make better choices, parents are more caught up in making children feel sorry for their mistakes. Such kids stand a high risk of developing self-esteem problems because they feel as though their opinions aren’t valued.

 

2. Authoritative parenting Such parents have rules and they also use consequences but at the same time, they take into account their children’s opinions. They validate the child’s feelings but also make it clear that it’s the adults that are ultimately in charge. This parenting style invests time and energy into preventing behavior problems even before they begin. Such parents also use positive discipline strategies to instill good behavior. Children of such parents tend to be self-disciplined and think for themselves. This parenting style is thought to benefit children the most.

 

3. Permissive parenting in this parenting style, parents are quite lenient and they step in only when there is a severe problem. They are forgiving and might give in when a child begs for something. Permissive parents are more like friends and less like parents. They typically encourage their children to talk to them about their issues but they refrain from putting much effort into discouraging a child’s bad behavior or poor choices.

 

4. Uninvolved parenting from the name itself, we can gather that uninvolved parents have little knowledge of what their children are doing. There are very few rules and children barely receive any guidance, nurturing, or parental attention. Uninvolved parents think that children will raise themselves. They don’t devote much energy or time to meeting a child’s basic needs. Even though it seems like uninvolved parents are neglectful, that’s not always on purpose. They may be lacking in knowledge about child development or simply overwhelmed with other responsibilities. Children of such parents may grow up to have self-esteem issues and perform poorly in school. They may exhibit different behavior problems and rank low in happiness.

Get your kids involved in outdoor activities.