ARTICLES
The 4 types of parenting
Which is yours?
The four main parenting styles used in child psychology today are based on the work of Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist, and Stanford researchers Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin.
When it comes to parenting, there is a great deal of diversity among families. Cultural backgrounds have a major impact on how the family unit exists and how children are reared. Different cultural, ethnic, and spiritual ideologies, socio-economic status, and single-parent families are some of the factors that determine a variety of parenting styles among families.
This article’s content will only focus on four parenting categories: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. Every category employs a unique approach to how parents raise their children. Which parenting style do you have?
4 PARENTING STYLES in a nut shell
AUTHORITARIAN
– Parent oriented relationship.
– Enforces strict rules and punishment.
– One way communication with little consideration for child’s emotional, social and behavioural needs.
AUTHORITATIVE
– Solves problems together with the child.
– Sets clear boundaries and expectations.
– Encourages open communication.
– Teaches natural consequences.
PERMISSIVE
– Child-driven relationship.
– Seldom makes or enforces rules.
– Gives in to child to keep the peace.
– Protects child from consequences.
UNINVOLVED
– Not involved or not present.
– Provides little nurturing or guiding.
– Indifferent to child’s emotional, social and behavioural needs.
Authoritarian Parenting
Parents of this style tend to have a one-way mode of communication where the parent establishes strict rules that the child has to obey. There is little room for negotiations from the child, and the rules are not usually explained. They expect their children to uphold these standards while making no errors. Mistakes usually lead to punishment. Authoritarian parents are normally less nurturing and have high expectations with limited flexibility.
Result
Children that grow up with authoritarian parents will usually be the most well-behaved in the room because of the consequences of misbehaving. Additionally, they are better able to adhere to the precise instructions required to reach a goal. Furthermore, this parenting style can result in children who have higher levels of aggression but may also be shy, socially inept, and unable to make their own decisions. This aggression can remain uncontrolled as they have difficulty
managing anger as they were not provided with proper guidance. They have poor self-esteem, which further reinforces their inability to make decisions. Strict parental rules and punishments often influence the child to rebel against authority figures as they grow older.
Authoritative Parenting
This type of parent normally develops a close, nurturing relationship with their children. They have clear guidelines for their expectations and explain their reasons associated with disciplinary actions. Disciplinary methods are used as a way of support instead of punishment. Not only can children have input into goals and expectations, but there are also frequent and appropriate levels of communication between the parent and their child. In general, this parenting style leads to the healthiest outcomes for children but requires a lot of patience and effort on both parties.
Result
Authoritative parenting results in children who are confident, responsible, and able to self-regulate. They can manage their negative emotions more effectively, which leads to better social outcomes and emotional health. Since these parents also encourage independence, their children will learn that they are capable of accomplishing goals on their own. This results in children who grow up with higher self- esteem. Also, these children have a high level of academic achievement and school performance.
Permissive Parenting
Permissive parents tend to be warm, nurturing and usually have minimal or no expectations. They impose limited rules on their children. Communication remains open, but parents allow their children to figure things out for themselves. These low levels of expectation usually result in rare uses of discipline. They act more like friends than parents.
Result
Limited rules can lead to children with unhealthy eating habits, especially regarding snacks. This can result in increased risks for obesity and other health problems later in the child’s life. The child also has a lot of freedom as they decide their bedtime, if or when to do homework, and screen time with the computer and television. Freedom to this degree can lead to other negative habits as the parent does not provide much guidance on moderation. Overall, children of permissive parents usually have some self-esteem and decent social skills. However, they can be impulsive, demanding, selfish, and lack self-regulation.
Uninvolved Parenting
Children are given a lot of freedom as this type of parent normally stays out of the way. They fulfill the child’s basic needs while generally remaining detached from their child’s life. An uninvolved parent does not utilize a particular disciplining style and has a limited amount of communication with their child. They tend to offer a low amount of nurturing while having either few or no expectations of their children.
Result
The children of uninvolved parents usually are resilient and may even be more self-sufficient than children with other types of upbringing. However, these skills are developed out of necessity. Additionally, they might have trouble controlling their emotions, less effective coping strategies, may have academic challenges, and
difficulty with maintaining or nurturing social relationships.
Information obtained from NATIONAL CENTRE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION USA GOVERNMENT
