4 Parenting Styles
by Dana Goldberg
Every grandmother and grandfather will tell you hilarious stories of their children
when they were first born. And for every funny and touching story they have, they
will be able to tell you another for every hardship they encountered. Parenting
is something that is done in many different ways by each parent. The following are
four general styles employed by parents.
Authority: Authoritarian parents rule on just that: authority. Commands are given
to children that they must follow regardless of the circumstances. If these commands
are not followed, harsh punishment will ensue. These parents do not welcome feedback
from their children. In fact, it is met with severe punishment. The children tend
to be quiet and unhappy. They have more of a fear than a love for their parents.
Male children have trouble dealing with anger and female children have trouble facing
adversity due to their heavily structured life where nothing ever changes.
Indulgent: Indulgent parents tend to be described as lenient. They allow immature
and childish behavior. These parents expect the children to learn from their mistakes
and to fend for themselves in most times of need. These parents tend to be democratic
and allow for feedback from there children on issues. They will hear both sides
of an argument and usually make a compromise. Indulgent parents usually avoid confrontation
with their children by all means, but do tend to be more involved and emotionally
closer to their children.
Authoritative: Authoritative parents are a combination of the two styles previously
mentioned. They are the happy medium. While expecting proper behavior from their
children, they welcome feedback and questioning on certain issues. They're able
to demand things of their children but are also able to respond to what they're
child says, questions and requests. These children tend to be the happiest, most
confident and self assured of all the mentioned parenting styles. It is very difficult
to be a purely authoritative parent.
Passive: Passive parenting is being completely uninvolved. These parents may never
be home due to immaturity, work or the like. These children are usually raised by
grandparents, older siblings, babysitters or themselves. There is no parental involvement
at all.
We wish you many happy stories!
About The Author
D. Goldberg is the owner of Parenting Spirit.
Free parenting tips on children's behavior, activities for children and parenting
resources for families and professionals.
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