A Guide to Different Parenting Styles

People have different ideas and views regarding how to rear their children.  Some parents adopt the style of their own parents, some read parenting books, some get advice from friends and few take the classes offered in the community.  When it comes to parenting, there is no right or wrong approach, however, many psychologists and other social scientists believe that there are certain parenting practices that yield the positive outcomes.  Though enough research has been done, it is almost impossible to find the direct cause-and-effect relationship between actions of parents and their children’s respective behavior.

Children raised in entirely different environments can grow up to have similar personalities, and children living in the same home, raised by same parents can have totally different personalities.  As per the study done by a psychologist in 1960s, there are four significant dimensions of parenting.  These dimensions are disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles, and maturity and control.  Most parents display a parenting style based on these four dimensions.

In authoritarian parenting, children are expected to follow certain rules that are set by parents, and failure to follow these rules results in punishment.  Only parents define the rules, and children are not given the reason for following them.  The authoritarian parenting style is very demanding, and parents are not responsive to their children.  Parents who adopt authoritarian style are obedience and status oriented, and they expect children to follow the rules without questioning their authority.

Another parenting style is called authoritative parenting, and like authoritarian parents, these parents establish rules and expect their children to follow them.  But, in the case of authoritative parenting, the parents adopt more democratic approach, and are willing to answer the questions.  Authoritarian parents are more lenient, and if their children are not able to meet parent’s level of expectations, they try to understand, instead of giving the punishment.  Authoritarian parents are not restrictive and intrusive, and their disciplinary methods are more supportive instead of punitive.

Permissive parents are also called indulgent parents, and they have very limited demands from their children.  Permissive parent have low expectations of maturity and self-control from their children, and they do not like to discipline.  These parents are lenient and non-tradition, allow considerable self-regulation, no not require mature behavior and do not like confrontation.  These parents are more like friends than the parent to their children.

Uninvolved parents have little communication with their children, have few demands and expect low responsiveness.  These parents fulfill all the needs of children, but they are generally detached from their children’s lives.  In some extreme cases, these parents also neglect or reject their children’s needs.