Different Parenting Styles

It is important for parents to be aware that there are different parenting styles. The type of parenting style you exhibit can greatly affect the type of person your child/teenager will become.

There are a number of factors that can have quite an effect on parenting, including genetics, socioeconomic status, culture, your neighborhood, siblings, parents' life experiences, birth order of the child as well as the birth order of the parent in his own family. Knowing about the potential outcomes associated with the different parenting styles can empower parents in how they decide to raise their kids.

Diana Baumrind came up with four distinct parenting styles in the 1960s. This was based on her observations, interviews, and research. Each style of parenting has four basic dimensions—disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication style, and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, parents usually fall into one of these four parenting styles:

1. Authoritarian

2. Authoritative

3. Permissive

4. Uninvolved

Authoritarian

This style of parenting requires the child to follow very strict rules that have been established by the parents. The child is expected to obey without question. Failure to do so results in swift punishment. These parents have high demands of their child and do not respond to questioning. Communication is therefore minimal.

Children raised in this environment are very obedient but often lacks self-esteem and social competence.

Authoritative

Authoritative parents also establish rules that they expect their child to follow. However, they are willing to listen to their child’s questions. Failure to comply with rules is usually met with forgiveness and nurturing instead of punishment.

Children raised by authoritative parents are usually happy, successful, and capable.

Permissive

Permissive parents make very few demands of their child. They rarely discipline because they do not expect their child to exhibit much maturity or self-control. Permissive parents are very nurturing and communicative. They prefer to be their child’s friend rather than his parent.

Children raised in a permissive home tends to do poorly in school. They have problems with authority that may affect them for the rest of their lives. They rarely accept responsibility for their actions. Emotional immaturity will also probably affect their relationships with others.

Uninvolved

Uninvolved parents also make few demands, and communicate very little with their child. These parents are completely detached from their child’s life. This usually results in serious neglect and a feeling of rejection on the part of the child.

These children have very low self-esteem, lack self-control, and rank much lower than their peers in competence. They will likely be estranged from their parents once they reach adulthood.

It’s easy to say after looking at all this, why wouldn’t every parent want to raise their children in an authoritative manner? Often the parents’ own background and upbringing will play a part in the way they raise their children.

Also sometimes, a mother may exhibit one parenting style while the father exhibits another. Parents with differing parental styles will have to compromise with each other for the sake of the children. Together they can bring out the best in each other and form a cohesive parenting team. It is also imperative that you be consistent. Children tend to do better when there is consistency in the home.

Now that you know about the different parenting styles, you can modify your techniques to help your teenager achieve his highest potential in life.

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